Four candidates file for Washington mayoral race

WASHINGTON — Three current city council members and one challenger will have their names on the ballot in Washington’s April 30 special election to finish out the term for Washington’s recently resigned mayor.

The deadline to file for the election was April 5. The Washington County Auditor’s Office provided the following names shortly after the end of the business day:

Ivan Rangel is a city council member and owner of Rangel Construction, a roofing business in Washington. Rangel was elected to represent the city’s second ward in February of 2023, after the abrupt resignation of Steve Gault. In that race, he ran on a “community-first” platform, and said he hoped his bilingual fluency would help Latino voters access their local government, and that his construction experience would prove essential as the city struggles with a housing shortage.

Elaine Moore, another sitting council member, was elected at-large for the first time in 2017. Since then, she’s made a name for herself as a vocal member of the decision-making body. She’s also president of the Kiwanis AM’ers, and treasurer of the Washington County Enrichment Foundation. Moore was notably one of former Mayor Jaron Rosien’s earliest and fiercest critics, calling for his removal when he began an unpaid leave of absence early last year to focus on a still-unfinished legal battle in which he’s charged with third degree sexual abuse.

Millie Youngquist, yet another Washington City Council member and its mayor pro tem, has served as the city’s acting chief executive for the last 14 months. The retired music teacher has compared her time at the helm to being a “substitute teacher,” running a class she didn’t write the lesson plan for, while the city faced ongoing uncertainty about its long-term leadership. On top of her municipal involvement, Youngquist has leadership roles with the Washington Community Foundation, Performing Arts Series, Great Places Committee and Farm to Film Festival Board, among others.

Rob Meyer, the only candidate listed who doesn’t already hold an elected office, has less of a history in the public eye than his competitors. Meyer is a father of seven, and with his wife manages the Ashley Lynn Condos, a pair of properties northwest of the Washington Business Park, just inside city limits. Asked about his other involvement in the community, Meyer said he was a member of the Marion Avenue Baptist Church, and known among friends as a handyman who helps with lawn care, snow removal, and moving furniture, as needed.

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