Dave Somers
| Dave Somers | |
|---|---|
| 5th Snohomish County Executive | |
|
Assumed office January 4, 2016 |
|
| Preceded by | John Lovick |
| Member of the Snohomish County Council from the 5th district | |
|
In office January 1998 – January 2002 |
|
| Preceded by | R.C. Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Sax |
|
In office January 2006 – January 4, 2016 |
|
| Preceded by | Jeff Sax |
| Succeeded by | Hans Dunshee |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1953 (age 63–64) Napa, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Elaine Somers |
| Residence | Monroe, Washington |
| Alma mater | University of Washington |
| Occupation | Fisheries biologist |
Dave Somers (born 1953) is an American politician and current Snohomish County Executive, an office he has held since 2016. Somers previously served on the Snohomish County Council, representing district 5 in the eastern portion of the county.
Somers was raised in Napa, California and studied at the Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, before moving to the Seattle area to attend the University of Washington. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in fisheries science and later returned to complete a master's degree in forest ecology; Somers was employed as a fisheries biologist by the Tulalip Tribes from 1979 to 1997.
Somers was elected to the Snohomish County Council from district 5 in 1997, defeating incumbent Democrat R.C. "Swede" Johnson in the primary election and facing a Republican write-in candidate in the general election. Somers was elected on a platform of making real estate developers accountable for strains on infrastructure created by new housing in the county, including roads and schools.
Somers was defeated in 2001 by Republican Jeff Sax, whose campaign called Somers a "committed socialist" before retracting the statement. Sax favored local control of land use, opposing the state's Growth Management Act and federal policies. Somers campaigned again in 2005, facing Sax for his former council seat, and won by a narrow margin. Somers was re-elected to a third term in 2009, defeating Republican restaurant owner Steve Dana.
During his time on the County Council, Somers focused on land use regulation and strengthening environmental protections.
Somers announced his candidacy for the County Executive office in May 2015, challenging incumbent Democrat John Lovick, appointed to the position in 2013 after the resignation of Aaron Reardon. In the primary election, Somers narrowly beat Lovick, and the two Democrats advanced to the general election ahead of two Republican an independent candidate. Somers won the general election and was sworn into office as the county's fifth executive in January 2016. State Representative Hans Dunshee was chosen in February to complete the rest of Somers's term in the County Council.
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