Two candidates are running for the Pullman City Council Ward 1 seat in the general election on Nov. 2.

Alan “Al” Sorensen, incumbent Ward 1 council member, is running for reelection. He has lived in Pullman nearly his entire life and has been serving on the council on and off for roughly the last 15 years, according to his statement on the Vote Washington website. 

Sorensen started his insurance company in Pullman in 1989 and has learned to appreciate “small town” living. He wants to run for reelection to continue making Pullman a great place to live, according to the website. 

He said he wants to continue the Downtown Master Plan, promote local businesses and continue working with WSU, according to the website. 

Sorensen was unavailable for an interview with The Daily Evergreen. 

Francis Benjamin, Ward 1 council member candidate, has been a Pullman resident for over 35 years and served on city council before for over a decade. He took a six-year break and is now running in the current election. 

“Pullman is a very generous community and a very passionate community,” Benjamin said. “People really want to make a difference.”

Benjamin said his two goals are to make community members feel more welcome downtown and develop the downtown area. 

He also wants to focus on building a bypass downtown, housing affordability, COVID-19 recovery, welcoming and acknowledging different cultures in the Pullman community, parking, snow removal and streamlining the process for people opening a new business. 

“I understand that I don’t have all the best solutions,” Benjamin said. “However, I know that if I get all of our experts and passionate people into the room,” “we’re going to come up with the best solutions.” 

Dan Records is running unopposed for the Ward 2 seat, according to the Whitman County voters’ pamphlet. Megan Guido is running unopposed for the Ward 3 seat.

Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 2 or dropped off before 8 p.m. on Nov. 2. 

Voters can return their ballots at staffed ballot deposit boxes located at the Whitman County Elections Office during normal business hours. They can also return their ballots to unstaffed ballot deposit boxes located throughout the Whitman County area, according to the Whitman County website.  

Voters can check their voting status and register to vote through the Vote Washington website. Instructions on how to vote and a detailed sample ballot are available on the Whitman County website.