The first new challenger with a Capitol Hill connection that we’re aware of has announced candidacy for the Seattle City Council. Seattle Central Community College’s Sandy Cioffi says she will challenge incumbent Tom Rasmussen for his seat on the council in this fall’s election. Publicola talked with Cioffi about her possible candidacy back in March. The first-time candidate’s campaign announcement is below.

In other council political action here on the Hill, last week, incumbent Bruce Harrell launched his 2011 campaign at 14th and Pine’s AME Church.

UPDATE 2:00 PM — Cioffi tells CHS she is hoping to bring big-picture vision to her run for the Council. “The city government is not matching the excitement of the people. The council doesn’t reflect the greatness of the city. I’m devoted to that kind of storytelling,” she said.

Her competitor Rasmussen, Cioffi says, is stuck in low gear. “I believe that Tom and the council in general are lacking a fire in the belly.”

“He wants to be called Mr. Transportation and that seems strange to me,” Cioffi said. “We’ve allowed the conversation to become a pit battle over one particular project.”

In addition to her focus on storytelling, Cioffi says her experience as an independent filmmaker will serve her well as she must raise the funds required to run a competitive race for city council in 2011. “I’ve never made movies where somebody said, ‘Here’s a check.’ I’ve established a network and experience raising this much for films.”

“The pink elephant in the room is that Seattle government is run by big money,” Cioffi said. She said she hopes to bring together enough individuals and like-minded businesses to compete. There are no meet-ups scheduled, yet, but the candidate said she’ll be out on Capitol Hill and in neighborhoods across the city soon.

Filmmaker Sandy Cioffi Announces Campaign For Seattle City Council

Independent filmmaker and community college teacher Sandy Cioffi announced today she will run for Seattle City Council, Position 5. This is the seat currently held by Councilmember Tom Rasmussen.

“Our city’s policies should be a reflection of our citizen’s progressive values. Far too often, our elected officials are not providing the leadership to make that happen. Lobbyists have too many seats at the table and more influence than appropriate. Frankly, Seattle’s appetite for excellence is not being met,” Cioffi says.

As a candidate, Cioffi’s priorities include:

• Initiating model policies that establish Seattle as a leader on national issues, including climate change, energy, and transportation.
• Creating local solutions for oversight of our police department that eliminate the need for federal intervention.
• Engaging Seattle citizens in a meaningful public process by leading and framing debates instead of punting policy decisions.

Cioffi directed the documentary film Sweet Crude, about the oil conflict in the Niger Delta of Nigeria. In conjunction with the film, she advocated for third-party monitored peace talks to resolve the region’s humanitarian and environmental crisis, meeting with members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, among others. She has worked in conflict zones including Central America, South Africa and Northern Ireland. She has coupled this with work in her community to advocate for arts and culture, education and labor rights. Cioffi also produced and/or directed the critically acclaimed films Crocodile Tears, Terminal 187 and Just Us. “She’s an unfailingly articulate film and video artist with a keenly aware social conscience.”  Steve Weicking, Seattle Weekly

Cioffi is a tenured professor in the Film and Video Communications Department at Seattle Central Community College.  She served as Faculty Senate Co-President and represents her peers on the Contract Negotiation Team as the lead negotiator of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). She also worked extensively with young people as an artist-in-residence at over 25 middle and high schools in Washington and through the mentor/apprentice film program at the Langston Hughes Cultural Arts Center. Cioffi serves on the advisory boards of the Northwest Film Forum and Reel Grrls and previously on the board of directors of Three Dollar Bill Cinema. She worked for many years with One America (formerly the Hate Free Zone in Seattle), producing films about immigration reform and human rights.  

You can learn more about Cioffi’s campaign at www.sandycioffi.com