Historic number of Latinos now serve on Pasco City Council
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- The Pasco City Council reaches historic number of Latino members after appointments.
- Abel Campos filled the at-large seat and will serve through November 2027.
- Calixto Hernandez and Mark Figueroa won council seats; Villarreal became municipal judge.
A historic number of Latinos now serve on the Pasco City Council. Three Hispanic men have been sworn into office, the most recent on Monday night.
It’s a milestone for the city that’s population is 54% Latino.
On Monday, Abel Campos was appointed to the at-large position. He’ll serve on the council for the next two years through November 2027.
The vote was 4-2. Mayor David Milne and council members Blanche Barajas, Leo Perales and Calixto Hernandez voted in favor and council members Charles Grimm and Joe Cotta opposed.
Campos replaced Peter Harpster who moved to a new home outside the city limits.
Campos is a former member of the Pasco Planning Commission, a pastor and a middle school teacher. He was born and raised in Pasco.
On Dec. 1, newly elected council members Hernandez and Mark Figueroa also were sworn in to serve on the seven-member council.
Hernandez will fill the seat through the end of this year, plus a four-year term.
Figueroa’s term on the council begins on Jan. 1. He replaced Blanche Barajas, the first Latina council member ever elected to serve as Pasco mayor, after she didn’t seek re-election after eight years.
No women remain on the council, though one position is left to be filled.
It’s still unclear if former Mayor Pete Serrano will rejoin the council. He was re-elected after running unopposed for another term. However, he had stepped down in August to accept an interim federal position as U.S. Attorney for Eastern Washington that expires this week.
There were 28 applicants for Harpster’s post, and the council narrowed the list to six, who were publically interviewed Monday afternoon.
They included business owner Charlie Grigg, whose father served on the council for eight years; Melissa Blasdel, who lost last month to Hernandez; Bradford Gregory, a former police detective; Patrick Jones, a member of the planning commission; and Jerry Cochran, also on the planning commission.
Also on Monday, Carlos Villarreal was appointed as a judge for Pasco Municipal Court.
This story was originally published December 8, 2025 at 9:08 PM.
