Joe Bushnell (Tacoma City Council District 5, Washington, candidate 2025)

Joe Bushnell

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Tacoma City Council District 5

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 5, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

The Evergreen State College, 2016

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Years of service

2008 - 2019

Personal

Birthplace

Tacoma, Wash.

Profession

Government affairs

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Joe Bushnell is running for election to the Tacoma City Council District 5 in Washington. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source] He was on the ballot in the primary on August 5, 2025.^[source]

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

Biography

Joe Bushnell provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on July 7, 2025:

• Birth date: November 17, 1989
• Birth place: Tacoma, Washington
• High school: Stadium High School
• Bachelor's: The Evergreen State College, 2016
• Military service: United States Marine Corps, 2008-2019
• Gender: Male
• Profession: Government Affairs
• Prior offices held:
  • Tacoma City Councilmember District 5 (2021-Prsnt)
• Incumbent officeholder: Yes
• Campaign website
• Campaign endorsements
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram
• LinkedIn

Elections

General election

General election for Tacoma City Council District 5

Joe Bushnell and Zev Cook are running in the general election for Tacoma City Council District 5 on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Joe Bushnell (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Zev Cook (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.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Tacoma City Council District 5

Joe Bushnell, Zev Cook, and Brandon A. Vollmer ran in the primary for Tacoma City Council District 5 on August 5, 2025.

		Candidate
		Joe Bushnell (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Zev Cook (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Brandon A. Vollmer (Nonpartisan)

---

	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 Bushnell's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Joe Bushnell completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bushnell'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.

Joe Bushnell is a proud Tacoma native, lifelong community advocate, and public servant dedicated to creating a city that works for everyone. Born to a refugee mother and a small business owner father, Joe grew up with a deep appreciation for resilience, hard work, and the power of community. Elected in 2021 as Tacoma’s – and Washington State’s – first Cambodian-American Councilmember, Joe represents District 5, which encompasses South Tacoma, the South End, and East Tacoma. As a U.S. Marine Corps Combat Veteran, Joe spent over a decade serving his country, developing strong leadership and logistical expertise. After his military service, he continued to serve his community by advocating for small businesses, working with the Washington Hospitality Association, and volunteering with local organizations. He’s also served our local community as Chair of the South Tacoma Neighborhood Council and volunteering regularly with Toys for Tots and in neighborhood and environmental cleanups and tree planting.

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?

• Public safety has been my top priority. We’ve hired over 30 officers and reduced response times by 22 minutes—more must be done to make sure every neighborhood feels safe. It is important that we continue to invest in alternative response models and build a public safety infrastructure that meets the needs of our community.
• We’ve passed historic housing affordability measures including Home in Tacoma 2 and strengthened tenant protections—but housing costs are still too high, and homeownership is out of reach for too many.
• We need to confront homelessness with urgency by expanding shelter options and demanding real investment from the State and County in mental health and addiction services. Housing is the first step in getting anyone off the streets, but the City cannot do it alone, we need to build partnerships and collaborative solutions to address this crisis and center the people with lived experience with the work we do.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I will continue advocating for small businesses and build a strong and resilient local economy that invests in our workers, supports strong wages, and creates new jobs. We need economic growth that benefits all Tacomans—not just the few.

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

Honesty, integrity, presence, collaboration, and a deep love for the community are the values I believe every elected official must embody. Challenges will inevitably arise during any term, and it’s essential that those in office lead with transparency, listen with intention, and respond with care. Our communities deserve leaders who are honest about the realities we face and who bring people together to find real solutions. I believe everyone’s voice matters—not just special interests or select groups. The best decisions are made when we engage those most impacted and work together to build a future that reflects all of us.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I was born and raised in the City of Tacoma and I know that my time in this office is limited. I want to make sure that any decisions that I make take into consideration how the future of our community will be impacted, because I know that as I raise my own family here, we too will be impacted by the decisions I make for generations to come.

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

Mowing lawns while I was a teenager in high school, also doing minor roof repairs during wind storms in my neighborhood.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Victoria Woodards – Tacoma Mayor

Sarah Rumbaugh – Tacoma Councilmember, District 2
Jamika Scott – Tacoma Councilmember, District 3
Chris Beale – Former Tacoma Councilmember, District 5
Kiara Daniels – Tacoma Councilmember, At-Large 6
Olgy Diaz – Tacoma Councilmember, At-Large 7
Kristina Walker – Tacoma Councilmember, At-Large 8
Marilyn Strickland – Congresswoman, CD-10
Pat McCarthy, Washington State Auditor
Steve Hobbs, Washington Secretary of State
Sharlett Mena – State Representative, 29th LD
Steve Kirby – Former State Representative, 29th LD
Rosa Franklin – Former State Senator, 29th LD
Yasmin Trudeau – State Senator, 27th LD
Laurie Jinkins – 27th LD, Speaker of the House

And Many more at my website.

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 Bushnell 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

Tacoma City Council District 5

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