Tag Archives: politics

Who didn’t vote for Katie Wilson on Capitol Hill? Mapping the 2025 primary shows progressive success on familiar Seattle political terrain

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A zoom of the mayoral primary results showing the precincts of Capitol Hill and the Central District (Source: Washington Community Alliance)

Mayoral challenger Katie Willson’s strong election night showing has only grown more impressive as ballot counts in the August primary move into their final phases but precinct by precinct maps of the results show incumbent Bruce Harrell will be working from a familiar base across Seattle and in Capitol Hill and Central District neighborhoods as the race takes shape for November.

CHS reported here as Wilson and Seattle’s band of upstart progressive made strong Election Night showings this month with messages focused on strengthening Seattle’s social and community safety nets in the face of damaging Trump administration cuts. As the dust settled on Election Night, Harrell and fellow business-friendly incumbents Sara Nelson and Ann Davison faced second place finishes headed into the November general election.

Meanwhile, a Capitol Hill business owner with a provocative platform has also become a political factor in the city.

Maps from the Washington Community Alliance show how it all has played out and illustrate that Harrell and his fellow incumbents may be working from second place but will be doing so with support from familiar parts of the city that have been the base of their past victories. Continue reading →

Capitol Hill crystal shop owner and candidate for City Council says launching initiative effort to ban homeless camping in Seattle

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(Image: Savage Citizens)

Rachael Savage, the Capitol Hill business owner and longshot challenger for Alexis Mercedes Rinck’s citywide Seattle City Council Position 8 seat, says she is making her next campaign a citizen initiative “to direct those living on the streets to detox-treatment-shelter or face arrest” and ban camping in the city.

“This is the compassionate way,” Savage said in the announcement of the filing.

To qualify the citizen initiative for the ballot, Savage will need to collect registered voter signatures equal to 10% of the total votes cast for mayor in the most recent mayoral election. That’s around 26,000 signatures.

The initiative is said to be modeled on a similar proposal being pursued for an initiative at the county level. Continue reading →

With a familiar name on the list, process begins to fill City Council’s North Seattle seat

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A veteran of the Seattle City Council who was there when City Hall made the transition to district-base representation is a finalist to fill the gap leading North Seattle’s District 5.

Former member of the council Debora Juarez has been selected as one of six finalists to hold the seat until the 2026 election following the resignation of Cathy Moore.

The six will take part in an appointment forum Monday night then the council will meet on July 22 to interview the finalists. A vote on the appointment is scheduled to take place on July 28th. The successful candidate will need to gather a simple majority of five votes from the council. Continue reading →

With August 5th primary election looming, 43rd Dems go ‘hybrid’ for July meeting

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The 43rd District Democrats will mark a first this month that should make it easier to take part in its sessions connecting area Democratic leaders and political candidates to the neighborhoods they serve. The group’s July meeting will be its first ever hybrid event allowing both in-person and virtual participation:

Join us on July 15th from 7-9pm for our HYBRID July General meeting! That’s right, you can join us in person at the Erickson Theater (1524 Harvard Ave) or join us on Zoom. Hear from State Attorney General Nick Brown, get the latest on the upcoming primary with Erica Barnett, Sandeep Kaushik and David Hyde as they record an episode of the Seattle Nice Podcast, ask questions and connect with your 43rd electeds, and meet many of our endorsed candidates and hear about ways to get involved in their campaigns.

The visit to the neighborhood with a meeting at Harvard Ave’s Erickson Theater will also include a chance to sit in — or tune in — on a live recording of the Seattle Nice podcast from Erica Barnett, Sandeep Kaushik and David Hyde.

You can learn more and register for Tuesday night’s meeting here.

CHS reported earlier on the group’s endorsements for the upcoming August primary. Ballots will be arriving soon for the August 5th vote.

 

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‘There’s the door’ — Cathy Moore to step down from the Seattle City Council

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Moore

Hours after a humbling political reversal, Cathy Moore has announced she is resigning her seat representing the city’s north on the Seattle City Council due to “health and personal reasons.”

“My decision to leave the City Council is one I’ve been considering seriously over the past several months due to some recent health challenges,” Moore said in the announcement. “Ultimately, I believe that District 5 community members deserve a representative who can give their full attention to the critical issues facing the City and its neighborhoods.”

Moore, a former King County Superior Court judge, was elected in 2023 with a centrist approach to policy and promises of what she said would be a more civil approach to Seattle politics.

