Here’s who Richland chose to fill council seat won by a candidate who died
Todd Samuel, a research manager in the building systems group at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will fill the Richland City Council seat won last fall by a candidate who died.
The city council unanimously appointed Samuel, 60, to the seat won by the late Donald Landsman after it interviewed five finalists Tuesday.
Samuel is a Richland High School graduate who has lived in the Tri-Cities for 44 years, including 14 in Richland. He is a south Richland resident and lives on Columbia Park Trail, east of Columbia Center Boulevard near the Richland Wye.
He serves on the city’s planning and code enforcement commissions.
Samuel will serve until the 2026 election gives Richland residents a chance to select a candidate to serve the remaining three years of Landsman’s term.
Samuel said he has not decided if he will seek election to the Position 4 seat.
Candidates interested in standing for election file in May. The August primary will narrow the field to two, with the final winner elected in the November general election.
“This is a great opportunity to try this out,” he told the council during his interview.
Samuel described himself as a servant leader and advocate for civil discourse.
“It is important to agree to disagree agreeably,” he said.
His priorities are infrastructure, sustainable development, financial stability and quality of life.
He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from City University, Seattle.
This story was originally published January 28, 2026 at 11:27 AM.