Eamonn Collins (Whatcom County Charter Review Commissioner Board District 2, Washington, candidate 2024)

Eamonn Collins

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Nonpartisan

Candidate, Whatcom County Charter Review Commissioner Board District 2

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Graduate

Western Governors University, 2019

Personal

Profession

Teacher

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Eamonn Collins ran for election to the Whatcom County Charter Review Commissioner Board District 2 in Washington. Collins was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

Collins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Eamonn Collins provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 7, 2024:

• Bachelor's: University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2009
• Graduate: Marquette University, 2011
• Graduate: Western Governors University, 2019
• Profession: Teacher
• Incumbent officeholder: No

Elections

General election

General election for Whatcom County Charter Review Commissioner Board District 2 (3 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Whatcom County Charter Review Commissioner Board District 2 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Ken Bell (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Eamonn Collins (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Colton Kaltenfeldt (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Maya Morales (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Garrett O'Brien (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Bee Oldham (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Mary Kay Robinson (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Russ Whidbee (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Collins received the following endorsements.

• FairVote Washington

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Eamonn Collins completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Collins' 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 teach chemistry and environmental science at the Lummi Nation School and I volunteer as board Vice President of the Kulshan Community Land Trust, a nonprofit that creates permanently affordable homes in our community. Before returning to the classroom as a teacher, I spent 5 years working as an education policy advisor to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. My wife Komal and I live in Bellingham’s Birchwood neighborhood with our two young children.

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?

• 1. The county charter determines the basic mechanics of our local democracy, and the review commission presents an opportunity to make county government more representative, responsive, and accountable. My first goal as a commissioner would be to prevent any regression to a council structure that gives more weight to some voters than to others. Beyond that, implementing ranked-choice voting for all county elections would more fully represent voters’ intentions and ensure everyone’s vote counts equally. Ranked-choice voting discourages partisanship, increases voter engagement, and reduces the costs of administering elections.
• 2. There is a high bar to amending the charter. First, 10 of 15 elected commissioners must vote to recommend the change before it can go to voters, who will then see the initiative on the following November ballot. Accomplishing reform requires good-faith negotiation. As a former policy advisor to the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee and a Democratic U.S. Senator, I routinely negotiated bipartisan legislation. As a high school teacher, I navigate a lot of conflicting personalities to de-escalate, motivate, and persuade my students. I work well with people I disagree with.
• 3. I am proud to be endorsed by elected leaders including Senator Sharon Shewmake, Representatives Joe Timmons and Alex Ramel, and County Councilmember Jon Scanlon and Kaylee Galloway, as well as the Whatcom Democrats, the 42nd LD Democrats and FairVote Washington.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a parent of young children, a science teacher, a former federal policymaker, and long-time political watcher, I am especially passionate about systemic, long-term challenges that undermine the future strength and stability of our community. I am concerned about the fragility of our democratic institutions, the cascading consequences of a warming planet, and the stability of systems that support our basic human needs for food and water, shelter, and healthcare. Outside of work, I volunteer my time to help lead a nonprofit organization in Bellingham that creates permanently affordable owner-occupied homes.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

On American history: "These Truths," by Jill Lepore. "Team of Rivals," by Doris Kearns Goodwin. On policy challenges and solutions: "Escaping the Housing Trap," by Charles Marohn, "Evicted," by Matthew Desmond, "Utopia for Realists," by Rutger Bregman, "Nomad Century," by Gaia Vince.

To learn more about ranked-choice voting, please visit www.fairvotewa.org.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am a compassionate listener, a patient teacher, and an eager assistant. I want to be a part of positive change.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The Charter Review Commission is a nonpartisan, one-year, unpaid office charged with reviewing and amending the document that defines the fundamental structure of our county government. It is a position we can use to advance modest but important structural reforms that preserve the continued stability and functionality of our county government while improving representation and accountability. It is not a legislative body that can take action on specific policy challenges like affordable housing, but a deliberative body tasked with making recommendations to voters on improvements to the basic mechanics of our local democracy.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Senator Sharon Shewmake, Representatives Joe Timmons and Alex Ramel, County Councilmembers Jon Scanlon and Kaylee Galloway, the Whatcom Democrats, 42nd LD Democrats, and Fairvote Washington.

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.

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