♪♪
Announcer: Welcome to the
Seattle Video Voters' Guide,
your chance to hear directly
from the candidates
in the August primary.
This is a vote-by-mail election.
Instead of going
to a polling place,
ballots will be sent
to all registered voters.
In this edition, you'll hear
from the candidates who will
appear on the primary ballot
for Seattle Mayor,
Seattle City Attorney,
the two at-large
Seattle City Council positions,
and two of the seven
Seattle School Board positions.
All offices included
in this guide are nonpartisan.
Only those positions where three
or more candidates filed will
appear on the primary ballot.
Therefore, candidates for
Seattle School Board
District 7 will not appear
on the primary ballot.
Each of the statements is up to
two minutes long and unedited.
The candidates appear
on your screen in the same order
as they will on the ballot.
First up, the office
of Seattle Mayor.
The Mayor of the City of Seattle
is the chief executive officer
of the city and is responsible
for enforcing city
and state law, city contracts,
and maintaining order.
The mayor appoints
department heads, subject
to city council approval,
and manages the executive branch
of city government.
The mayor has the authority
to veto ordinances
passed by the city council,
and the council may override
such vetoes by
a two-thirds majority vote.
The mayor is elected
for a four-year term.
The top two vote-getters
in August will advance to the
general election in November.
I am a queer, Black, and Latino
architect,
a housing activist,
and a high-risk individual.
In March 2020, when the pandemic began,
my small-business contracts fell through.
In June, I heard the sounds
of helicopters and flash bangs
as residents marched in my neighborhood
in the name of Black lives
against state-sponsored violence.
In September, during the worst wildfires
the West Coast has ever seen,
an orange sky, where smoke seeped
through the cracks of my old windows.
As I read, the city had
95 shelter spaces
for 5,500 people.
In Seattle, we have a strong mayor system.
That means the mayor controls
whether the city chooses to act, or not,
in the midst of an economic crisis,
a housing crisis, and the climate crisis.
The inaction thus far in Seattle
is unacceptable.
I am running for mayor in this moment
because, for too long,
career politicians and lawyers have
said the right things without doing them.
No more empty promises.
I will fulfill our Seattle Green New Deal,
say no to sweeping our unhoused neighbors,
reform and defund our police
to create true public safety,
and build the housing that we need.
Most of our problems come down
to housing justice,
where homes are allowed to be, or aren't,
how many we have, or don't,
and how much they cost.
Creating a system is the first step
on a new path to achieving
so much of what we want.
I understand our systems
and can make it more sustainable quickly
while ensuring community comes first.
If you're looking for a candidate
with clear plans, who is committed
to serving two terms
so that we can finally be the city
that we say we are,
then I am your candidate.
It is time for a mayor of action.
Seattle is a beautiful city suffering from
a dreadful lack of leadership.
Bickering, finger pointing,
and ideological posturing
have hurt our residents
and undermined our national reputation.
I have a plan to bring people together,
create a more fair and sustainable future,
build working coalitions, and strive for equity
and rise above the infighting and inertia
that have held our city back for so long.
It is way past time to stop talking
about our problems
and start taking steps to solve them.
For 30 years, I have used my skills
as a political scientist
and economic development practitioner
to create jobs and bring people together.
I am an entrepreneur who has held
leadership positions with businesses,
nonprofit organizations,
federal and state lawmakers, local mayors,
public-private partnerships,
and educational institutions.
My background and experience fully prepare me
to lead Seattle at this critical moment.
As recovery from the pandemic gets under way,
now is an excellent time to reassess
how our city does business.
Seattle can be a model of effectiveness,
sustainability,
and accountability to its citizens.
Becoming that new model requires a new attitude
of responsibility at City Hall.
I have developed a platform
detailing my plan to address some of Seattle's
biggest challenges.
Dignity in housing options
for people experiencing homelessness,
turbocharging our economic recovery,
increasing public safety,
and mitigating climate change, to name just a few.
My platform is an investment in our people,
our culture, and our future.
Seattle is at a crossroads.
Our next mayor will either set us
on a bold new course for responsible leadership
or simply continue business as usual.
We cannot afford another four years of talking
and not taking action.
