Local Civics Correspondent Ash Black sat down with all three candidates running for Bremerton Mayor leading up to this month’s primary election for his cable access television show ‘Afternoons with Ash.’ What follows is a recap of each interview edited for length and clarity. Find the full interviews on the ‘Afternoons with Ash’ YouTube channel. And don’t forget to vote by Aug. 5.
BRIDGING BREMERTON: AN INTERVIEW WITH JEFF COUGHLIN —On a recent episode of Afternoons with Ash, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jeff Coughlin, Bremerton City Councilmember for District 3 and a then-recently declared candidate for Bremerton mayor. While known to some for his background in astronomy and previous work on NASA’s Kepler Mission, our conversation focused more deeply on his public service and commitment to building a more inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant Bremerton.
“I love Bremerton. I love this town,” Coughlin shared early in our interview. “I’ve never felt a true sense of belonging and community until I moved here. I want this city to be the best it can be—not just for me or my family, but for everyone who calls it home.” Coughlin’s journey to public service is anything but ordinary. Born and raised in Arizona by a single mother, he earned his PhD in astronomy and worked as a NASA astrophysicist before transitioning to leadership roles within the Kepler mission. He and his husband Nick, a shipyard worker, have called Bremerton home for years, where they’re raising their son Max.
“I’m a nerd who gets things done,” Jeff laughed, reflecting on the shift from scientific inquiry to municipal governance. In his current role as a city councilmember, Coughlin has focused on three major issues: public safety, housing affordability, and homelessness. “Violent crime has doubled in Bremerton over the last four years,” he noted. “We need more officers, but more importantly, we need community engagement—bike patrols, Coffee with a Cop events, real face-to-face interactions that help rebuild trust.”
Housing is another major theme. Coughlin emphasized that most residents in Bremerton are renters and many are being priced out by out-of-state property owners. “We need attainable housing for working families. I’ve been focused on policies that bring new, affordable developments to our city.”
On the issue of homelessness, he was candid: “More than half of the unhoused population in Kitsap County lives in Bremerton. We bear the brunt of the crisis. Temporary shelters are not enough—we need a true Continuum of Care that supports mental health, substance abuse treatment, and a long-term pathway out of homelessness.”
Coughlin has also been a strong voice for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). As a former Kitsap History Museum director and former council president, he helped establish the city’s permanent Race Equity Commission and supported the hiring of a diversity and engagement manager—while he noted that key appointments remain unfulfilled. “We have to acknowledge the past—segregated housing, workforce disparities—and build a city that reflects the diversity of its people,” he said. “It’s about making sure everyone feels welcome here.”
He also voiced concern over voter apathy. “Only about 33% of eligible voters show up for our local elections, even though those are the elections that most directly impact our daily lives.”
Another key area of focus for Coughlin is transportation—particularly the ongoing crisis around Bremerton’s ferry service. “Our route was cut in half, and we’ve felt the brunt of this for nearly five years,” he said. In response, he authored a 2022 resolution urging state leaders to restore service and prioritize Bremerton’s needs. He praised grassroots efforts like the Bremerton Ferry Coalition and emphasized the importance of supporting ferry crews and improving public access. Coughlin also highlighted the need to modernize communication and citizen engagement. “People are online, they have opinions. We need better ways to bring those voices into City Hall.” He noted his efforts to formalize the city’s social media and his support for expanding citizen commissions, including a new Transportation Commission launched in 2025. Looking ahead, he envisions a city that honors its past while planning for the future: “Bremerton used to be a thriving hub. A quarter of our downtown buildings sit vacant today. We need to revive that space, support local arts and business, and make this a city where people want to visit—and live.”
ANOTHER BLUEPRINT: A CONVERSATION WITH MARWAN CAMERON — There’s something about sitting across from someone like Marwan Cameron that makes time feel less linear and more layered, almost like you’re not just hearing a life story, but traveling through it. When he joined me for this episode of Afternoons with Ash, I knew our conversation wouldn’t fit neatly into the lines we usually draw around political candidates. He didn’t walk into the studio with polish or a practiced pitch, as one friend noted. He came in with presence and an origin story that, quite frankly, challenges the expectations many of us bring to civic leadership.
You see, Marwan was born into homelessness in Buffalo, New York. That opening fact alone could serve as a metaphor: beginning life not on a foundation, but on the margins. He was first adopted, entered foster care at age 15 and by age 17, he was living at the YMCA in Seattle. From there, the road wasn’t paved. His road was earned. Along the way: a G.E.D., construction work, injury, a master’s degree, a teaching position. And eventually, a calling. “There was a time when I built buildings,” he told me. “Now I build people.”
