Leah Wainman (Bellingham City Council Ward 2, Washington, candidate 2025)

Leah Wainman

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Bellingham City Council Ward 2

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

University of North Carolina

Graduate

University of Washington

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Leah Wainman is running for election to the Bellingham City Council Ward 2 in Washington. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.^[source]

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

Biography

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

• High school: East Forsyth
• Bachelor's: North Carolina State University
• Bachelor's: University of North Carolina
• Graduate: University of Washington
• Gender: Female
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign website
• Campaign endorsements
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram

Elections

General election

The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.

General election for Bellingham City Council Ward 2

Hollie Huthman and Leah Wainman are running in the general election for Bellingham City Council Ward 2 on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Hollie Huthman (Nonpartisan)
		Leah Wainman (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

To view Wainman'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

Leah Wainman completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Wainman'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’m a mother, and my children are growing up walking the same streets and attending the same schools their great-grandparents once did. That kind of generational connection to place is rare—and it’s part of what fuels my commitment to making this a city where every family can thrive, not just those who can afford to.

I'm an epidemiologist and I crate public health policy for the state. I’ve spent my career working to make systems more fair, transparent, and centered on people. I’m an epidemiologist with experience in research, evaluation, and Medicaid transformation. My public health journey began in the Peace Corps, and I hold a Master’s in Public Health.

Locally, I serve on the Whatcom County Public Health Advisory Board, where I helped finalize and bring forward the resolution declaring racism a public health crisis, and the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center Board. I also served on the City of Bellingham’s Community Development Advisory Board, advocating for grant funding to support childcare providers and more substantial equity commitments from our community grantmaking partners.

I’m a lifelong Democrat, shaped by a deep belief in collective action, equity, and government that works for the people. I'm a active State Committee Member for the 42nd LD Democrats. I'm running because we need an active council member in the Ward 2 seat. Some who understand the needs of all our neighbors.

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?

• Our community deserves transparent, accountable, and qualified leadership. The city budget is overspent in General Fund by $10 million and Special Funds by ~$40 million. The incumbent is proposing to cut from the least paid workers - our librarians and park staff. I will champion detailed public reporting on levy investments—so residents know how funds are used, who benefits, and whether we’re achieving our goals. I will work to ensure our budget reflects community priorities by funding services and programs that demonstrate measurable impact, including parks, libraries, arts and cultural initiatives that celebrate diversity, strengthen neighborhood identity, and grow our local creative economy.
• Healthy Families Housing is healthcare. Our city needs active bold, creative legislative solutions to support working families. I will advocate for expanding access to affordable homeownership. Allowing “missing-middle” housing by right—duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, and courtyard cottages—expands the supply of smaller, more affordable homes without changing neighborhood scale. I will prioritize creating permanent affordable housing — not temporary band-aids — by supporting housing. I also support strengthening the Rental Registration & Safety Inspection Program with Healthy Homes measures, which would ensure safe, healthy living conditions for renters and homeowners alike.
• Everyone deserves to feel safe and supported in their community. Whether walking or biking through our neighborhoods or accessing care during times of crisis, safety should be a shared priority. With a background in public health, I understand the importance of prevention, compassion, and equity when shaping policies that support the well-being of all residents. Safe streets are a public health issue, and transportation is a key social determinant of health. Transportation policy should first prioritize the most vulnerable and efficient modes—walking, rolling, biking, transit, shared rides, and single-occupancy vehicles. Applying an intersectional lens ensures policies are inclusive, affordable, and accessible.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Housing affordability — safe, stable homes are a public-health intervention and the foundation for community stability.

Public health & healthcare access so people can get care where they live.

Early childhood education & childcare for working families.

Climate resilience & watershed protection — prevent environmental harms and protect drinking water and homes.

Data equity & privacy — make sure government data protects people and serves underserved communities fairly.

Economic opportunity & workers’ rights — living wages, PLAs/CWAs, and equitable supports for local small businesses.

Transit & active transportation — equitable, safe mobility that connects people

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to everyday people who quietly sacrifice for the greater good — the neighbors who organize a food drive after a crisis, the nurse who works double shifts because patients need care, the teacher who stays late to help one more student, the volunteer who shows up week after week without fanfare. I admire people who act not for personal gain but because they see a need and step in, who put community before self and measure success by who’s better off at the end of the day. I try to follow their example by showing up where help is needed, listening first, making decisions that protect the most vulnerable, and judging success by durable improvements in people’s lives rather than headlines or personal credit.

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

Leadership in public office is both a privilege and a practical craft: it requires more than good intentions, being nice, or having friends in high places. It is not a passing fancy, nor a vehicle for promoting our own interests. Elected officials are stewards of public trust and resources; they are decision-makers whose choices shape people’s daily lives—from whether a child’s walk to school is safe to whether a family renting can stay housed. Because the stakes are high, there are core characteristics and guiding principles that separate effective, durable public service from performative or short-sighted politics.