I am ready to chart a new course
to provide transformational leadership
for a transforming city.
I ask for your vote to be Seattle's next mayor.
I'm Lorena González.
I'm a first-time mom and a proud
first-generation American.
I grew up as a migrant farm worker
in Central Washington.
I worked my way through community college,
WSU, and Seattle University Law School.
As a civil-rights attorney,
I won cases for victims of sexual assault,
wage theft, elder abuse,
and police misconduct and brutality.
I ran for office six years ago
after seeing how hard things were becoming
for many Seattleites,
especially workers and people of color.
Housing is too expensive. Wages are too low.
Big corporations have too much say.
Police are not being held accountable
nearly enough.
As the first Latina elected citywide,
I've brought people together
to start providing safe spaces
for those without homes.
We've expanded pre-K
and doubled preschool slots.
We've helped Seattle's small businesses
and families survive the pandemic,
and we've begun to demilitarize the police.
I want a Seattle that's livable for everyone.
We can be a city that brings people
together to solve the root causes
of homelessness -- like inequality,
housing costs, and poverty,
one where Black and brown people
don't fear police brutality.
A city of connected, livable,
safe neighborhoods that all have
affordable child care, good public schools,
safe parks, and modern public transit,
with housing and rent everyone can afford,
not just the wealthy,
where all kinds of businesses can grow
in every neighborhood
and all jobs pay a living wage.
This is the really hard
and necessary work of the next mayor.
I have the track record
and the relationships with the city council,
labor, small businesses,
and members of the community
to boldly lead our progressive city
so that it's once again the vibrant city
we all love,
truly a Seattle for all.
I ask for your vote
to be Seattle's next mayor.
I'm Casey Sixkiller. I grew up in Seattle.
And I'm raising three young kids here.
I'm running for mayor
so every family has a future in Seattle.
This past year was one of the most challenging
in our city's history.
Despite great wealth and opportunity,
too many families are being left behind.
Our neighborhoods are struggling
with empty storefronts,
homelessness, and crime.
Instead of coming together
to meet these challenges,
we're being held back by divisions.
I've spent my career advancing practical,
progressive solutions
at every level of government.
I've formed partnerships to create
new housing and shelters,
expand access to parks,
advance equity by dismantling
institutional barriers,
and secured millions of dollars
to restore critical habitat,
replace failing bridges,
and invest in high-capacity transit.
Growing up in Seattle, we didn't agree on everything,
but we found ways to make progress
on important issues.
Now is our opportunity
to rebuild a stronger and more equitable Seattle
with fresh ideas and bold actions.
As mayor, I will pilot
a guaranteed basic-income program
so working families of any income level
can build futures here,
help our small businesses
recover from the pandemic,
expand and make child care more affordable,
invest in our neighborhoods
so they are safe and thriving,
and restore our parks and streets
to their intended uses
by adding 3,000 new places
for people experiencing homelessness
to call home.
I'm the only candidate with experience
running large organizations.
I know firsthand that change requires
vision and partnership.
This moment demands a leader
who will sit down
with those on the other side of an issue
to find common ground and move us all forward.
I'll work every day to show our kids
we can achieve the future we all want for Seattle.
I would be honored to have your vote.
My name is Dr. Bliss.
As your mayor, I will act
with vision, courage, and compassion.
I've spent my career as a medical leader
developing sustainable systems
that provide compassionate care for all.
As a leader, I understand
the core values of civil rights
and police accountability
can never be safely negotiated away.
In 2019, the Ninth Circuit Court
ruled that charging a person with vagrancy
when they have nowhere else to go
is cruel and unusual punishment
and a violation of their civil rights.
In response, our city allows
living in tent encampments
and promotes policies encouraging theft,
vandalism, and violent crimes
as a way to meet basic needs.
The Seattle Police Department has been under
a federal decree since 2012
for repeatedly violating our civil rights.
Our police union contract protects
rogue police officers
from disciplinary action and prosecution.
In 2019, the federal court
found the city remains in violation.
The city has no timeline for resolution.
We need solutions.
Protecting civil rights is non-negotiable.
If elected, I would immediately provide
basic emergency food, shelter, security,
and treatment to our residents
who have no other options,
permanently remove tent dwellers
from city parks, and nullify any section
of the police union contract
that limits accountability and oversight.
