Sam Doyle has announced her candidacy for Mountlake Terrace City Council Position 1.

A Mountlake Terrace resident since 2012, Doyle is a mom to three Edmonds School District students. She is running against Position 1 incumbent Rick Ryan, who has served on the council since 2008.

Doyle has worked as an oncology ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner) for almost 20 years. She received a bachelor’s degree in sociology at the University of Colorado-Boulder and a Master of Nursing from the University of Washington-Seattle.

In a news release announcing her candidacy, Doyle said her background as a foster child was a formative experience that inspired a lifelong career in public service. After graduating from college, she worked in community corrections in Boulder, Colorado in 2000, and then returned to Seattle to advocate for foster care alumni with Casey Family Programs before beginning her health care career.

Doyle, who identies as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, sat on the Mountlake Terrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commission from 2020-2023. She has also served on the board of Cancer Pathways (formerly Gilda’s Club), and in 2022 and 2023 she volunteered as an organizer for Lift Every Voice Legacy’s MLK Day and Juneteenth celebrations. In 2024, she received a Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award from UW’s Office of Healthcare Equity, and in 2025 she was a UW School of Medicine’s Excellence in Mentoring Women Faculty award nominee.

In her announcement, she promised to bring to the council “a fresh perspective, diverse life experiences and a sharp mind” and “to help improve the lives of city residents, in particular prioritizing affordable housing  and social services.