(Image: electefrain.com)
CHS asked the eight candidates running in the District 3 primary election eleven questions about how they would serve the neighborhoods around Capitol Hill, the Central District, and First Hill on the Seattle City Council. As you consider your August 1st primary ballot, we have 88 answers for you. We asked the candidates about everything from policing to single family zoning to homelessness and lidding I-5. With help from readers, we asked what specific ideas make each candidate stand out and what positions were they willing to take heat for supporting. We also asked how they would address issues around the community's relationship with the East Precinct. Meanwhile, after years of complaints about challenges in connecting with the D3 representative's office, we also asked each candidate about their plans to connect with the communities they represent. A lot of them have heard the complaints and are promising greater access and office hours in the district. Now it will be up to you to hold them to it -- and show up. You can view every candidate's answers at one time on the All Candidates D3 Primary Survey Results Page here. You can find our full coverage of the 2023 primary here.
Below are the answers from candidate Efrain Hudnell, an Army veteran and former Seattle University student body president.
Q: What is a specific example of a change you were part of that has made District 3 a better place? What was your role?
Hudnell: When I was Student Body President at Seattle University School of Law, I championed the transfer of about $5,000 from the Student Activities Fund to the Student food bank to support students who became food insecure during the early days of the Pandemic in March 2020. I later led efforts to ensure that Licensure for the Graduating class would happen in an equitable way so that pandemic would not affect our ability as a class to work in our profession of choice.
Q: If elected, what regular presence would your office keep in District 3? Meetings? Office time? How often? Where?
Hudnell: At least bi-weekly office hours in district. One day during the week and one day over the weekend to accommodate traditional and nontraditional workdays/hours. I haven’t settled on a location yet, however I would like to rotate locations so make it easier for people in the district to access me regardless of their ability to get around. This rotation would include locations in Capitol Hill, Central District, East Lake, Madison Park, and Madrona.
Q: What council committees are you best suited for? How will that help D3?
Hudnell: Transportation Committee. District three has some of the densest neighborhoods in Seattle (and getting denser), however we only have the one light rail station at Capitol Hill. I am committed to adopting a rail transit plan like that proposed by Seattle Subway. This would mean that in addition to Judkins Park station, we would eventually see a light rail stations throughout our district beyond the eventual second station at Judkins Park. Housing/Land Use committee. A central plank of my platform is to put Seattle on a path to create at least 200K units of housing in the next ten years. In order to do this we will need to adopt a comprehensive growth plan that not only meets this goal, we must resist the temptation of concentrating all those new homes in already dense neighborhoods like those in D3, and instead, create density throughout the entire city. Public Safety & Homelessness committee. I intend to lean on my experiences as a former prosecutor to create a criminal justice system in Seattle that prioritizes rehabilitation and intervention over punishment. It’s important to point out that this would only apply to Misdemeanor cases, as the City does not have the ability to prosecute Felony cases nor make changes to the law which concerns felony offenses. This means resources for our neighbors and loved ones who come into contact with the criminal justice system while maintaining safety and the dignity of the victim(s).
Q: Which recent Seattle council member would you most like to emulate? Why?
Hudnell: Teresa Mosqueda. CM Mosqueda I think brings a much needed creative passion to the council championing the democracy voucher program, and the Super block concept. I hope to bring that same energy to enact lasting solutions.
Q: What is a position you hold that is controversial or unpopular among D3 voters? (Reader question)
Hudnell: I believe that we should begin to experiment with Pedestrianization of Capitol Hill AKA the super-block. I think this ultimately will improve quality of life for our residents, and also help small businesses. That said, I think that we would need at least a year of designated weeks/weekends/months to test run the idea and allow residents and businesses alike to make adjustments to their patterns of life.
Q: What is a City Hall department or major initiative you would cut back on and how would you reprioritize that spending?
Hudnell: I don’t believe that the city should be subsidizing car infrastructure. To that end, I would end the program which installs EV charging stations at the expense of tax payers and instead dedicate those funds for things like E-bike rebates and protected bike lane construction. Second, the Seattle Police Department currently has funding for dozens of vacant officer positions. I would bring that number down to only the number that SPD can reasonably predict could be hired as a net positive to the department in the next year. I would then work to redirect those funds for other public safety programs and positions like social workers.
Is there a way to help SPD East Precinct feel like a less hostile and more responsive, supportive presence in the neighborhood? How? (Reader question)
Hudnell: Respondent skipped this question
Q: What is your position on single family housing/residential small lot zoning, and what is your position on upzones across Seattle? (Reader question)
Hudnell: We must go beyond what HB1110 calls for and up zone across all of Seattle.
Q: What does Seattle need to do that it isn’t already trying to address the homelessness crisis? What would that look like in D3?
Hudnell: Respondent skipped this question
Q: What is one idea for District 3 that you have that no other candidate is talking about?
Hudnell: Rent control in the Central District as a tool to combat displacement. I wrote an op-ed in the stranger on this topic.
Q: How would you support lidding I-5?
Hudnell: We need to commit funds to more than just studying the lid, but for actual construction in order to pull down Federal Dollars that are on the table. While I believe that the progressive revenue streams that I propose will allow us to do so already, if this is not the case, then we need to be prepared to pass a levy specifically for the purpose of Lid-ing I-5. I fear if we don’t lead with public dollars, then we will need to turn to private developers to raise the funds at the expense of the ability to place affordable housing, green space, and other works for the public benefit on the lid.
Q: Far in the future, if the city were to honor you with a statue, where would it be placed and what would it look like?
Hudnell: Respondent skipped this question
$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE
Subscribe to CHS to help us hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for $5 a month -- or choose your level of support 🖤
A new arrival activist running for office. Where have I seen this before.