BREMERTON — The Bremerton City Council unanimously selected Patricia Sullivan to fill the open District 1 council position Aug. 31. The position was vacated in early August when Councilman Mike Sullivan died of pancreatic cancer.

Patricia was Mike’s wife.

“I hope to be guided through the service that my husband gave,” Sullivan said. “I’ll do my best with the representation for District 1 that I can possibly do.”

Sullivan was visibly emotional throughout the interview, often pausing to collect herself.

“I am here because I have a very large void in my life,” Sullivan said. “And I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than follow Mike’s footsteps.”

Sullivan said she learned to love District 1 in a way that she “never thought possible.”

The city council interviewed Sullivan and Cynthia Galloway separately for about 30 minutes each.

A third candidate, Tony Stephens, withdrew before the interview.

Sullivan worked as an accountant for 17 years. She has no previous board experience. Councilman Eric Younger noted that he too had never been a board member prior to being elected to his current seat.

Sullivan said the the main issues the council can address are increasing businesses, increasing residency and supporting the service departments, such as fire and police. She also said she’d like to focus on improving roads.

Galloway previously served as President of the Bremerton School District Board of Directors and the Kitsap Board of Mental Health, and currently serves as board member for the Bremerton African-American Alliance.

Galloway told the council she believes the main issues facing the city that the council can address are tax in lieu of payment policies and increasing revenue.

Both candidates touted themselves as team players. Both were in favor of Bremerton’s $20 vehicle registration. And both said they wouldn’t violate their oath of office under any circumstance.

Following the interviews, the council deliberated privately in an executive session for 90 minutes. The session was originally expected to last only 20.

Councilwoman Leslie Daugs said the council struggled to make a decision with the limited amount of information gathered during the interview process.

“The big thing was we were so unsure based on the conditions,” Daugs said.

Daugs said she believes many council members didn’t know how’d they vote even when leaving the executive session.

“I was shocked that it was unanimous,” Daugs said.

While deliberating, the council tried to ignore the fact that Sullivan is the widow of their former colleague and base their decision solely on the interviews.

“We didn’t want that to be a determining factor,” Daugs said.

Sullivan will be sworn in at the Sept. 2 city council meeting at 5:30 p.m.