Join me in solidarity. Vote for wise action.
Vote Dr. Bliss for Mayor.
I'm Bobby Tucker, Seattle's next mayor,
a leader who cares,
a leader who will listen to your voices,
a God-fearing man,
a leader with integrity,
building a team to house those
that are in shelters and unsheltered.
Education that will build character
and confidence in our children,
securing the future for our children
so they can look forward to their future.
Public safety that makes sense.
Creating a healthy environment for businesses.
What has happened in Seattle in the past
could have been prevented
with effective leadership.
Regardless of what has happened
can now be fixed with me and a team
that is serious and cares about Seattleites.
"There is nothing new under the sun." Nehemiah 1.
Nehemiah asks certain men of Judea
concerning the Jews that had escaped,
which were left to the captivity
concerning Jerusalem.
When they had shared with Nehemiah
of the broken-down walls,
and Nehemiah sat down and wept and mourned
because Nehemiah cared.
Nehemiah 2:18.
"Then I told of the hand of God, which is good upon me,
also the King's word that he had spoken unto me,
and they said, 'Let us rise up and build.'"
So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
Let us come together, Seattleites,
and succeed.
Bobby Tucker for Seattle's mayor.
Hi. I'm James Donaldson,
a former Seattle SuperSonic,
local business owner,
and a 40-year resident of the city.
Today, I lead a nonprofit
serving at-risk youth
with a focus on mental health awareness
and suicide prevention.
As your next mayor, I will restore trust
in our police,
bring more compassion and accountability
to the homelessness crisis,
and promote more affordable housing.
The current city government is just failing
to address the challenges
we all know are so important.
I look to other successful cities for answers.
In Newark, New Jersey,
they chose to reform their police, not defund.
In the last year, not a single officer
has fired their gun.
That's a remarkable success
and one we can learn from.
In Vienna, they encourage both private
and high-quality public housing.
Vienna also does a better job
in connecting homeless to the addiction
and mental health services.
Compassion and accountability.
As a lifelong Democrat,
I'm right there with the voters of this city.
71 percent of Seattleites support
reforming the police, not defunding.
72 percent of the voters
favor my plan to reduce homelessness
by increasing access
to mental health and addiction services.
56 percent of the voters agree with me
that we need more affordable housing.
The remarkable issue is how few
Seattle politicians
agree with the Seattle voters.
Seattle politics is often a fight
between well-funded
special-interest groups
who drive our council to the extreme.
Across America, Seattle is used
as an example of what not to do.
We'll fix that.
After addressing these three big issues,
I have one project
that's near and dear to my heart --
save our Sonics and get our team back.
I'm James Donaldson, former Seattle SuperSonic,
lifelong Democrat,
and your choice for mayor.
Hello, friends. Do you think Seattle's
better off today than it was 10 years ago?
Do you feel vulnerable members of our community
have the support they need to improve their lives?
Do you feel safer?
Do you feel downtown represents the spirit
of Seattle?
There's only one honest answer
to all these questions -- "no."
Our homelessness crisis is getting worse.
Downtown is deteriorating.
Businesses are closing.
Residents feel unsafe. Roads need repairs.
And no current city leader
is taking responsibility.
That's why I'm running for Seattle Mayor.
My name is Art Langlie,
and I'm not a "more of the same" candidate.
I'll take Seattle down a different path,
starting by taking responsibility
for solving our homelessness crisis,
restoring a vibrant downtown,
reforming public safety,
and rebuilding infrastructure.
I'm the only candidate with a comprehensive plan
to end our homelessness emergency.
I will increase mental health
and recovery services in triage centers
and rapidly create housing
with critical wraparound services
to break the cycle of homelessness.
Seattle's breakdown of public safety,
crumbling roads, and declining downtown
are all symptoms of a serious problem.
Our current leaders no longer prioritize
delivering basic government services
with excellence.
I am the only candidate who understands
that city government must get the basics right,
from fixing potholes to keeping us safe.
I'm ready to take responsibility
and get to work for you,
but you have an important choice to make.
Will you choose more of the same
or will you choose a path toward recovery?
