About City Council
About this position
The City Legislature is the municipality's governing body, responsible for voting on ordinances and policies, and often is in charge of hiring a city manager.
- Office level
- City
- Election frequency
- Every 4 years
- Affiliation
- Nonpartisan
- Positions
- 1 open seat
Election type
- Partisan election (party labels appear on ballots)
- Run-off election
How to run for City Council
- Step 1
Meet eligibility requirements
Candidates must be registered voters and city residents for one year prior to the election.
- Step 2
File for office
- Filing requirements
- Filing fee of 1% of the councilor's annual salary (approx. $24). In lieu of a filing fee, signatures equalling the price in dollars of the filing fee, rounded to the nearest whole dollar, may be submitted.
- Filing period
- May 17, 2027 - May 21, 2027
- Paperwork instructions
- Submit paperwork to the County Auditor's office.
- Where to file
- County Courthouse, Building 1, Room 106, 2000 Lakeridge Dr. SW, Olympia, WA 98502
- Filing phone
- 360-786-5224
- Step 3
Launch your campaign
A real campaign starts with a real plan. Get a custom campaign plan from GoodParty.org, personalized for your race and district.
Get started
Need help? You don't have to run alone. Join the GoodParty.org Community to get advice from real independents who have run and won.
Who's currently in office
Learn about who represents you in Rainier.
What this symbol means
Candidates and elected officials with this symbol took the GoodParty.org Pledge, promising to serve people first, independent of both major parties and big-money interests.
- View profileAmber BakerPosition 1Nonpartisan · Current term 2026 to 2029
- View profile
Tom ArnbristerPosition 3Nonpartisan · Current term 2026 to 2029 - View profileRon KempPosition 4Nonpartisan · Current term 2024 to 2027
- View profile
Dennis C. McVeyPosition 5Nonpartisan · Current term 2026 to 2029Has taken the GoodParty.org Pledge
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