Incumbent Joe Deets is facing off against longtime resident Lara Lant for the Bainbridge Island City Council District 7 seat in the upcoming Nov. 4 general election, a four-year term starting Jan. 1, 2026.
Deets has served on the council since 2018 and is running for a third term. He previously served as the Ethics Board chair and has volunteered with Bainbridge Prepares, Medical Reserve Corps and Suquamish Tribe. His professional experience includes 15 years in the solar industry. Deets graduated from the University of Montana with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on finance. He later earned a master’s degree in environment and community from Antioch University in Seattle.
Lant previously worked for the city of Bainbridge Island for 14 years, including in the planning and finance divisions. She also served as a union steward with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents roughly 80 city of BI employees. Lant has been a volunteer with Bainbridge Prepares and Tableware Lending Library, a part of Sustainable Bainbridge. She earned a bachelor’s degree in geography from Central Washington University and is a 50-year island resident who graduated from Bainbridge High School.
Both candidates were asked two questions to respond to.
What would be your top priorities if elected?
Deets: I want to implement the city’s Climate Action Plan, create affordable housing, and protect our free and open society. I have championed since its onset the city’s ambitious Climate Action Plan. I serve as a council liaison to the Climate Change Advisory Committee. To ensure that the plan does not get shelved, the community needs a councilmember like me with direct leadership experience on climate action and the necessary political will.
The majority of people who work on the island do not live here, which is unsustainable, puts our community at risk, and diminishes our community’s diversity. I am a stalwart supporter of the creation of housing for workers, families, and seniors. I defy the capitulation taking place to authoritarianism at the federal level and even regionally.
I have spoken out about not backing down on the hard-won progress we have made on matters of equity. I will not bend the knee to this assault.
Lant: My top priorities as a councilmember will be to maintain the infrastructure we already have, creatively meet requirements of state and local mandates, expand social services, exceed minimum communication standards, and promote strong interagency coordination. We must manage and preserve what we already own. When residents flag potholes, dangerous intersections, or drainage failures, I will support a city structure able to respond promptly and effectively. With adequate staffing in the city’s Public Works and Planning departments, we can ensure that traffic flows, emergency access is preserved, and local businesses are supported—not disrupted. Washington law requires us to meet standards like minimum density, climate planning, critical areas protection, and comprehensive plan updates. I will champion creative approaches because compliance shouldn’t mean cookie-cutter solutions or sacrificing local character.
Communication around civic projects must be more than a checkbox — it must be meaningful and go beyond minimum municipal code requirements. Citizen committee/commission recommendations, on-site signage, newspaper notices, ward meetings, and broader outreach are only a start. Given how uncertain state and federal funding is, I back strengthening local social services: food assistance (Helpline), housing support (Housing Resources Bainbridge), childcare, eldercare, and emergency response. Those are the foundations of a resilient community. I will also advocate for stronger coordination among city leadership, residents, and partner agencies. We cannot work in silos. Our city’s taxing districts must be nimble enough to respond to changing needs, and taxpayers deserve confidence that their dollars are well spent.
Why should voters choose you over your opponent?
Deets: In our current society, we like to think that experience equals entrenchment, and we glibly reject “establishment politics.” But experience is wisdom. My first two years as councilmember were largely focused on learning the ropes. But now, looking ahead to my third term, I can once again hit the ground running. I have built solid working relationships with the people involved in our community and our government partners. I know intimately how our government works and who to talk to when I have a question. I understand council procedures and am deeply familiar with complex issues like affordable housing and comprehensive plan updates. I know what the people of Bainbridge Island want because I listen to them.
Throughout my two previous terms, I have demonstrated level-headed leadership on the council and the ability to get things done, things that matter to the people who live here, like bike lanes, protecting our aquifers, hiring a full-time climate and sustainability manager, increasing the island’s clean energy production with the 150 kW photovoltaic system at Woodward Middle School, and reducing our reliance on single occupancy vehicles with the completion of the Madison Avenue bundled project and the income-qualified E-Bike Voucher Purchase Pilot Program.
I don’t just talk about affordable housing or focus exclusively on the drawbacks of every suggested site. I take action, improving permitting for ADUs, supporting Eagle Harbor liveaboard tenants, championing providing millions of dollars to Housing Resources Bainbridge, voting to pass Ordinance 2023-27 which enabled the city to apply for and receive Connecting Housing to Infrastructure Program grants, supporting the 90-unit 625 Winslow Way project, and, when many voices in the community opposed 625, looking for and finding a viable alternative (such as on Madison).
As the only councilmember to offer weekly “office hours” at local cafes, I deeply appreciate these opportunities to learn from my constituents. In a world where personal accountability is shriveling and people are interacting more with electronic devices than with one another, I am sitting down to look people in the eyes and find out what is important to them.
Lant: With 14 years working for the city of Bainbridge Island, I know how the city functions from the inside. I’ve seen where things stall and understand how policy becomes practice. My experience means I can hit the ground running. I am not a career politician. I can pivot when a better path emerges. I will not hold onto a position just for ego or consistency. With the incumbent pursuing a third term, now is the time for a new voice—someone who listens, adapts, and leads with fresh energy and purpose.