My name is Art Langlie,
and I would be honored to earn your vote.
I know that together we can do better.
Seattle is a great city,
but our leaders are failing us.
City Hall has become dysfunctional.
Thousands are sleeping outside.
Housing is unaffordable.
Small businesses are going under.
Police reform has failed.
The middle class gets squeezed harder every day.
We're all exhausted by Seattle politicians
saying the right thing
but not doing the right thing when it matters.
I've been doing hard things that matter
my whole life.
I've spent the last seven years
fighting for our homeless Native community
as executive director at the Chief Seattle Club.
We're building $180 million
in affordable housing.
We're innovating.
Surplus trailers on parking lots
called Eagle Village,
modular housing in Lake City.
200 family units with a longhouse.
And we're succeeding.
During the pandemic, we moved
entire encampments
from the International District
and Pioneer Square
to the safety of hotel rooms.
I'm leading.
I have a 22-point
emergency housing action plan
to bring everyone sleeping outside into safety
in 14 months following the election.
You can see my plan at my website.
As a longtime community police advocate,
I am done with racism
and brutality with zero consequences.
As a community police commissioner,
we fought to block
the current police union contract.
But the mayor and council buckled,
rolling back reforms on racial bias
and violating the federal consent decree.
Seattle's next mayor will hire
a new police chief and negotiate
a new police contract,
determining the future of reform.
You can see my plan at my website.
Affordable housing, racial justice,
equitable recovery, climate change,
transit, education,
the West Seattle Bridge.
We have so much important work ahead of us.
It's time for a new generation
of leadership in Seattle.
I believe in this city.
If you'll believe in me, together,
we can make Seattle the city we all love.
Hello. I'm Don L. Rivers,
your candidate for Mayor of Seattle.
The condition of our city is critical.
We are in the middle of redefining
our lives in the present
and what it will become in the future.
Seattle citizens are strong,
hardworking, and caring people.
We are devoted to accepting change for the better.
Now is that time.
We must develop bold leaders.
We must listen to each other
and, together, change negatives to positives
for the present and our future.
Yes, we have work to do.
Know this --
homelessness must not exist in Seattle.
I will reconstruct our police department
because Black lives do matter.
We are the city of destiny,
a place where quality lives
will always be developed.
I will pledge to develop
a new stream of revenue.
I will work hard to create new leaders
skilled with the three L's --
the ability to listen, learn, and then lead.
We are a city destined to become culturally competent
of one another's needs, desires to prosper.
We will monitor our environment
and create appropriate change necessary.
We will remember our indigenous tribes
and their desire to work to move forward.
We will find new locations
for our preschool children and their care.
I look forward to developing
our disaster and pandemic readiness program.
I will look forward to working with our youth
and the young adults to develop a program
that will keep dangerous drivers
off our streets and freeways.
I need your vote, your support.
The change is here.
I'm Don L. Rivers. Black lives do matter.
Seattle is starving for effective leadership,
a mayor who makes no excuses
and acts with urgency.
I will unite our communities
around our progressive values
to make real progress on the challenges we face.
My father was one of City Light's
first Black union linemen.
My Japanese mother
was cruelly interned during World War II.
Their fight for equity and justice
informed my legal career
standing up for workers and small businesses.
It drives my public service to work for you.
The homelessness crisis must be
our first priority.
Finger pointing is frustrating and inhumane.
As mayor, no more excuses.
I will take charge
and take responsibility for action.
Here's my plan.
Real action to accelerate current city spending
and secure $140 million
in federal relief funds
to provide immediate housing and services
and clean up our parks
and school properties and sidewalks.
Our plan, our outcomes, our progress
will be accessible to you by a click of a button
so you know we're making progress every day.
Next, we must unite
around an economic recovery for all --
assisting downtown and neighborhood
small businesses and establishing
a Seattle job center
connecting people to careers.
I led the $15 minimum-wage discussion.
Now I will expand child care
and build housing and transit so working people
and families can continue
to call the city our home.
We will improve public safety
and build trust in our police,
changing SPD's tactics and their culture.
I sponsored Seattle's first anti-bias police law.
Let's reimagine policing,
not threaten defunding,
and keep all communities safe.
I'm grateful so many have endorsed me.
