Braden Sloughter (West Richland City Council Position 4, Washington, candidate 2025)

Braden Sloughter

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, West Richland City Council Position 4

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 4, 2025

Education

High school

Hanford High School

Personal

Birthplace

Richland, Wash.

Profession

IT professional

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Braden Sloughter ran for election to the West Richland City Council Position 4 in Washington. He was on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source]

Sloughter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Braden Sloughter provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 3, 2025:

• Birth place: Richland, Washington
• High school: Hanford High School
• Gender: Male
• Profession: IT Professional
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook

Elections

General election

General election for West Richland City Council Position 4

Richard Bloom and Braden Sloughter ran in the general election for West Richland City Council Position 4 on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Richard Bloom (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Braden Sloughter (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Sloughter in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Braden Sloughter completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sloughter's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’ve called West Richland home long enough to remember when the bridge into town was just two lanes, the library had its patchwork carpet, and you could shop at Mel’s. As a kid, I even spent afternoons playing with kittens at the old hardware store. Over the years I’ve watched our city grow with new schools, new neighborhoods, and even a grocery store again, yet through it all, West Richland has held onto the small-town character that makes it special.

My family has lived here since the 1970s, and my dad briefly served on City Council when I was young. With 30+ years here myself, I bring both a long history in our community and a clear vision for its future.

Professionally, I work as an IT Engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. My path has been diverse, from cake decorator and barista to marketing and design professional to railcar accountant. I’ve worked for small local businesses, government, and large corporations, giving me a broad understanding of how organizations run and how decisions affect people’s daily lives.

I’ve also served our community on the West Richland Parks & Recreation Board, Planning Commission, Richland Parks & Recreation Commission, and the Mid-Columbia Symphony Board. These roles have given me firsthand experience in how local policy shapes neighborhoods, recreation, and quality of life.

I’m running for City Council to protect what makes West Richland home while planning smart for the growth ahead.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Smart Growth, Small-Town Character West Richland is growing, and pretending it isn’t is how communities end up with poor planning and traffic headaches. I’ve lived here for 30+ years, and I believe we can welcome growth while protecting the small-town character that makes this home. By planning smart, investing in infrastructure, and protecting our parks and open spaces, we can ensure West Richland grows stronger without losing what makes it special.
• Fireworks & Community Safety I love celebrating the 4th of July and enjoying a fireworks show, but this year proved how dangerous things can get in the wrong conditions. A total ban sounds simple enforcement doesn't seem realistic. I support limiting the days and hours fireworks can be used, cracking down on reckless behavior, changing what fireworks are legal, and aligning our fireworks and noise codes so they’re clear and enforceable. Let’s keep the fun while protecting our neighborhoods.
• Fiscal Responsibility & Transparency City government needs to do more with what we have, not ask for more. I’ll fight to keep taxes low while ensuring public safety, infrastructure, and parks are prioritized. That means audits, competitive bidding, and expanding our tax base through smart development. I also believe residents deserve transparency: easy-to-understand updates, open workshops, and clear processes so everyone has a voice in shaping our future.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m passionate about smart growth, community safety, and transparency in local government. West Richland is growing quickly, and if we don’t plan carefully, we risk losing the small-town character that makes this place special. I want to make sure development comes with the infrastructure, parks, and open spaces we need to keep quality of life high. Community safety is also critical, from supporting our police and firefighters to addressing real concerns like fireworks and wildfire risks. Finally, I believe government works best when residents are informed and involved. I’m passionate about improving communication, making city processes easier to understand, and ensuring people have a voice in the decisions that shape their neighborhoods.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, common sense, and accountability are the qualities I value most in public service. Elected officials should listen first, make decisions based on facts and community values, and be willing to explain those decisions clearly. It’s important to approach issues with transparency and honesty, even when the answers aren’t easy. I also believe an effective leader has to balance long-term planning with practical solutions that work today — thinking ahead while protecting what makes our community strong right now. Most importantly, an elected official should remember they serve their neighbors, not a political party or personal agenda.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I worked at Baskin Robbins in high school.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Tri-City Association of Realtors

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.

Other survey responses

Ballotpedia identified the following surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Sloughter completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.

• VoteWA Profile

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