Luke, Teigrob will seek County Council seats

SAM TAYLOR - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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Whatcom County Councilman Carl Weimer will have a challenger for his District 3 seat, while District 2 candidate Ken Mann now has an opponent.

Lummi Islander Michelle Luke announced Thursday, June 4, that she will challenge Weimer for his position.

The 56-year-old Luke has been active in island issues for several years, speaking in front of the County Council on the island's sub-area plan as well as ferry issues. She also opposed making the Embrey House a community center instead of selling it.

Luke is a 35-year county resident and has spent 25 years on the island. Her husband Steve's family has owned property on the island since 1943, she said. The couple own L-Inc., a sales and marketing company in the home furnishings industry.

"What I think I can bring to the council is common sense, a willingness to listen to all sides, and a desire to look at how the outcomes of decisions will affect real people," she said.

Mary Beth Teigrob, a former KGMI-AM 790 conservative talk show host, will challenge Mann, a progressive and member of the Whatcom County Democrats who is also a former host on the radio station's PM Bellingham program. Mann also serves on the county Planning Commission and last challenged Councilman Sam Crawford in 2007.

The 54-year-old Teigrob is from Everson and prepared a 2004 challenge to state Rep. Kelli Linville, D-Bellingham, as a Republican but pulled out because her family's aluminum railing institution company was seeing a heavy workload.

County Council races are nonpartisan, but local political parties and other partisan organizations do support candidates.