An Indian-American has made history by becoming the first woman from the community to become mayor of a small town in Washington state.
Vini Elizabeth Samuel, an attorney and former chairwoman of the Grays Harbor Democrats, was elected mayor of Montesano, Washington, Nov. 3. Her victory was relatively assured after she won a decisive 47 percent of the vote in the open primary in August, leaving incumbent Mayor Ken Estes far behind with 27 percent. Samuel defeated Estes for a second time on election day as the two top vote-getters faced off in November. The population of Montesano is 3,976 according to the 2010 Census.
Samuel has considerable administrative experience. The attorney by profession, served on the City Council for eight years. She also served as Mayor Pro Tem and was Elder board member and Sunday school teacher at the Montesano Church of God. She is also on Western Washington University’s Alumni Board. Samuel has a law practice downtown and lives in Montesano with her husband and son.
The citizens of Montesano need better governance, Samuel said in a press release on her election website and promised to rebuild the trust between city employees, management and city council and with the public. “We live in a great little town, and by working together, we can make it even better for our families and local businesses,” Samuel said.
“Business owners and citizens are right to want stability in our government and better infrastructure. We can do a better job of filling up vacant storefronts and encouraging people to start new small businesses. It simply takes creativity and a willingness to work with others.” Born in born in Quilon, Kerala, Samuel was raised in Juneau, Alaska.
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