Ethical leadership and resident-first decision-making
Ethical leadership binds every other trait together: it means making choices grounded in the real needs of residents rather than the narrow interests of well-connected actors. That requires clear conflict-of-interest rules, transparent disclosures, and decision processes designed to surface who benefits and who bears the cost.

Courage and independence
Leadership sometimes requires making decisions that are politically difficult but ethically or technically right. Courage means standing up for evidence-based policy even when it is unpopular in the moment and having the independence to resist undue influence from special interests. Courage is not bravado; it is disciplined conviction paired with clear explanation to the public.

Competence and problem-solving

True competence means more than good intentions; it requires training in systems thinking and complexity so leaders can see how policies interact across government, markets, and community life. Effective officials seek solutions proactively — they frame problems, convene experts, test small pilots, and iterate using data — rather than waiting for perfect answers to be handed to them.

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

Elected officials are entrusted to represent the people in a representative democracy — that means our core responsibility is to make thoughtful policy decisions and enact laws on behalf of our constituents through open, accountable public action. At its best the legislative process is the disciplined give-and-take of competing interests and the search for compromises that serve the public majority; an elected official’s job is to do that work honestly, transparently, and with a clear focus on outcomes.

Practically, that responsibility breaks down into a few essentials:

Listen broadly, not just loudly. Know your constituents by reaching beyond the people who have time, money, and power to show up. Regular neighborhood forums, targeted outreach to under-represented groups, proactive door-knocking, and accessible office hours ensure decision-making reflects the full community.

Make policy in public. Use open meetings, clear agendas, plain-language materials, and published votes so residents understand trade-offs and can hold officials accountable.

Negotiate toward durable compromise. Bring people together, weigh competing interests, and craft solutions that are implementable and defensible—not simply symbolic.

Steward public resources. Prioritize fiscal responsibility and measure whether investments produce results; tie budgets to outcomes so dollars improve people’s lives.

Provide oversight and follow-through. Monitor implementation, demand data on impact, and be willing to adjust when programs are not working.

Protect ethical standards. Disclose conflicts, avoid special-interest capture, and ensure decisions serve residents’ needs rather than private advantage.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember the early-1990s recession when I was about seven — the fear and tightening felt at home taught me early that economic swings reach into every family’s kitchen. I was 17 when the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, a moment that made the future of work and the fragility of markets feel very real. At 18 I watched 9/11 unfold on TV; that day reshaped national life and my understanding of public safety and civic responsibility. I was 20 when the Iraq War began in 2003, and those years deepened my sense that big policy choices have lasting consequences for ordinary people. The Great Recession hit when I was about 25, and seeing jobs, housing, and family finances upended cemented my commitment to policies that build economic resilience. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic at 37 showed how public health, government response, and community supports determine how well families weather crises.

Those events — recessions, market crashes, wars, and pandemics — aren’t just headlines to me; they’re part of why I care about stable housing, strong public health, and responsible governance.

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

My first job was as a grocery-store cashier when I was 16, working in a predominantly Black neighborhood with high poverty rates. I worked there through high school, and those years taught me how access to healthy food and other social determinants shape people’s health and opportunity — lessons that still guide my work today.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I could sooner choose my favorite star — but if I had to name a few books that stuck with me this year: A Man in Full for its fierce city portrait, Gladwell’s latest for big-idea rethinking, Abundance for policy optimism, and a little Murderbot for pure, fun escape.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Something that’s been a long, stubborn struggle in my life is seeing how poverty, racism, and sexism stack the deck against people who are just trying to get by — and how those same problems get compounded when people in power don’t grasp systems and complexity. Growing up and working in communities where these forces were everyday realities taught me that individual effort isn’t enough when the rules, funding streams, and institutions are set up to leave people behind. It’s been frustrating and galvanizing: frustrating because quick fixes and sound bites miss the root causes, and galvanizing because it’s motivated me to learn systems thinking, push for structural solutions (housing that stays affordable, public-health approaches that reach the most harmed), and insist that decision-makers use data and community voices before making policy. That combination — lived concern plus a respect for complexity — is exactly what I bring to public service.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Short answer: yes—relevant government experience helps, but it’s not the only path to effectiveness. What matters most is the ability to understand complex systems, translate that understanding into implementable policy, and build the relationships and processes to deliver results. Public-health training is a great example of a nontraditional background that builds those exact skills (systems thinking, cross-sector coordination, data-driven evaluation). Paired with strong staff, community engagement, and a willingness to learn, leaders from varied backgrounds can be highly effective.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I’m proud to be endorsed by a wide and diverse coalition: local organizations (logos listed on our site), dozens of public-health professionals and clinicians, elected leaders from neighboring cities, and a long list of community volunteers and advocates. Their support underscores a collective belief in community-centered policy, evidence-based public health, and lasting, accountable solutions for our neighborhoods. See the full list of endorsers on our website. voteleahwainman.com

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

• VoteWA Profile

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