Governor Gary Locke,
Seattle Mayors Norm Rice and Wes Uhlman,
unions like the Transit Union 587
and construction trade members,
members from the NAACP
and leaders from the NAACP,
faith leaders and business owners.
So many more.
I'd be honored to earn your vote for a better Seattle.
Hi. I'm Stan Lippmann.
And I'm running for Mayor of Seattle,
and I ask for your support.
I still believe Seattle will be
the city of the future.
All the pieces are here, but not integrated.
How do we retain our uniqueness
but by realizing Denny's Dream on the beach at Alki?
The elements have laid dormant
since the hippie '60s --
the Space Needle, the Monorail, the Westin Tower,
the elements of SkyCity, like in "The Jetsons,"
a 12-story Westin segment --
12 condos per floor
between 400 and 500 feet.
The Space Needle cost
5 million silver dollars in 1960.
That's $100 million today.
With advanced construction cost methods,
2000 Space Needle condos,
288,000 units
of city-owned affordable housing
spread a mile apart in a hexagonal pattern.
These Space Needles also form
a new transportation grid
at the 100-foot level.
A monorail suspended between the towers
will fly you around the city.
Priority will be given
to the families of school-age children.
For Seattle to prosper in the future,
the children must come first.
Since there's going to be a teacher crisis
in September, parents can elect
to establish a quarter-million dollar
educational trust fund which can be invested
in city-owned projects
such as the Space Needle condos
or City Light green energy projects.
The first project will be a dark energy
thermal engine from Brilliant Light Power
to heat Climate Change Arena
with virtually free zero-point energy.
For the grid, vehicle-to-grid
will blanket the city,
allowing low-cost EV ownership for everyone.
Also, I will pay city bills
in U.S. silver dollars,
propose dual-currency laws for business,
and establish a copper brick monetary base
in the form of a copper pyramid
next to the Space Needle.
I'm Stan Lippmann, and I believe in Seattle.
If you want to double the economy
and grow into the next decade
of wealth and prosperity for all of us,
please elect me Mayor of Seattle
in Aug. 3 primary and November.
A just, equitable, and thriving Seattle
is possible, but we must come together
with a common purpose to make it a reality.
City Hall politicians have tried and failed
to address the crises our city faces,
especially on homelessness.
We need new leadership with a fresh perspective
but also a proven track record
of delivering real results.
I'm Jessyn Farrell, the only candidate
with the proven ability to bridge divides
and build the coalitions needed
to tackle our toughest problems.
As executive director of the nonprofit
Transportation Choices Coalition,
I helped transform mass transit
in the Puget Sound region.
As a state legislator, I worked to improve
people's lives by leading and passing
landmark paid family leave,
creating more affordable housing,
and securing billions for light rail expansion,
all while dealing with
a Republican-controlled Senate.
Governor Inslee chose me to lead
the state's COVID Economic Recovery Task Force
for a reason.
I know how to solve problems.
Under my leadership, we secured $50 million
for small businesses
left out of federal pandemic relief.
As a single mom with three kids in public schools,
I understand the urgent need
to better support working families.
I'll make sure every kid in every neighborhood
has safe parks, streets, and sidewalks
and is free from the threat of gun violence.
I'll prioritize adding all types of housing,
including services, ensuring people can access
the mental and health treatments they need
and get help finding work.
I'll build 70,000 more affordable homes
and get the city back on track
delivering basic services.
I'm proud to be endorsed
by progressive elected officials,
small-business owners, and community leaders.
I'm a born-and-raised Seattleite,
attended Shoreline Public Schools,
and went on to the UW
and then to law school.
If you, like me, are tired of excuses
and empty promises and want a leader
who will hit the ground running,
stop the infighting, and deliver results,
then I hope you will vote for me
to be your next mayor.
Our democracy is in peril,
and we are in the midst
of a mental health emergency.
Therefore, in times of crisis,
sacrifice is needed,
which is why I'm offering my services
as Mayor of Seattle.
I'm a strong leader who can communicate
important ideas and take a completely
different approach to these 21st-century issues.
I have the right temperament
for the complexity of the job.
I'm a minister, military war veteran,
and founder of the nonprofit public charity
called Balance Due.
