What’s the Price of a City Council Seat? Jeff Lyon and Democratic Woodinville Want to Find Out
Democratic Woodinville, a political action committee (PAC) operating under a misleading name, is raising serious ethical concerns in our local election. The King County Democrats themselves have publicly disavowed this PAC, stating that it does not represent the Democratic Party and criticizing its deceptive branding and financial practices (read the King County Democrats Statement here).
So, if Democratic Woodinville isn’t algined with the Democratic Party, who is backing it, what are they hiding and why is it spending unprecedented amounts of money on this election?
Follow the Money
A look at historical campaign finance data from the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) reveals just how abnormal the spending in this election has become:
- Since 2009, Woodinville has had 63 city council races, with total contributions amounting to $138,161—averaging $2,193 per race (including races that spent nothing).
- Removing races that raised zero dollars, the average amount raised per campaign race jumps to $7,271—still a modest sum.
Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) campaign spending information on Woodinville City Council races, 2009 - 2023
Now, compare that to the deep pockets of Democratic Woodinville, almost entirely funded by Jeff Lyon. Aside from a token $5 contribution from former Mayor Garry Harris, Lyon has single-handedly bankrolled this effort, pouring more than $150,000 of his own money into this year’s City Council race. **Why? **
Screen capture from the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) showing Democratic Woodinville’s revised and amended spending, April 2025.
A screen capture from the Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) showing the money spent by Jeffrey Lyon as an individual candidate, April 2025
As of March 15, 2025, Democratic Woodinville had already spent $43,513.47—roughly six times what a typical Woodinville campaign spends—and the newest PDC filings as of April 1 show that his spending continues to climb even more every week.
An Election Unlike Any Other
The spending in this year’s race is blowing past all historical norms. Jeff Lyon’s PAC and campaign are pumping tens of thousands of dollars into our local City Council races that historically required just a fraction of that to be competitive.
Ask yourself:
- Why is so much money flooding into Woodinville politics?
- Who benefits from this level of spending?
- What do Jeff Lyon/Democratic Woodinville expect in return?
Records show that Democratic Woodinville is prepared to spend six-figure sums on this election alone—dwarfing anything seen in previous city council races.
The Two Faces of Jeff Lyon
When we look at the ads Jeff Lyon runs from behind the shield of Democratic Woodinville versus the Jeff Lyon who engages on social media, the contradictions are staggering. He presents one message to voters and a completely different one when he thinks only his allies are watching.
For example, Democratic Woodinville recently ran an ad declaring, "Woodinville is for everyone. People who work here should be able to live here. It’s time for real action on housing." The ad suggests that Lyon supports affordability and inclusive housing policies. But Lyon’s own words tell a different story.
In a Facebook discussion in late 2023, Lyon dismissed the idea of affordability in Woodinville outright. He wrote:
Facebook screenshot from Jeff Lyon
This isn't just hypocrisy—it’s an admission. He doesn’t believe in making Woodinville more affordable. He believes Woodinville is for people like him, and if you don’t make enough money, you don’t belong here.
Similarly, Lyon’s Democratic Woodinville ad claims that the city needs to invest in roads and ensure that development includes affordability measures, stating:
"Instead of asking for more money, we should ask for affordability in new developments while continuing to invest in roads. This will help us ease congestion, moderate the pace of development and ensure that the developments that do go forward have integrated affordability down to 40% of the area median income."
Yet, Lyon has also publicly raged against Woodinville’s growth, stating:
"Key phrase = King County is booming. Woodinville is not and should not boom."
Facebook screenshot from Jeff Lyon
His position is clear: He wants to block growth, while pretending to be a champion for affordability. In 2023, he even admitted his personal motivation for pouring well over $100,000 into this election:
"This whole debacle has me seriously considering not only running but funding the campaign budgets of aligned folks like Al Taylor."
In other words, he’s not funding this PAC or his campaign out of some noble desire to improve Woodinville—he’s funding it to stop progress and protect his own interests. Even worse? He believes voters in Woodinville will be fooled by his well-funded lies. He wants everyone to believe he's supportive of popular progressive messages... **while hiding his true beliefs from voters until after the election. **
The Bottom Line
Local elections should be about Woodinville’s future, not Elon Musk-style influence peddling to buy political power. Jeff Lyon— who drives a new Tesla Cybertruck—seems to be taking a page straight from Musk’s playbook, using excessive money to tip the scales in our local election.
Need more proof? Jeff Lyon's 'aligned' councilmember Al Taylor, a well-know MAGA supporter, recently said that Washington State needs it's own DOGE.
Facebook profile of Al Taylor
Facebook screenshot of Al Taylor
When even the official Democratic Party is calling out Democratic Woodinville for unethical practices, it’s time to ask serious questions about who’s really trying to buy influence in our city - and why.
Money this extreme isn’t spent without expectations. Woodinville voters deserve honesty, integrity, and leadership that puts people over self-serving spending power and community over campaigns—not the kind of deep pocketed influence tactics we’re seeing now.
