Whatcom County council member will challenge incumbent in race for executive’s seat

A Whatcom County Council member said he will challenge County Executive Satpal Sidhu in the August primary.

Councilman Barry Buchanan, who is serving his third term on the council, made the announcement in an emailed statement Thursday, April 27.

Buchanan’s announcement sets up a possible race against County Executive Satpal Sidhu, who has said he intends to seek re-election to a second term.

Although the county’s elected positions are non-partisan, both Sidhu and Buchanan are Democrats and have been endorsed in previous races by the Democratic Party.

Candidate filing week starts at 9 a.m. May 15 and ends at 4 p.m. May 19, according to the Whatcom County Auditor’s Office.

This year’s primary is Aug. 1, a “top two” race where the two leading candidates advance to the Nov. 7 general election, regardless of their party affiliation.

This story was originally published April 27, 2023 at 5:47 PM.

Robert Mittendorf

The Bellingham Herald

360-756-2805

Robert Mittendorf covers civic issues, weather, traffic and how people are coping with the high cost of housing for The Bellingham Herald. A journalist since 1984, he also served 22 years as a volunteer firefighter for South Whatcom Fire Authority before retiring in 2025.