Marwan now leads Gather Together Grow Together (G2), a nonprofit that provides direct services across Kitsap County. He’s served on boards, commissions, taught at Olympic College, and ran for City Council in 2023. His journey is one of persistence, reinvention, and refusal to accept that the way things are is the way they have to be. Throughout our conversation, he spoke about watching students struggle silently and highlighted his own first hand accounts of individuals showing up at the college to bathe in restrooms, to study hungry, or to simply escape hardship. He spoke about the gap that exists between policy and people, and how his work has always been focused on making systems more nimble, more human, and more just. “We’re not the Titanic,” he said. “We’re the dinghy, but we can move, pivot, fill gaps where others can’t.”
There’s a frustration beneath Marwan’s calm delivery. He sees the barriers: the political machine, the gatekeepers, the endless loops of who gets approved to speak and who gets left out. But instead of railing against it, he builds alternatives. According to Marwan, G2 was born from being denied access. So was his podcast, The Conduit.
So is his campaign.
“I don’t want endorsements. I want votes,” he told me. “Because if this is really about the people, then let’s trust the people to choose.” Marwan isn’t alone in feeling like an outsider. What makes his story distinct is the quiet boldness with which he turns exclusion into momentum. Not defiance. Determination. Toward the end of the conversation, I asked him what he wanted viewers to understand about his candidacy. He didn’t talk about party lines or positions. He said this:“I represent every Bremertonian. Whether you’re homeless or a homeowner, a small business owner or a renter… I’m here for all of it. For all of you.”
ONE MAN’S DEVOTION: MAYOR GREG WHEELER’S BREMERTON — In a city shaped by service, few names carry the quiet weight of Mayor Greg Wheeler. A lifelong resident of Bremerton, Wheeler grew up on the east side of town in a working-class neighborhood—“war boxes,” as he described them—where families lived simply and supported one another.
“We are a working city,” he told me. “We are a city of folks who work hard.” After graduating from Central Kitsap High School and completing coursework at Olympic College, he joined the United States Navy, then returned home to begin what would become a 34-year career at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. He started as a pipe-fitter’s apprentice, earned his journeyman credentials, and ultimately rose to serve as an assistant project engineer. It’s that same work ethic—steady, disciplined, and deliberate—that he brings to his role as mayor. “The mayor’s job is full-time and then some,” he said. “You need to be on call, on point, and always ready.”
Now in his second term, Wheeler has led Bremerton through some complex years. From the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic to the rising pressures of housing costs and infrastructure strain, his administration has focused on practical, forward-facing solutions. Under his leadership, the city has seen major revitalization projects, including the redevelopment of the Wheaton Way corridor and continued investment in the Harrison Hospital District. Programs initiated during his tenure include proactive code enforcement, rental assistance, home energy weatherproofing, and the cleanup and restoration of Kitsap Lake. “You provide resources where you can—even if it’s only guidance,” he said. “You help remove obstacles and support people to be their best. That’s how we elevate our community.” He’s worked to expand community health resources—personally recruiting MultiCare to open a freestanding emergency room just outside city limits—and created opportunities for civic engagement through youth-focused initiatives like the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Awards and the Mayor’s Challenge for Science and Innovation. One of the most visible developments during his tenure is Quincy Square, a $5.5 million infrastructure project with plans to become Bremerton’s premiere performing arts venue. But Wheeler is quick to note that bricks and mortar alone don’t define success. “It’s about activation,” he says—ensuring that the space creates opportunity for youth, artists, and local entrepreneurs who have long needed a stage.
His vision for the future is centered around completing ongoing projects and expanding access: continuing the cleanup at Kitsap Lake, securing additional funding for Pendergast Park’s full build-out, and bringing new jobs and business development to Charleston, Manette, and downtown. But when asked about his legacy, Wheeler demurs. “It’s still to be defined,” he said. “We’ve made a lot of progress, but we’ve got challenges ahead. I never look at a challenge without seeing opportunity.” For him, leadership isn’t about legacy—it’s about listening. “The politics closest to the people,” he calls it. More than 25,000 doors knocked, and as he said, “That’s what grounds me. When everything else feels chaotic, I remember the conversations I’ve had on those doorsteps—that’s what I carry back to City Hall.” In an era where leadership is often conflated with performance, Wheeler represents a different kind of mayor. One who believes in showing up—at schools, in neighborhoods, and yes, even at the doorstep of a fledgling local public access host who once nervously invited him to be a guest on his show. // ASH BLACK
KITSAP COUNTY AUGUST 2025 PRIMARY BALLOTS are due by August 5. Find ballot drop locations, a PDF of the voters pamphlet and more at kitsap.gov
