The official filing period for the 2013 election came and went and the wild ride ended with only one contested race in Bothell and one council member opting out of his seat.

The biggest news came from Councilman Patrick Ewing who will not run for re-eletcion. The two-term councilman will leave his Position 5 seat on the Bothell City Council after eight years. Ewing was first elected in 2005 and won again in 2009. Ewing told the Reporter that he will make a statement later on this summer about his decision.

The vacancy in Position 5 created an opportunity for candidates to run without challenging an incumbent. But the three candidates who filed will run against each other during a primary in August.

Bothell resident and Planning Commissioner Steven A. Booth, 57, filed to run with the Public Disclosure Commission on May 9 but did not choose a specific position at the time. He has since chosen Position 5.

“I am running for the Bothell City Council to protect public safety, help execute the vision for our downtown revitalization and to make sure our tax dollars are spent efficiently and wisely,” said Booth, who served in the United States Army and has a Masters in Business Administration.

“… Last year, I was honored to be chosen by the city council to serve on the Planning Commission. It has been a great opportunity to serve and work on Bothell’s land-use policies to protect residents and help businesses grow. I have worked closely on our downtown revitalization and strongly support the McMenamins project, which will preserve the historic Anderson School and bring another great family-owned business to our downtown.”

Booth is also a former Northshore Youth Basketball Association coach and currently on the executive leadership council of Hopelink. He said he has been endorsed by the city of Bothell firefighters.

Tris Samberg, who has run for council in the past, has also thrown her hat in the ring for Position 5, along with newcomer Nadia K. Mustafa, according to King County Elections.

“Over the course of years, I have noticed a gradual disconnection between the city council and the citizens of Bothell,” said Mustafa. “Although the council has been doing a good job, I believe that there is still room for improvement. I see crowded roads, safety issues, a general need to improve schools for our future generations and, of course, new projects starting with no end in sight, which only cause plenty of inconvenience in our neighborhoods.”

Mustafa immigrated to the United States in the 1990s and has lived in Bothell since 2002.

“With Mr. Ewing exiting his position, this gives me an opportunity to bring a breath of fresh air, and a voice to bridge the gap between our citizenry and their representatives,” said Mustafa.

She describes herself as a “full-time mother” of three.

“In my campaign, I am going to concentrate on everyday issues, faced by common men and women,” said Mustafa. “I will focus on listening to them, with the goal of improving our community lifestyle. I trust the judgment and wisdom of the Bothell electorate to choose the best person to represent them.”

Position 1 incumbent Joshua Freed, Position 3 incumbent Del Spivey and Position 7 incumbent Thomas E. Agnew are all listed as running in 2013 by King County Elections but all will run unopposed. No challengers filed by the deadline, leaving Bothell with just the one contested race for Position 5.

Freed and Spivey have served on the council since 2006. Spivey also lists current Mayor Mark Lamb as his treasurer.