Nguyen
The strongest challenger yet to incumbent Dow Constantine’s quest for a fourth term has announced his run for King County Executive.
State Senator Joe Nguyen, a West Seattle resident who currently represents the 34th District covering his home neighborhood, White Center, Burien, and Vashon Island, Tuesday morning said he is promising “a New Deal for King County.”
“It’s time for a King County government that acts as if — and not just says — ‘You belong here.’ It’s time for a King County government that reflects the care and compassion our communities demonstrate every day,” Nguyen said in a statement on the announcement. “It’s time for a King County government that listens to the voices of those furthest from power and centers the lived experiences of those navigating a society that wasn’t built for them.”
A relatively new face in Olympia, the Democrat took office in 2019. Supporters hope more progressive positions could push Nguyen into a tight race with Constantine who has led the county since 2009. The state senator was one of the handful of regional elected who joined protesters at CHOP last summer.
Constantine
Meanwhile, like his counterpart at Seattle City Hall, Constantine is seen as a Democratic leader who has been mostly able to appeal to more progressive values while also maintaining strong ties to the needs of business communities and industry. Unlike Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, Constantine is hoping to stay in the job after a year of protest, pandemic, and shifting politics.
In Central Seattle, Constantine’s most recent leadership around the new youth jail is a case in point. Under his administration, the county pushed ahead and overcame protests and public opposition to build the new $200 million-plus youth jail facility replacement at 12th and Alder, a project that still remains under construction. But even as the work continues to finish the project, Constantine has repositioned the facility and the county’s approach to youth justice, he says, and has hopes to transition the buildings to “other purposes” by 2025.
Nguyen was planned to attend a rally to announce his candidacy Tuesday morning in Seattle International District’s Hing Hay Park.
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