My personality is empathetic, compassionate,
stern, and unrelenting.
I can inform, connect, and inspire
the community in an amazing way.
My belief -- if we have a laser-sharp focus
on our mutual obstacles, together
we can overcome and have a more robust return
to our common bond of normalcy.
My vision for Seattle -- economic harmony.
We want to streamline economic recovery,
balance the budget,
create a more sustainable future,
and more racial equity.
My belief -- with hope and optimism,
we can create a new vitality, one that translates
into a better quality of life
for all of Seattle.
I envision the Emerald City shining again,
illuminating even stronger and louder.
I see an enhanced beauty,
with the people of Seattle
reveling in the newfound prosperity
and vibrance of the city.
So, in conclusion, I implore the people of Seattle
to help me help you --
by voting for democracy,
by voting for change,
by voting for a new energy,
by voting for me, Rodney Holt,
your next Mayor of Seattle.
Announcer: Seattle
City Attorney.
The City Attorney is the head
of the Law Department
and appoints all
assistant city attorneys,
city prosecutors,
and other department staff.
The City Attorney supervises
and controls litigation
in which the city or any
of its departments is a party.
The City Attorney
also provides legal counsel
to all city departments
and to elected
and appointed officials.
The City Attorney is elected
for a four-year term.
I'm Ann Davison, and I'm running
for Seattle City Attorney
because our city must reconcile that it is failing
to meet the needs of the most vulnerable,
as well as the basic functions
of protecting public health and safety.
When I moved to Seattle in 1996
for a job in the Sonics' front office,
our city had found a way to meet those needs.
Before my first child was born in 2008,
walking to the courthouse downtown was safe,
but by the time I had my second child in 2011,
our streets were becoming dangerous.
Now employees and jurors
are told not to use the main entrance
because it's so unsafe.
The same can be said for many of our neighborhoods.
My kids began to ask questions about
why people were living
alongside Seattle's roadways
in unconscionable conditions
less humane than in a U.N. Cambodian refugee camp
where I worked with people fleeing civil war.
Even our children know what's happening
in our city isn't right.
The City Attorney is a critical link
to public safety
downtown and in our neighborhoods,
deciding when to prosecute
many types of criminal activity.
I will provide balanced leadership
that makes us smart on crime,
proactive, not reactive.
I will be a collaborative leader,
bringing compassion, seeking progress,
and establishing working relationships
within our city and region
to restore public safety.
I'm proud to be endorsed by retired
Seattle Municipal Court Judge Ed McKenna,
former King County Prosecutor Chris Bailey,
Seattle Opera Board member Louise Miller,
and Tom Hansen, a Seattle author decades in recovery.
You can see more endorsements at
neighborsforann.com.
By fixing this critical link
of public health and safety,
we begin to see improvement
in the livability of our city.
With your vote, we can create a safer,
more compassionate city for all of us.
My name is Nicole Thomas-Kennedy,
and I'm running for City Attorney.
In my years as a public defender,
I witnessed up close how the city
wastes millions of dollars every year
prosecuting BIPOC,
the poor, and the disabled.
We need a sharp pivot away
from these reactive and punitive models.
They clearly aren't solving
Seattle's most glaring problems.
My office will instead focus
on solutions to larger problems
in order to fulfill the promises
of our city charter --
to protect and enhance the health,
safety, environment,
and general welfare of our people.
While the county deals with serious felonies,
the City Attorney only deals
with misdemeanors -- low-level or petty crime.
I have witnessed hungry people
prosecuted for stealing food
and unsheltered people prosecuted
for things like stealing socks.
This is not money well-spent.
The war on drugs is an expensive failure.
Money spent criminalizing drug possession
should go into community-based
diversion and harm reduction programs
staffed by people who best understand
these complex issues of public health.
By isolating and destabilizing people
for petty crime,
the current City Attorney has undermined
the very things that create public safety.
We must stop prosecuting
the vast majority of misdemeanors
and streamline the budget so these wasted
millions can be reinvested
back into the community.
As Seattle's Attorney, I will work
to stop the sweeps
and overturn the apartment ban.
I will aggressively protect tenants'
rights and workers from wage theft.
