Lively primary races lined up for four Burien council seats

All four of the Burien City Council seats on the ballot will be contested in the Aug. 6 primary election.

Three or more candidates filed for each position. Council members are currently split 4-3 on many issues.

Lauren Berkowitz and Kip Walton filed last week to take on Jack Block Jr., who also filed for re-election.

Berkowitz filed a complaint against Block for a post on his private Facebook page, which she found offensive. The council censured Block with four votes for censure and three abstentions.

The race for former mayor Joan McGilton’s seat features four candidates. Running against McGilton are frequent council critic Debi Wagner, arts commissioner Andrea H. Reay and Robert L. Richmond III.

Len Boscarine and Nancy Tosta will oppose former deputy mayor Rose Clark.

Mayor Brian Bennett announced shortly before the filing period that he would not stand for re-election. Bennett endorsed planning commissioner Joey Martinez. Council critic Chuck Rangel and long-time resident Steve Armstrong are also running.

The top two candidates in the primary for each position will go on to the Nov. 5 general election.