CHS reported here on Moore’s decision to withdraw her proposed legislation championed by Council President Sara Nelson that would have allowed members to vote on bills in which they have a disclosed conflict of interest. Continue reading →

Kshama for Congress? — UPDATE

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(Image: Workers Strike Back)

Smith

Former District 3 representative on the Seattle City Council Kshama Sawant and her Workers Strike Back group are scheduled to announce a new “election campaign for public office” Monday morning but the socialist political leader is not targeting a return to Seattle City Hall.

At Monday’s press conference outside downtown Seattle’s Henry M. Jackson Federal Building, Sawant is expected to announce her bid to unseat District 9’s Adam Smith. The moderate Democrat has held the office representing Seattle’s Central District, South Seattle, and an area stretching from Bellevue to Federal Way since he was first elected in 1996. Continue reading →

Seattle City Council backs off changes to conflict of interest rules

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Seattle City Council leadership is dropping a push to relax its ethics rules around conflicts of interest.

Councilmember Cathy Moore announced Friday morning she is withdrawing her proposed legislation championed by Council President Sara Nelson that would have allowed members to vote on bills in which they have a disclosed conflict of interest.

“I have decided to withdraw the Code of Ethics update bill from consideration, a decision I do not take lightly. My conversations with colleagues have made it clear that we require more time to ensure we get this right,” Moore said in the announcement.

In the announcement, Moore called the existing Ethics Code “unusually rigid and an outlier across the nation.” “As the Chair of the Ethics and Elections Commission noted, there is no ‘gold standard’ when it comes to defining ethics rules; it’s a policy choice,” she said. Continue reading →

With Sound Transit CEO vote Thursday, Constantine to deliver final ‘State of the County’ address

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Constantine after cutting the ribbon to open Capitol Hill Station in 2016

King County Executive Dow Constantine will deliver his final State of the County address Wednesday as he prepares to take a new job — leading Sound Transit.

Constantine has led the county since 2009 through years of unprecedented economic and population growth. Constantine also led King County as it struggled with the pandemic and the unrest of the Black Lives Matter movement. He announced late last year he would not seek reelection but pledged to continue “critical work of transit and transportation, climate action, behavioral health, affordable housing, arts and culture.”

King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, with a growing roster of key endorsements, has been seen as the favorite in the race to replace him.

Constantine, who serves as chair of the Sound Transit board, has been tabbed as the next CEO to lead the $3.1 billion public transit agency. Continue reading →

‘Home, health, and hope’: Longtime 43rd District leader and housing advocate Chopp dies — UPDATE

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Chopp at the 2014 debut of 12th Ave Arts

Democratic State Rep. Frank Chopp who helped lead the 43rd District including Capitol Hill for three decades from 1995 to 2025 has died.

Chopp was 71.

“The 43rd District Democrats are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of our former Representative, Frank Chopp,” the 43rd District Democrats group said in a statement. “Frank served the 43rd and the people of our State with honor for 30 years, and played a critical role in the betterment of our community.”

Remembered for his help funding the development of affordable buildings across the region, Chopp was a focused housing champion.

“The best approach is to build equity, to own it,” Chopp told CHS as he mounted one of his reelection battles in 2014. “The key is to capture any public land that is available for affordable buildings.”

Lika many of his later races, the 2014 election was an easy win for Chopp as he easily defeated an inexperienced Socialist Alternative candidate. Two years prior, he handily dispatched the protege’s mentor Kshama Sawant. Sawant would turn her political focus to Seattle. Continue reading →

Seattle vote on $45M Democracy Voucher program renewal planned for August primary

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(Image: City of Seattle)

Mayor Bruce Harrell will be collecting Democracy Vouchers this year as he mounts his reelection campaign.

This week, his office put forward legislation to renew the program first approved by voters in 2015 in hopes of helping to dampen the power of large campaign donors in the city’s politics.

CHS reported here on 2025’s place as a big year for the future of the program. In 2025, the program will support the widest field yet with candidates in the race for Seattle Mayor, City Attorney, and City Council Positions 2, 8, and 9 all eligible for the funding program.

Later this year, voters will also be asked to renew the program. The proposal from Harrell’s office would expand the program with a $45 million property tax over 10 years, “costing the median assessed value Seattle homeowner about $12.20 a year,” according to Harrell’s announcement.

The original $3 million a year program was estimated to cost the typical homeowner around $8 a year. Continue reading →