Elsa Martin (Mayor of Cheney, Washington, candidate 2025)

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Elsa Martin

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Mayor of Cheney

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

Montana State University, 2009

Personal

Religion

Christian

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Elsa Martin ran for election to the Mayor of Cheney in Washington. She was on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source]

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

Biography

Elsa Martin provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 6, 2025:

• High school: Cheney High School
• Bachelor's: Montana State University, 2009
• Gender: Female
• Religion: Christian
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign slogan: Listening, Leading, Looking Forward
• Campaign website
• Campaign endorsements
• Campaign Facebook

Elections

General election

General election for Mayor of Cheney

Chris Grover and Elsa Martin ran in the general election for Mayor of Cheney on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Chris Grover (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Elsa Martin (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

To view Martin's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Martin in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Elsa Martin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Martin's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I graduated from Cheney High School, moved away for college and returned to Cheney shortly after. I am proud to call Cheney home and value the spirit of community that helps Cheney thrive.

As a professional engineer, I began my career as an EPC contractor working in the refining, semi-conductor, and municipal sectors and moved toward project management, leading teams, increasing efficiency, and supporting healthy office culture. After having kids, I shifted careers and worked for a local church as the director of children’s ministry coordinating volunteers and organizing community events. These unique roles have prepared me for leading our city responsibly, effectively, and intentionally.

Now I spend most of my days educating my kids, supporting local events, coaching youth sports, and volunteering with my church. In my free time, I enjoy baking bread, DIY house projects, and being in nature. My husband and I love raising our four young kids in Cheney and are thankful to call it home.

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?

• One area of focus is on community resources like Cheney's public spaces, utilities, and public safety. Our public spaces need improvements to be quality and inviting. This includes thoughtful investment in parks, downtown areas, and streetscapes. Additionally, some of our municipal utilities require strategic upgrades in order to best serve our town. Essential services like water systems, internet access, and waste management need improvements. Last, addressing the public safety needs of our city involves a balanced approach that leverages technology, first responders, and community partnerships.
• Another area of focus for me is regarding principles of government. I value citizen input, transparent governance, and responsible leadership. Citizen input is essential to effective leadership, especially at the local level. The people who live, work, learn, and play in our community know its needs best, and their voices should shape the policies and priorities of our city. Additionally, honest governance and fiscal responsibility are important. Our citizens should expect their leaders to be transparent regarding public decisions, to spend tax dollars wisely, and to be accountable to those they serve. Responsible leadership also values long-term planning, interdepartmental collaboration, flexibility, and efficiency.
• My third area of focus is on strategic growth of neighborhoods, industry, and local businesses. Thriving local businesses contribute to Cheney’s unique identity and cultural vibrancy, attracting visitors and fostering a sense of community pride. Our city government should be creating policies and initiatives that attract investment, support businesses, and enhance the local workforce. Additionally, our government can help cultivate vibrant neighborhoods in our town by investing in community-driven initiatives that enhance livability, safety, and social connection. Finally, engaging residents in planning and decision-making develops neighborhoods that reflect the community’s values and needs, fostering community pride and ownership.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about public policy that creatively addresses the needs of our community, especially that which helps families in Cheney thrive. I would like to see our government clearly articulate a long-term vision that addresses the values of our town based on citizen input.

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

Our city leaders directly influence the day to day operations of our municipal departments which indirectly affects each resident in our community. It is essential that all city leaders, from city council to the mayor, conduct themselves and their work sensibly, ethically, and with integrity. Leaders’ decisions and services should be made with consideration of each citizen in Cheney. Honest governance, fiscal responsibility, transparent communication, and accountability are important.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to leave a legacy of loving God and loving others. Hopefully it will be a long time from now, but one day I hope to be remembered as someone who loved God with a whole heart and loved others without condition — a life marked by faith, compassion, serving, and being present with others in order that I could point people to something greater than myself.

A mayor is a leader in his or her city. What does that mean to you?

I envision the mayor of Cheney as a listener, a leader, and one looking to the future. As mayor, I will lead with vision, flexibility, and focus. I will serve the public with consideration by listening well and communicating clearly. I will work collaboratively with residents, community organizations, and city employees. When our community works together, we all thrive.

What do you love most about your city?

There is so much to love about Cheney! The people in our town are what make it great. Whether it’s my neighbors, friends, and family who live here or business and community leaders, many people want to see Cheney thrive and are willing to help make it happen.

What do you perceive to be your city's greatest challenges over the next decade?

While there are some smaller, quicker wins I’d like to see in the near term (say the next 1-3 years), our city has some significant infrastructure improvements that need to be addressed that will take a number of years to implement, especially regarding water. Our city needs to establish a vision that will shape our long range planning and sustainable growth based on what matters most to residents.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I have intentionally declined most endorsements that could lead to disunity, misinterpretation, or that do not directly impact the residents of Cheney. Therefore, most of my endorsements come from community members rather than organizations.

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 Martin completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.

• VoteWA Profile

See also

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Candidate

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