My office will undertake litigation
that challenges the ban on rent control
and affirmative action.
Seattle should be a national leader
on climate justice.
We must divest all city pensions
from fossil fuel corporations
and break ties with the banks
that fund them.
We must instead invest in
environmentally responsible companies
that will grow as the world changes.
I'm Nicole Thomas-Kennedy,
and I'm running for Seattle City Attorney
because we don't need to choose between
punishment and safety.
The people of Seattle deserve a candidate
with new, yet practical solutions
to our city's most critical problems,
built on a foundation of justice and equity.
Hi. I'm Pete Holmes,
your elected City Attorney.
As Seattle recovers from the pandemic
and addresses critical issues of policing,
criminal legal reform,
and turnover at City Hall,
I'm proud to provide consistent,
principled, and progressive leadership
for our city at a time when we need it most.
Seattle elects an independent city attorney
to provide important checks and balances
with the mayor and council
and advocate for the people of our city.
Our office prosecutes misdemeanor crimes
and supports victims impacted by domestic violence,
drunk driving, and assaults.
We lead on police reform
and hold powerful corporations accountable.
Now is not the time for an untested voice
in this vital office.
We partner with proven diversion programs
to help people afflicted with addiction,
behavioral health issues, and poverty
to get treatment and support
instead of cycling through jail.
We're removing firearms from our streets
and fighting for stronger gun laws at every level.
As the former chair of the OPA Review Board,
police reform is close to my heart.
I've personally led our decade-long partnership
with the Department of Justice
to reduce excessive force
at the Seattle Police Department
and earned the praise of the federal monitor.
But we have more work ahead,
with a new mayor next year
searching for a new chief
and bargaining a new police contract.
We tackled equity priorities
like vacating marijuana convictions,
fought Trump's racist immigration policies,
and defeated Tim Eyman's attacks on transit.
Now we are defending our right
to tax wealthy corporations,
hold polluters accountable,
and keep people housed post-pandemic.
I'm honored to have the endorsement
of progressive leaders
like Attorney General Bob Ferguson,
Prosecutor Satterberg,
city and county council members,
state legislators,
the Alliance for Gun Responsibility,
MLK Labor Council,
local Democratic groups, and many more.
I'd appreciate your vote.
Announcer: Seattle City Council.
The Seattle City Council
is the legislative branch
of government.
Members set the city's direction
by enacting ordinances
and passing resolutions.
The council authorizes
expenditures,
adopts regulations,
levies taxes,
controls the finances
and property of the city,
and performs many related
legislative tasks.
Of the nine
city council positions,
two -- Position 8
and Position 9 --
are at large, representing
the entire city
for a term of four years.
Positions 1 through 7
each represent
different areas of the city.
Only the two
at-large council positions
are up for election this year.
The top two vote-getters
in each position will advance
to the general election
in November.
The remaining seven
council positions
will be on the ballot in 2023.
All voters in Seattle can vote
in the at-large
city council races.
20 years ago, I ran for city council.
At that time, I proposed an initiative
titled Vision 2000.
Other proposals I made you will find at
GeorgeFreeman.com.
Two have been enacted.
Police officers' vehicles have cameras,
although at times
they still turn those cameras off.
I also proposed a bridge crossing
at 1st Avenue.
After 20 years, that bridge
has finally been completed.
I represent visionary ventures.
I build restaurants and nightclubs.
Seattle is the Emerald City, and it is said
that change comes from the bottom
for the Emerald City.
And given the problems that we face,
those problems grow, and our decisions
work their way up to the state, nation,
and our planet.
I intend to speak to those issues
and the problems that we face
through the initiatives that I have proposed.
I believe that we need
to add to the Seattle Center
a new image.
I believe that we need to look
at our health care problems
and that we do something similar
to the Bookmobile --
mobile bus health centers.
I think that we need to move our homeless people
into areas that are parks,
which have security and health care and showers.
We need to have transportation back for those.
The people that live in Seattle --
Once a building is in the market
of being sold, I think the city
should back that up with mortgage loans
at a low cost and let those people live there.
I also think that we need more police officers.
I do not believe that we should
defund our police department.
And especially women.
Women are half of this society,
and we need half of the police department
to be women.
