With ballots about to land in voters’ mailboxes, it’s time to look closely at where candidates’ loyalties lie. And in Port Angeles, one City Council race raises serious questions about outside influence, outside money, and whether local voices are being pushed aside.
Follow the Money
According to Public Disclosure Commission filings, incumbent LaTrisha Suggs has raised $6,673.71 for her campaign. The total itself may not be a surprise — but the source of those contributions should.
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe contributed $1,200. The Tribe calls itself both a government and a public agency serving everyone. So why does a sovereign nation based in Blyn — 25 miles away — need to spend money influencing Port Angeles elections?
Sam McVeety, a Google employee and political activist from Seattle, gave $1,738.34, making him Suggs’ largest single donor. McVeety has a record of backing candidates like Nikkita Oliver, who ran on police and prison abolition, and Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, who referred to police officers as “pigs,” “serial killers,” and “a sad bunch of losers.” She even celebrated arson and property destruction in Seattle as “moral imperatives.” McVeety and his husband are also avid supporters of climate justice, redistributing unearned power, and helping communities of color through initiatives like the carbon tax.
Laura Silverton, also from Seattle, chipped in $577. She is actively involved in the defund-the-police movement.
In fact, 60% of Suggs’ donor base comes from Seattle — a city whose politics have made national headlines for disorder, vandalism, and weak public safety. Why does a Port Angeles candidate rely so heavily on outside contributors? Who is Suggs accountable to: Port Angeles voters, or Seattle elites?
The Wealth Redistribution Agenda
Other major donors, like Microsoft employees Bill and Holly Marklyn, have been vocal about advancing “wealth redistribution” through their Share Fund.
Their philosophy is to “decouple wealth and power,” channeling money into causes centered on racial and gender justice. Their model even allows their donor dollars to support political candidates directly — candidates chosen not by the public, but by a hand-picked “Funding Committee.”
The Share Fund’s stated goals go far beyond traditional philanthropy. They blur the line between charity and political activism, pushing social justice agendas into small-town elections.
Is this really the future Port Angeles wants?
The Record
Suggs has served on the City Council for five years. Ask yourself: Is Port Angeles stronger, safer, and more stable than it was before?
Her donors promote reduced policing, property damage as protest, and wealth redistribution. Is that what Port Angeles needs — fewer cops, more graffiti, and more small businesses left vulnerable?
Before blocking CC Watchdog from her campaign Facebook page, Suggs’ posts leaned heavily on national politics, as though she were running against the President instead of focusing on potholes, public safety, and local housing. If her record speaks for itself, why block media from seeing her campaign’s messages?
Climate Politics
Suggs highlights “climate resiliency” as a defining issue, backing programs like permeable parking lots, city-funded grant writers, and EV charging stations.
As Chair of the Clallam County Marine Resources Committee, she advised County Commissioners to consider “retreat or removal” of property owners living on Three Crabs Road — effectively displacing 600 coastal residents.
That position aligns neatly with the Strait Ecosystem Recovery Network, which in 2021 declared coastal communities should be “moved out of harm’s way” and should be bought out at below-market value due to sea-level rise. The fiscal agent for that network? The Jamestown Tribe — Suggs’ second-largest donor.
The Bigger Question
Local elections should be about local people, local problems, and local solutions. Yet in this campaign, Seattle activists, Microsoft millionaires, and tribal governments are calling the shots.
Port Angeles voters must ask:
Who truly benefits from Suggs’ campaign?
Why is so much money coming from outside our county?
Whose interests will be served — ours, or theirs?
This November, the choice isn’t just about candidates. It’s about whether Port Angeles belongs to its citizens or to outside interests with agendas of their own.
