(The Center Square) – In the small suburban city of Newcastle, a Democratic wave has reshaped the seven-member city council ahead of looming 2027 budget shortfalls that could force cuts, a shift local Republican leaders attribute to conservative complacency and national anti-President Donald Trump sentiment.
Starting in 2026, Newcastle – located in eastern King County – will be governed by a Democratic majority for the first time since its incorporation in 1994.
Voters elected Democrats in all four council races, including two with incumbents. Chris Villasenor posted the strongest showing with 64.9% in District 4. Incumbent Paul Charboneau held District 6, with 59.4% of the vote. Andy Jacobs won District 7 with 56.8%, and Karin Frost Blakely unseated incumbent Jim Quigg, with 58.9% of tallied votes, in District 5
“ALL four races had a clear margin of victory for our Dem slate – greater than any of the council races we’ve had the last 4 years,” Charboneau said in a social media post on Nov. 5. “We’ve been waiting for this for a long time – we’re so excited about what’s to come and the good work we will be able to do.”
Charboneau also referenced previous news coverage describing “divisive leaders,” seemingly referring to Mayor Robert Clark, who drew controversy in June 2024 for opposing a Pride flag raising and criticizing the city’s LGBTQ+ community and reparations for Black Americans.
Newcastle has about 13,750 residents and a median household income of $162,646, as of 2023. The Newcastle preliminary 2026 budget states that the city “currently provides a basic level of service” across departments.
Despite only having 10 members of the King County Sheriff’s Office assigned to patrol the city, crime statistics are low, with a rate of 31.1 cases of crime per 1,000 residents in 2024. But the city does have one looming issue heading into 2027: potential budget deficits that may require staff reductions.
The 2026 preliminary budget is balanced, but a city forecast anticipates a $1.47 million budget gap in 2027 that could grow in subsequent years.
Washington state law limits the annual increase in the amount of regular property tax collections for most local and state government taxing districts to 1%.
For 2025, the city council chose to bank the 1% increase rather than impose it, so the city currently has an additional 1% available to use, but the budget does not recommend using the banked capacity.
Mark Alman, chair of the 41st Legislative District Republicans, said the results were disappointing and raised concerns about more progressive policies taking hold in the city.
He said national politics played a factor in the four city council races, arguing that anti-Trump and anti-MAGA messaging spilled into local campaigns. He also cited what he called a decade of “conservative complacency” on policy issues nationwide.
“A lot of conservatives, particularly in Christian circles, don’t vote, even if they do know what’s going on,” Alman told The Center Square in a phone interview. “In the last 18 months or so, I really felt compelled to put some effort into reaching out to churches and pastors and encouraging them to get their people more involved and educated; I really feel like that’s the answer.”
The election marks a break from Newcastle’s historically conservative-leaning councils. Whether the Democratic sweep ushers in smoother governance or sharper division remains the questions heading into 2026 and beyond.
