Political newcomer Nick Coelho invited friends, family and supporters to Big E Ales Saturday to help launch his campaign for the Lynnwood City Council. Coelho is campaigning for the council’s Position 6 seat, hoping to unseat incumbent George Hurst.

Coelho is a small-business owner who serves as a member of the city’s Parks and Recreation Board. He was part of a slate campaign called “Lynnwood Forward” that included former Lynnwood City Council Position 4 candidates Naz Lashgari and Ashkan Amouzegar. Though his running mates did not get the votes to qualify for the November general election, Coelho said he is hoping to keep their progressive vision alive.

“The city has done an excellent job of collaborating and partnering already and it’s leading to some incredible results,” Coelho said. “I want to continue that trajectory and continue that trend.”

The event was emceed by Amouzegar, who began by saying Coelho’s “progressive and balanced perspective” is what the city council needs.

“I can’t think of anyone more up and coming than Nick,” he said.

Attending the event to show support for Coelho were Mayor Nicola Smith, City Councilmembers Christine Frizzell and Shannon Sessions, and City Council Position 4 candidate Jim Smith. Mayor Smith has supported Coelho’s slate campaign from the beginning and said she wants to bring a diversity of thought, experience and talent to the council.

“It’s really important to me that we have councilmembers who are really committed to being the best they can for Lynnwood,” she said. “That’s what I think he’ll bring to Position 6 that’s not there now.”

With the Lynnwood Link extension project expected to bring future growth, Coelho said the city will benefit from collaboration through partnerships to accommodate growth. When a city does not plan for change, he said, it leads to gentrification and displacement for those who cannot continue to afford living there, resulting in a less diverse community.

“Diversity is a strength and we should fight to keep it,” he said.

If elected, Coelho said he would continue to support promoting equality through initiatives such as increasing visibility for the city’s diverse residents, like the LGBTQ community. Although there will be some who try to use divisive language like “them vs. us,” he said the city will benefit more from togetherness.

“When you think about it, there is no ‘them’ just ‘us,’” Coelho said. “The better we can realize that our diversity is a strength, the better the community is going to be.”

To learn more about Nick Coelho, read his campaign profile here. 

–Story and photos by Cody Sexton