There are 72 “qualified” applicants to serve the rest of 2024 in the citywide Position 8 seat on the Seattle City Council including two candidates from 2023’s race for the council’s District 3 seat and a handful of citizens with connections to Capitol Hill.

They will be up against candidates with wider support including Tanya Woo who was unsuccessful in her bid to take the District 2 seat last year but has strong support in the International District.

West Precinct commander Capt. Steven Strand, a Seattle Police Department veteran who says he has “embraced police reform, accountability, and civilian oversight” and is “committed to research and data-informed public safety,” is also considered a frontrunner.

The successful applicant will fill the rest of the seat’s term through 2024 and potentially be in prime position to successfully hold onto the seat in the November election as it goes up for grabs.

While Woo and Strand will likely be at the center of the debate around the appointment, candidates Ry Armstrong and Shobhit Agarwal will be familiar to D3 voters after their 2023 campaigns. CHS called Armstrong the race’s “Democracy Voucher” candidate. We were wrong. We should have called Armstrong the Democratic Socialists of America candidate. Agarwal, meanwhile, counts his time leading his Capitol Hill condo board as part of his qualifications for city council.

Others with Capitol Hill connections in the Position 8 mix are condo association director and Pike/Pine Urban Neighborhood Council member Joshua Gurnee, Capitol Hill resident and tech entrepreneur Amanda Twiss, and Randy Wiger who had been coordinating special events like Capitol Hill Block Party for the city.

Another applicant with Capitol Hill ties is Daniel Carlson. The store owner said he was moved to apply for the seat after his pleas to former D3 rep Kshama Sawant and Mayor Jenny Durkan to do more for the city’s small businesses went unanswered. The E Union location of Carlson’s LIKELIHOOD sneaker and fashion boutique has been shuttered since summer after a damaging break-in. The shop is scheduled to reopen January 15th.

UPDATE: A qualified name we missed in the mix is Seattle School Board director for District 4 Vivian Song. Song would bring “a collaborative approach to public service, relevant finance and budget skills, and first-hand experience in serving residents of Seattle” to the role, according to Song’s application.

Position 8 Applicants

Name		Name		Name
Roble Abdinoor	View	Dana Hinman	View	Amanda Richer	View
Shobhit Agarwal	View	Andrea Izykowski	View	Eric Rodriguez	View
Rachel Andeen	View	Andrea S. James	View	Benjamin Schmitt	View
Wesley Andersen	View	Rahim Kapadia	View	Erik Simmons	View
Preston Anderson	View	Faizal Kassamali	View	Jeffrey Skillman	View
Ry Armstrong	View	Ronald Kessler	View	Khyree Smith	View
Kellen Ball	View	Christopher M. Koa	View	Mark Solomon	View
Cheyenne Baron	View	Joshua C. Levenson	View	Vivian Song	View
Jon Baumgardner	View	George Lin	View	Trevor Squier	View
Joanna Blevins	View	Daniel Love	View	Steven K. Strand	View
Robert Canamar	View	Shane Macomber	View	Mari Sugiyama	View
Daniel L. Carlson	View	Matthew Malloy	View	Mark Sztainbok	View
Janice Clark	View	Div Manula	View	Phillip Tavel	View
Chris Cody	View	Kate Martin	View	Linh Thai	View
Juan J. Cotto	View	Miriam Mboya	View	Amanda Twiss	View
Christopher Curia	View	Mac Scotty McGregor	View	Val Vidal	View
Matthew Donahue	View	William Meyers	View	Jack Whisner	View
Raymond Dubicki	View	Jeremy Miller	View	Randy Wiger	View
Nick Duda	View	Jayson Todd Morris	View	Luke Wigren	View
Marc Faerber	View	Neha Nariya	View	Dave Wilkinson	View
Eric C. Feeny	View	Jeffery Nguyen	View	Reginald Wilson	View
Rich Fisher	View	Christopher Nutt	View	Gary Winchester	View
Joshua Gurnee	View	Harold Odom	View	Tanya Woo	View
Robert Hines	View	Chris Porter	View	Tariq Yusuf	View

CHS reported here on newly placed president Sara Nelson’s first major challenge to select a new Position 8 representative to join a council with five freshman legislators along with Nelson’s initiatives to increase public safety spending and rein in new taxes.

The Position 8 vacancy comes as Teresa Mosqueda resigned her seat on the council to start the year to take her newly won position on the King County Council. The 72 qualified applicants will now be considered by the eight sitting councilmembers.

After the selection process for Position 8, six of the nine councilmembers will be in their first term including District 3 representative Joy Hollingsworth. CHS spoke with Hollingsworth here about her first weeks in office, additions to her team, and her commitment to transparency and communication with open office hours when constituents can drop-in to talk with Hollingsworth or staff, regular newsletters to keep D3 apprised of priorities and new legislation, and rotating meetings around the district for community issues and discussions.

The city charter gives the council 20 days from Mosqueda’s resignation to name a replacement. That period ends on January 23rd. Friday, the council will hold a special meeting to hear public comment and select finalists for the position.

A final meeting for public comment on the candidates is planned to be held Monday, January 22nd with the council meeting to agree on a final candidate that Tuesday. The replacement process can typically require several votes by the council before a final candidate is selected.

UPDATE: Friday, the council identified eight finalists for the appointment to be considered in the final vote on the 23rd:

• Juan J. Cotto: Government Affairs and Community Engagement Strategist at Bloodworks Northwest with strong support in South Seattle. Supported Friday by Northeast Seattle councilmember Maritza Rivera.
• Neha Nariya: A Seattle Hotel Association and owner of the Civic Hotel near the Seattle Center. Supported by North Seattle’s CM Cathy Moore.
• Mark Solomon: Longtime crime prevention coordinator with SPD nominated by West Seattle’s rep Rob Saka.
• Vivian Song: Seattle School Board member, Capitol Hill resident supported by Ballard rep Dan Strauss.
• Steven K. Strand: Seattle Police Department veteran currently serving as commander of the West Precinct. Supported friday by Nelson.
• Mari Sugiyama: A city employee in the Human Services Department supported by District 2’s Tammy Morales.
• Linh Thai: District 3’s Joy Hollingsworth put Thai’s name on the finalist list. Thai is a public affairs expert and speaker with experience in Congressman Adam Smith’s office.
• Tanya Woo: Runner-up to Morales in D2 race with strong support in the International District. Supported by Bob Kettle and Nelson and considered the favorite for the role despite her November election loss.

In addition to a special meeting on the 22nd, a separate community forum for the candidates is being scheduled.

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