LaTrisha Suggs (Port Angeles City Council Position 1, Washington, candidate 2025)
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LaTrisha Suggs is running for election to the Port Angeles City Council Position 1 in Washington. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source] She was on the ballot in the primary on August 5, 2025.[source]
Suggs completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
LaTrisha Suggs provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on September 30, 2025:
- Birth date: May 20, 1970
- Birth place: Everett, Washington
- High school: Port Angeles High School
- Bachelor's: Western Washington University/Huxley College, 2001
- Associate: Peninsula College, 1999
- Gender: Female
- Religion: Christian
- Profession: Environmental Specialist
- Prior offices held:
- Same as I am running for; Position 1 Port Angeles City Council (2021-Prsnt)
- Incumbent officeholder: Yes
- Campaign website
Elections
General election
General election for Port Angeles City Council Position 1
LaTrisha Suggs and James Taylor are running in the general election for Port Angeles City Council Position 1 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
LaTrisha Suggs (Nonpartisan)  | ||
| James Taylor (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = 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 Port Angeles City Council Position 1
Gilbert Hall, LaTrisha Suggs, and James Taylor ran in the primary for Port Angeles City Council Position 1 on August 5, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Gilbert Hall (Nonpartisan) | ||
| LaTrisha Suggs (Nonpartisan) | ||
| James Taylor (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = 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. | ||||
Election results
Endorsements
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Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
LaTrisha Suggs completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Suggs' responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I am LaTrisha Suggs, enrolled Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal Citizen. I am the first Native American to serve on the city council since it was incorporated in 1890.
I grew up in Port Angeles and graduated from Port Angeles High School. I earned my Bachelor of Environmental Policy/Planning from Western Washington University/Huxley Program, I have 24 years in environmental planning, and a municipal leadership certificate.
My historic knowledge of the past inspires me to plan for a better future for the next seven generations and commitment for a place that all can live, play, and work safely. I bring intergenerational knowledge my opponent does not have. The next four years requires stability, implement permitting improvements, promote housing incentives/affordable housing projects, protect the city's sole source of drinking water (Elwha River), and advocate for a Tumwater/highway 101 on & off ramp to remove truck traffic from downtown PA. I would appreciate your vote.- I have called Port Angeles home for over 50 years, my roots run deep, and my heart is with this community. I have raised my family here, graduated from Port Angeles High School, and have worked in this community as early as a young kid picking berries on the Cameron Berry Farm to earn money. My roots run deep, and my heart is with this community. This is a community that I love.
- I have a passion to preserve the natural environment around us, and that includes the protection of the Elwha River and the Elwha Watershed. The sole source of water is provided by the Elwha River, and scientist agree that by 2070, over 70% of the glaciers that feed the Olympics and Elwha River will disappear. We need to take action today to protect the Elwha and timber stands, encourage water conservation year-round, and begin to plan for water supplementation in the future. This will take over a decade to secure water supplementation due to needing a water right. In the meantime, we need to preserve the riparian corridor of the Elwha River.
- We continue to be in a nationwide housing crisis, and our community is not an outlier. We need to continue moving forward with housing policies that encourage the development of multifamily housing (townhomes, duplexes, apartments). We also need to allow for premanufactured structures to be authorized in our City Policies. Families in our community cannot find attainable housing, rent is high, home prices are high. Outside sources and decisions from the Federal Government are impacting housing affordability and putting at risk government programs that help people stay in their homes. We need to find ways to increase dwelling units through public - private partnerships.
I am passionate about environmental policy and planning, the protection of our natural environment. Without a healthy watershed we do not have a healthy community. That is why as council member I have worked to protect the sole source of water for the City of Port Angeles while also protecting timber stands along the Elwha from harvest.
One important quality that the City of Port Angeles is blessed to have is that we are direct neighbors to Victorica B.C. The council, especially the mayor, has established a strong friendship unique to our community. We are the gateway to the Olympics and Neighbor to Canada.
I look up to my mom, she was a single mom, honest, family oriented, and dependable. She worked hard, taught us how to clean, and encouraged us to do well in school. We grew up poor, but we never knew we were poor because our family (Aunties, Uncles, Grandparents) were so strong and always around we had other richness in our lives.
I also look up to Billy Frank Jr., his dedication to protecting salmon and salmon habitat along with his ability to connect with people and earn the respect of federal and state elected leaders. I also look up to Ron Allen, Chairman of Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe. In addition, I respect and admire President Barack Obama, he brought HOPE to his campaign, a voice of unison. I miss his ability to bring people together, to speak and have discourse civilly.
