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Andrew Reding (Bellingham City Council, Washington, candidate 2025)
Andrew Reding (Democratic Party) is running for election to Bellingham City Council in Washington on November 4, 2025.[1]
Elections
2025
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Andrew Reding completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Reding's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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With graduate degrees in political science and public policy from Princeton, I served as a senior fellow at the World Policy Institute and as a human rights expert in the federal government. I’ve been published widely and have testified in congressional hearings. I’m fluent in Spanish.
As a three-term Chair of Whatcom Democrats, I led campaign teams that flipped the County Executive, Prosecutor, Sheriff, all three 42nd LD legislative seats, the Public Utility District, Conservation District, and Charter Review Commission.
I wrote ballot measures that raised the minimum wage by $2 over the state minimum, halved the number of signatures needed for county and city initiatives, and for city charter amendments. Able to work across party lines, as in my collaboration with Republican County Council Member Kathy Kershner on the county charter amendment banning holding two elected offices at once, adopted with 84% support.
I continued that bipartisan work this year as a Whatcom County Charter Review Commissioner, leading to a ballot measure to reduce signatures needed for charter amendments from the public.
Now I’m bringing that can-do approach to our housing and climate crises—proposing zoning reform and social housing to curb sprawl, reduce emissions, and house everyone.
- For 16 years, the incumbent has slowed housing reform – advocating for extended public process, for limiting reforms to pilot projects, for exempting most of the city – while housing costs skyrocketed. Between 2014 and 2024, Bellingham’s median home price more than doubled. We are now the fourth most unaffordable city of any size. The incumbent’s collaboration with anti-housing activists who are financing his reelection campaign contributed to this outcome. Now he’s asking for a 5th term while families struggle to find affordable homes or rents. The incumbent has been talking about housing reform for years. That’s the problem. He talks reform, and acts to slow it down. If you’re ready for action instead of excuses, vote for change.
- We must build our local economy to boost wages and affordability: Prioritize local businesses. They create most new jobs, provide a stronger tax base, support community nonprofits, and reduce environmental impacts through local purchases and neighborhood proximity. Fast and easy permitting for small businesses. Enable by-right approvals, eliminating unnecessary and costly delays. Prioritize hiring local workers. Workers like construction, industrial, teaching, nursing, caregiving, and service/retail employees form the backbone of our economy. Invest tax funds locally wherever possible, boosting local businesses and jobs. Adopt pre-approved home designs, enabling local manufacturers to supply the need with quick turnaround times.
- Transportation: Multimodal. Getting around the city without a car must be as easy, convenient, and safe as driving. Expand walking and rolling infrastructure that is safe and desirable to use. Vision Zero. Everyone deserves to get home safely. Vision Zero is about making that a reality—using smart street design to prevent deadly crashes. We must save lives of motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, people with disabilities. Explore making WTA fare-free. Revenue from fare collection is balanced by cost of collection. Eliminating fares would reduce time spent at each stop and reduce travel time. I’m endorsed by the Transit Riders Union. More frequent and dependable Cascades service in the near term, and high-speed rail in the longer term.
Housing affordability, strong local business environment, higher wages, climate action, public safety, human rights, labor rights, multimodal transportation, democratic and fiscal transparency and accountability, preventing homelessness and getting those already homeless re-housed, strengthening direct public participation.
Integrity and transparency form the foundation of public service. Officials must make decisions based on facts and community benefit, not personal interests, while conducting city business openly so residents understand how and why decisions are made.
Accessibility and responsiveness ensure every voice is heard. I believe in being available to constituents across all neighborhoods, listening to diverse perspectives, and following through on community concerns with timely action.
Collaborative problem-solving is essential for effective governance. Local challenges require officials who can work constructively with colleagues, city staff, and community stakeholders to build consensus and find practical solutions that serve everyone.
Fiscal responsibility means being a careful steward of taxpayer dollars. This involves understanding budgets, making data-driven spending decisions, and balancing immediate community needs with long-term financial sustainability.
These principles guide my approach to public service. I'm committed to bringing transparent leadership, inclusive representation, and practical problem-solving to city council.
Throughout college I worked in the dining halls, as a postal worker, and as a lab assistant.
The Brussels World's Fair. I was five years old, and so utterly fascinated by the different cultures on display, the space and train exhibits, the overhead gondolas, that the memories are strong to this day!
Martin Luther King, Jr. for his unyielding dedication to principle and to caring for others.
Being gay in a time when it was considered a crime, a sin, and described as a psychiatric disorder.
I like the Strong Towns books, because they describe how to build cities that have strong local businesses, a great variety of housing choices and price points in order to accommodate every resident, and long-term fiscal health for city finances.
State Senator Sharon Shewmake, Bellingham City Council Member Jace Cotton, former Bellingham Mayors Mark Asmundson, Tim Douglas, and Ken Hertz, County Council Member Todd Donovan, School Board President Jenn Mason, Planning Commission Chair Mike Estes, Port Commissioner Michael Shepard, Public Utility District Commissioner Jaime Arnett, UFCW, WAWU-UAW, IBEW, CWA, Transit Riders Union, Washington State Progressive Caucus, Humane Voters of WA, LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, and a lot more.
Raising our local minimum wage by $2.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
External links
[1] ↑ Submitted to Ballotpedia's candidate survey in 2025.
