The August primary election may be months away but that hasn’t stopped a handful of hopefuls from throwing their names into the ring.

Four council positions as well as the office of mayor is up for election this year in Renton.

Mayor Denis Law announced Dec. 28, 2018 he did not plan to run for reelection. In a previous article, it stated Law considered running in the 2019 election, but it seemed like now was the time to start looking at other things in his personal life.

Three candidates including two current city councilmembers have announced their bid for mayor.

The first to publicly announce their run was Marcie Maxwell.

On Jan. 19, 2019, she announced her campaign for the next Renton mayor.

Maxwell’s decision to run for mayor came after Law announced his retirement, her announcement release stated.

She stated her intent is to “build upon Mayor Law’s legacy so that both residents and businesses can thrive where they live, learn, work and play,” her release continued.

According to Maxwell’s release, she has earned Renton Citizen of the Year, Renton Outstanding Citizen, she served on the Renton School Board for eight years, former Chairman for Renton Chamber of Commerce, founding board member of Renton Community Foundation, former Renton Area PTA Council president among a number of other leadership positions.

For more information on her campaign, visit her website.

Current councilmember Ruth Pérez announced March 12 her bid for mayor.

Pérez was reelected to her council position in the 2017 general election.

Similar to Maxwell, Pérez announced she is seeking the position of mayor following the announcement that Law will not be seeking reelection, according to Pérez’s announcement release.

“My campaign, and my time as Renton’s next mayor, will focus on the issues that truly impact our residents’ everyday lives — ensuring a continuing strong economy, reducing crime and homelessness, expanding access to affordable housing, and tackling our city’s transportation and traffic issues,” Pérez said in her release.

Pérez was voted “Renton’s Best Elected Official” in 2018.

For more information on Perez’s campaign, visit her website.

Also announcing their run for mayor was now-councilmember Armondo Pavone.

Pavone announced his bid March 19.

He was also reelected to his current position during the 2017 general election.

Pavone has served on council for eight years.

His release stated “he looks forward to continuing the improvements the community has experienced over the past 10 years.”

For additional information on Pavone and his campaign, visit his website.

Council positions

This year, four council positions are up for election — positions No. 3, 4, 5 and 7.

According to the Public Disclosure Commission’s website, two candidates have filed for position No. 3 including incumbent Carol Ann Witschi.

Also filed with the PDC for position No. 3 is Max Heller III.

The Reporter has not received notice from either candidate about their intent to run.

Incumbent Ryan McIrvin announced his run for reelection for position No. 4.

On March 19, McIrvin reported he is seeking a second term in the 2019 election. He was first elected to Renton Council in 2015.

“Renton is truly a special place to live and raise a family,” McIrvin said in the release. “As a Renton resident, I know we must work together with residents to manage our unprecedented growth, increase public safety, maintain our parks and open spaces, and preserve the unique attributes of Renton’s rich history.”

McIrvin announced an official campaign kickoff is scheduled for noon to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 31 at Four Generals Brewing, 229 Wells Ave. S., Renton.

For more information on McIrvin’s reelection campaign, visit his website.

According to the PDC, Ed Prince has filed for reelection for position No. 5.

No other candidates have yet to announce whether they would be running against Prince in the upcoming August primary.

To read more on Prince’s campaign, visit his website.

The last position up for election is position No. 7 — currently held by Don Persson.

Persson has mentioned on numerous occasions at council meetings he will be retiring at the end of his term.

Two candidates have announced their run to fill his position.

In mid-late February, Kim-Khanh Van announced her run for council position No. 7.

Her campaign kicked off with a March 8 event at the Renton Senior Activity Center.

According to her campaign Facebook page, Van is running because “representation matters.”

Her focus is public safety, economic development, inclusion and fiscal responsibility, her Facebook stated.

To read more about Van, visit her website.

On March 4, Valerie O’Halloran announced her run for position No. 7.

According to her release, this is her first time seeking public office.

“I’m excited to bring my team-oriented expertise in systems and process improvement to the city council to help ensure Renton remains a wonderful place to live, work, play, and learn,” O’Halloran said in the release.

The release stated she will begin kicking off her campaign in the coming week. She also intends on running a strong door-to-door campaign.

For more information, visit her website.

The King County Elections is hosting a number of workshops for potential candidates. The next workshop is scheduled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, April 1 at the Redmond Regional Library.

The last two workshops will be held at the King County Elections office in Renton on April 6 and 20.

To RSVP, email election.services@kingcounty.gov with the subject, RSVP for Candidate Workshop.

The deadline to file by mail, in-person or online is May 17.

For more information on the election and deadlines, visit the county elections office’s website.

Editor’s Note: The candidates listed here are not final. The full list of candidates will be announced after the filing deadline.

To announce your candidacy, email editor Sarah Brenden at sbrenden@rentonreporter.com.