I also look up to Billy Frank Jr., his dedication to protecting salmon and salmon habitat along with his ability to connect with people and earn the respect of federal and state elected leaders. I also look up to Ron Allen, Chairman of Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe. In addition, I respect and admire President Barack Obama, he brought HOPE to his campaign, a voice of unison. I miss his ability to bring people together, to speak and have discourse civilly.
Honesty, the ability to be truthful and not spread lies or misinformation.
The core responsibilities are to the health, safety, wellness, and policy/contractual actions of the city government allowing it to function for its citizens.
The legacy that I would like to leave is that I did all that I could to protect mother earth and the surrounding watersheds for the next seven plus generations. My actions will have erased the footprint on the earth that I had.
The first national historical event that I can recall was in 1980 when Mount St. Helens erupted and when President Ronald Regan was shot in 1981. I was 10 and 11 years old when these happened.
When I was a kid, I use to hop on the Cameron Berry Bus to go pick strawberries to earn money during the summertime. When I turned 15.5 yrs old I was hired by the Department of Ecology for a four week program to pick up litter from the highway. At 16 years old, on my birthday, I was hired by the local Burger King franchise, I worked there for a year.
Taking of the Tongass, this book is what triggered my desire to further my understanding of natural resources and knowing that I had a passion for environmental policy and planning.
Another favorite book is, Mountain in the Clouds. This book focused on the streams out west on the Olympic Peninsula and the salmon habitat that was present and beginning to witness and document the declining number of salmon returning to spawn.
Another favorite book is, Mountain in the Clouds. This book focused on the streams out west on the Olympic Peninsula and the salmon habitat that was present and beginning to witness and document the declining number of salmon returning to spawn.
Hermine in the Harry Potter Series, she was brave, bold, smart, and respected.
To be honest, it is my weight. I have always been overweight, and it was not due to lack of trying or will power. Today I have slimmed down, I still have more to loose, but I have found success.
My other struggle is reading legal opinions and ordinances; they seem to put me to sleep.
My other struggle is reading legal opinions and ordinances; they seem to put me to sleep.
It is beneficial for office holders to have prior experience in government capacity or experience working with state and federal elected leaders. Understanding how Federal Laws and State Laws trickle down to municipalities is vital and knowing how to advocate for those laws that either create barriers or benefit communities allows an office holder the ability to advocate for their city. Having experience and relationship with State and Federal elected leaders also helps when it comes to funding infrastructure projects vital to a community
A leader with experience can hit the ground running, instead of needing a year or two to comprehend what is happing.
A leader with experience can hit the ground running, instead of needing a year or two to comprehend what is happing.
The skills that I feel would be most helpful is grant writing/management/administration, project manager experience, committee/board experience, knowledge of Federal and State Policies (Growth Management Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Model Toxics Control Act, Treaty Rights).
The other quality this office possesses is that the Olympic Peninsula is home to 6 different Federally Recognized Tribes, and two of those Tribes are neighbors to the City of Port Angeles.
Endorsed by the Following: Clallam County Democrats, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, Councilwoman Navarra Carr, Council Member Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, and Advanced Native Political Leadership.
Just recently I met with a gentle, for business, and he says I know your name from somewhere else. We go through the normal suggestions, work, city council, etc.. and he says no its not that. He then says "My daughter, her name is Sidney, and that is where I remember you from. Sidney called the city council about the lack of roads and drainage issues were having and she reached out hoping the city could help. And you and Lindsey came to the house to find out more about the problem." He expressed his gratefulness that the drainage (culverts) were getting fixed, although they still have no paved road, through our efforts we all learned why no roads were paved (error of prior community and economic development department allowing the contractor of the neighborhood to build without placing infrastructure like curbs and sidewalks. We talked that the area has been identified and placed in the cities plan which allows the city to work on the drainage problem.
I am most proud of getting unanimous consent from City Council regarding protection of the Elwha River as our sole source of water. The efforts have led to the development of a government-to-government relationship between the City of Port Angeles and Washington State DNR. In addition, the local effort with others across the State have advocated for the protection of DNR legacy forests, and just recently Commissioner Upthegrove committed to protecting 77,000 acres of legacy forests. The city still needs to continue negotiating with DNR to protect the Elwha Timber stands and the Cities sole source of water.
As a private citizen I worked on the largest hydroelectric dam removal project, which was the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dam. I worked 16 years with Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe on that project completing the mitigation and setting the Tribe up to go after the legislative funds in the act.
As a private citizen I worked on the largest hydroelectric dam removal project, which was the Elwha and Glines Canyon Dam. I worked 16 years with Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe on that project completing the mitigation and setting the Tribe up to go after the legislative funds in the act.
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Other survey responses
Ballotpedia identified the following surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Suggs completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
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Candidate Port Angeles City Council Position 1 |
Footnotes
