Pete Holmes has served as Seattle City Attorney since 2010 — long enough that his positions on legalizing marijuana were once seen as radical.
Tuesday morning, Holmes announced his bid for a fourth term serving the city saying his leadership can help Seattle through its “Great Reset” as it recovers from the COVID-19 crisis and responds to the demands of an “overdue racial reckoning” —
“My record of steady servant-leadership for the people of Seattle – in pursuit of the fundamental needs of safety, fairness, and reform for the benefit of all – is more urgently needed than ever. Seattle faces historic challenges – and opportunities – and I am committed to fighting for safe, livable neighborhoods and a revitalized downtown and small business districts, while never losing sight of the pressing need to restore trust in our police department, even as we select our next chief of police and negotiate new police union contracts. Now, more than ever, we need to rally behind our new president and truly ‘Build Back Better’ with federal, state, county, and city collaboration that reaffirms Seattle’s values as a more just and compassionate community.”
“The City faces unprecedented challenges stemming from a global pandemic that has impacted families, working people, small businesses, and our quality of life, and Holmes believes his record of thoughtful reform and focus on protecting the people of Seattle provide a foundation for the City’s ‘Great Reset,’ as Seattle recovers and moves forward amid demands for an overdue racial reckoning,” the Holmes announcement reads.
As City Attorney, Holmes runs an office charged with handling the city’s legal matters and defending officials in lawsuits. The bulk of the office’s work, however, related to the prosecution of misdemeanor crimes while felonies are managed by the King County Prosecutor. The misdemeanor work has put Holmes and his office on the frontlines of the city’s biggest challenges around homelessness, mental illness, and addiction.
That work has made Holmes a target, Crosscut reports:
In recent years, the region’s conservatives have come to loathe Holmes, viewing him as too soft on crime. He’s taken hits from more moderate voices as well, who question his office’s charging practices as too lax and too slow.
In seeking a fourth term, Holmes will also have the opportunity to continue his work managing the city’s legal aspects of police reform amid the shaping of a critical new police union contract and an acceleration of reform efforts.
The Holmes campaign announcement includes a robus roster of endorsements: Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg, Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) co-founder and Public Defender Association Executive Director Lisa Daugaard, Seattle City Councilmembers Teresa Mosqueda, Lisa Herbold, and Andrew Lewis, King County Councilmembers Rod Dembowski and Jeanne Kohl-Welles, 36th LD Rep. Liz Berry, Attorney David Perez, and civic leader Rick Steves.
In 2017, Holmes easily defeated attorney, consultant, and public safety critic Scott Lindsay.
Holmes, who turns 65 in March, now awaits his next political opponents.
You can learn more at holmesforseattle.com.
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Take a look around if you like what you see you should vote for Holmes!
Pete is likely going to cruise to re-election unless someone credible and qualified actually steps up to run. The city attorney role sucks in Washington state but has an outsized role on the daily life of people in the city. Pete has chosen to focus his tenure on activism, which has resulted in some really great successes like marijuana decriminalization but he’s basically ignored the administrative / governing side of the role. The city attorney is only responsible for misdemeanors and Pete has just abdicated all responsibility in this area.
Pete his just the right amount of liberal and moderate to keep getting elected on the issues – anyone more left or right of him on issues is going to fail. The only chance a challenger has is to focus on role of actually administering/governing.
At this point I’d write in Mickey Mouse rather than vote for Pete Holmes… he’d probably do a better job… His focus is on protecting the people of Seattle… that is laughable. Just how is simply releasing repeat offenders with zero consequences protecting anyone?
Anyone who were to run against him would have to express and endorse functionally worse ideas than him to not receive my vote, which would be pretty difficult as he’s simply been choosing to not even do his job as of late…
I agree with you, I’m mostly lamenting the fact that I don’t see anything changing. Seattle is electing the city attorney based on the persons political credentials rather than their performance record as a city attorney or city administrator.
I agree as well. Where are the old school liberals with the common sense to actually take hard look at what is working and not? This depolicing and not enforcing the laws is hurting the lower economic end of society worse.
Especially with all the small businesses picking up and leaving. This means less jobs in the local communities for young folks to develop a good work ethic and we know this helps build character and good habits. I don’t understand the lack of focus and all the pandering to special interest groups.
Or Donald Duck! Along with out lefty City Council, Holmes has been partially responsible for the degradation of our once-fair city. He must go!
There is nothing liberal, and certainly nothing moderate, about what Pete does.
Pete refuses to prosecute criminals because of his own personal ideology. He refuses to do his job because of his own personal ideology.
As a result, our city suffers countless avoidable tragedies. Travis Berge alone should have been enough for him to resign.
Pete Holmes is more responsible than anyone else for turning Seattle into the lawless drug dystopia we see today. Ten years of his mismanagement is enough. Why isn’t there a term limit? He should retire to his gated mansion and let somebody else step in to fill the leadership void he created.
Pete Holmes is an absolute feckless city attorney. The only thing he can take responsible for is running Seattle into the ground.
Unreal. Look at his list of endorsers. Ferguson, Satterberg, Mosqueda, and Rick Steves. The Travel guy? You have to be kidding. Holmes is done more harm to this City with his hands off approach.
Holmes has been an utter nightmare for this city and the second he is voted out is not a second too soon.
“The region’s conservatives have come to loath Holmes” is BS framing used to shut down the strong and growing opposition to Pete Holmes among Seattle progressives that want a livable and equitable city, not a drug zombie apocalypse with no rules or consequences and people dying in the streets. It is obvious that the current approach is not working nor compassionate. The reset is to vote out Pete Holmes, Mosqueda and Gonzales to send a signal that we are tired of the failed social experiment, excuses and lies. It is time for a more balanced approach, which includes mandatory drug treatment, jail time for out-of-control repeat offenders that terrorize the city, results and accountability.
Not a conservative – I’m a liberal democrat.
He needs to go, because he’s too lax on crime.
Jeez can we get rid of him already? He has basically allowed crime and vagrants to take over our city and turn it into a total dump. Been downtown lately?
Pete Holmes more than any single person, is more responsible for turning this once beautiful vibrant city into the post-apocalyptic hell-hole that it has become. Just enforce the laws, Pete! That is all we mere taxpayers ask.
You were not elected to make the laws or to decide which ones align with your personal view of civilization. If you don’t, we hard-working, tax-paying citizens will leave. Chaos will ensue and mob rule and vigilantism will fill the void. It is up to all of us voters to stop this lunacy. Vote for anyone but Pete Holmes. Retire Pete! Bellevue is calling offering law, order, and peace! Businesses are the first to leave, their employees will follow soon after.
A vote for Pete Holmes which Seattlites will vote for, is a vote to burn it all down. Seattlites will vote for him because they suffer from normalcy bias. As long as it doesn’t effect them directly they vote the same way every day. Sheople don’t understand how bad things can get. I pity Seattlites. Those poor idiots.
Pete Holmes has done tremendous damage to Seattle. When we moved here four years ago I thought we’d chosen a safe neighborhood for our children. Now I’d be insane to let my kid ride his bike in Woodland Park (its a slum!!!). We’re getting a dog because of all the break-ins. And, honestly, really questioning if this is the best place to raise a family. I’m a committed progressive, but this man’s commitment to ideology over solutions has made our city worse for everyone.