Old versus new: Black Diamond mayoral race split city’s neighborhood lines

Precinct data shows that Ten Trails voters may soon be the key to controlling the city’s political future.

By Ray Miller-Still • December 5, 2025 9:00 am
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Although mayoral candidate Geoff Bowie secured “Old Black Diamond” votes, sometimes having more than double the votes than Mayor-elect john Adler, Adler’s control of the Ten Trails neighborhood and his strong 3:1 voting ratio secured him the 24 additional votes to become the new city executive. Image courtesy King County/Ray Miller-Still
Although mayoral candidate Geoff Bowie secured “Old Black Diamond” votes, sometimes having more than double the votes than Mayor-elect john Adler, Adler’s control of the Ten Trails neighborhood and his strong 3:1 voting ratio secured him the 24 additional votes to become the new city executive. Image courtesy King County/Ray Miller-Still

With the 2025 election now certified by King County, final precinct results have been released, giving the Plateau an idea of how candidates and measures fared in different parts of the city.

The Courier-Herald examines precinct data to record potential shifts in how Enumclaw, Black Diamond, and unincorporated voters cast their ballots; in recent elections especially, Black Diamond has shown signs of moving from the political red to purple, likely caused by the influx of new Ten Trails residents.

In fact, a 3.34% population increase over last year caused King County to create new precincts inside the city limits.

While most races during this election were easily decided, the most exciting was between Mayor-elect John Adler and his opponent, Geoff Bowie — only 24 votes separated the winner from the runner-up.

Interestingly, Bowie took more precincts than Adler and all of what’s coined as “old Black Diamond” by residents — the downtown corridor of city hall and residents living west of Railroad Avenue; central Black Diamond, which includes Morganville and south Lake Swayer Regional Park — and the other three precincts around Lake Swayer.

But support in these areas wasn’t quite enough to overcome Adler’s lead in the three Ten Trails precincts, perhaps underscoring the city’s demographic split and showcases the Oakpointe development’s growing control over city politics.

PROP. 1

King County’s Proposition No. 1 fared well on the Plateau — a rarity these days, as local voters have mostly rejected local and county levies, whether new or replacements for current taxes.

Around 67% of voters inside Enumclaw and Black Diamond city limits approved the proposition, which replaced a levy for six years to continue paying for Medic One emergency medical services. The replaced levy rate is 25 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value.

One of, if not the only, other levy Enumclaw voters have approved in recent years was the Enumclaw Fire Department’s levy lid lift in 2022.

Since then, both Enumclaw and Black Diamond voters rejected the county’s Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services replacement levy during the 2023 primary; I-2019 during the 2024 presidential election (the initiative would have overturned the state’s tax for individuals who make $250,000 or more in capital gains); and rejected the county’s Prop. 1 on the special May 2025 election, which was a replacement levy for supporting an automatic fingerprint identification system.

All these measures received enough support from the rest of the county to pass.

Additionally, both cities also rejected two proposed ESD bond measures in 2023 and a “critical maintenance” levy last April.

Finally, Enumclaw voters also rejected a bond from the city of Enumclaw that would have constructed a downtown community center last year.

In general, it seems the Plateau is only willing to make sure emergency services receive funding.

But the strong support for the replacement levy may also be a sign voters will approve the Enumclaw School District’s upcoming replacement Educational Programs and Operations Levy and the Instructional Technology Improvements Levy measures on the February 2026 special election ballot.

Both measures are replacement levies, and it’s expected that they will not increase current tax rates if voters approve them.

The EP&O levy is estimated to provide around 16% of the district’s general budget, while the tech levy helps provide teachers and students with modern technology in the classrooms, plus tech instruction and support.

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