• There will be a candidates forum Wednesday, October 7, at 7pm at the Boys and Girls Club, Inglewood Hill Road and 228th Ave. NE. It is sponsored by the Sammamish Chamber of Commerce and the Sammamish Rotary. It will not be videotaped or broadcast on Sammamish TV Channel 21, so this is your only chance to see the candidates and ask questions in a forum.

Beginning Thursday and continuing today for five consecutive posts, Sammamish Comment will provide information about the five active candidates for Sammamish City Council running for Positions 2, 4 and 6. There is a sixth candidate, but he dropped out of the race two months after entering, but too late to withdraw his name from the ballot. Sammamish Comment began with Position 2 and continued in order, finishing today. Each profile will be for one candidate. Information will come principally, but not entirely, from the candidate’s website and the Public Disclosure Commission.

Today’s profile is of Tom Hornish, who is seeking election for the first time to public office.

Hornish’s opponent is incumbent Tom Vance.

Previous profiles:

Position 2:

• Christie Malchow
• Mark Cross

Position 4:

Ramiro Valderrama

Today:

Position 6: Tom Hornish

Website

Biography

Hornish, 56, is a patent attorney, former CEO of the Outdoor Channel and has founded a new channel, The Redneck Nation, a whimsical title focused on the lifestyle of “ordinary” men and women.

Hornish was an active duty member of the US Air Force, flying a fighter jet on 33 missions during Operation Desert Storm (the first Iraq War). He remained in the USAF Reserve after retiring from active duty.

He is president of the Sammamish Home Owners association, which represents property owners along Lake Sammamish.

He has two children, ages 15 and 12.

Issues

Hornish lists the following issues on his website:

• Transparency
• Accountability
• Communication
• Teamwork
• Fiscal responsibility
• Balancing Growth and the Environment
• Eliminating double standards

Endorsements

For an unknown newcomer to Sammamish politics making his first run for public office, Hornish amassed 65 endorsements, including former City Council Members. These former Council Members are:

• Ron Haworth
• Ken Kilroy
• Phil Dyer
• John Curley
• Troy Romero

Current Council Members endorsing Hornish are:

• Ramirio Valderrama
• Nancy Whitten

Curley served on the Council with Vance for two years and defeated Vance in the 2009 election. Vance tried again in 2011 and won against a weak candidate.

Other endorsements include:

• Wally Pereyra (environmentalist)
• Mike Collins (former planning commissioner)
• Karen Moran (former planning commissioner)
• Harry Shedd (chair, Citizens for Sammamish)

Financial Contributions

Financial contributions are one way to gauge support.

Hornish raised $10,267, including a personal loan of $175, from 47 individuals and organizations.

• All data, websites and PDC reports current as of Sept. 28, 2015.