Hello. My name is
Jordan Elizabeth Fisher.
And I'm running for Seattle
City Council Position 8.
Our community has a lot of concerns
regarding police accountability,
budget restraints,
homeless crisis, addiction, health care,
the eviction moratorium expiring
right before winter,
and, finally, affordable housing.
My experience as a mortgage lender
and advocate for the homeless community
gave me a comprehensive understanding
of how money circulates,
federal and state finance laws,
core practices of the real estate industry
that inhibit affordable housing,
and how nonprofits operate.
First and foremost, we need to centralize
our resources to aid,
audit ineffective nonprofits,
and get them organized working together.
With affordable housing, we can
incentivize a more co-op style
ownership of living in which a pool
of renters have a fractional ownership
of, let's say, a condo building.
These owners would be able to set
fair rental prices
versus an investor,
by an equitable voting system,
and could assign their own requirements
to occupy the space,
such as removing the need for a credit check.
Additionally, renters would now have
an affordable way to build
equity and wealth.
My platform is centered around the concept
of putting the government on the blockchain.
This is one of the most innovative
technologies ever created.
We can program our money
with accounting features
that would audit
the effectiveness of our taxes,
the city budget, political contributions,
and even nonprofits.
Blockchain allows for the streamlining
of government resources like unemployment,
rental assistance, grants and aid,
resulting in funds
being more readily accessible.
I want to give the people a voice
on how their dollars are being spent.
Cryptocurrency is fun,
but blockchain is where the revolution is.
I'm asking for your vote,
and I think that I can be a very effective,
powerful, and innovative voice
of leadership for our community.
Visit my website for more details.
Hi, Seattle. I'm Bobby Lindsey,
a candidate for Seattle City Council
Position 8.
I've been given two minutes
to introduce myself, so here it is.
I'm from Louisville, Kentucky,
and I moved to Seattle
a little over three years ago
with no friends, no family supporting me.
My only option was to live in my car.
I worked two jobs, showered at the gym,
and actually used a cooler on the back seat,
on my floor's back seat, as a refrigerator.
What I thought would be temporary
lasted 22 months.
No breaks or temporary housing in between.
During that time, I cleared up all my debts,
raised my credit score,
and then I was able to secure housing.
I love to tell that story
because it shows nothing is impossible
with a little determination
and a lot of hard work.
Sometimes we encounter
difficult situations in life
that push us to become
the person we know we're supposed to be.
My situation prepared me for this position.
While homeless, I lived what most fear,
what many discuss, and most try
not to think about.
I have a different perspective
on our city's issues from actual,
on-the-ground, lived experience.
I'm the person we need, Seattle,
and I humbly ask for your support.
Thank you for your time and have a good day.
Hi, Seattle. My name is Brian Fahey.
And I've been a trade worker my entire working life.
I started in the HVAC trade when I was 13,
helping my neighbor start his business
and assisting with the install work
throughout my summer vacations.
I did this until I moved to Seattle in 2003.
Since moving here, I've continued my career
in the HVAC trade to the point
of managing multiple Class A high-rise operations
in downtown.
Because of this, I am very familiar
with the benefits of preventive actions
rather than reactive.
I am running for Seattle City Council
because I feel we need pragmatic leaders
who use tried and true, fact-based approaches
to sensitive and emotional issues
to ensure the best possible outcomes.
I believe that campaign finance is one of the
largest issues we face
in a representative democracy.
I feel that all constituency-based races
should have to use our Democracy Voucher program.
Our leaders need to be beholden
to the people, not the corporate donors.
I also believe that we as a city should do more
for ourselves when it comes to education funding.
In my opinion, education funding should be permanent
and tied to progressive B&O taxes
to reduce the burden on the surrounding areas
and eliminate the need for levies.
Your children deserve better than the unstable
system that we give them.
In terms of some of the social issues
hitting our city right now, again, I believe
the pragmatic and evidence-based approach is the best.
We need a police force that respects our city
and its views.
We also need a police force that our city respects.
Accountability is what is missing
to allow good police to flourish.
We should also do more to encourage
Seattle residents to become police
in the city that they call home.
Hello. My name is Jesse James.
And I'm running for Seattle City Council
Position 8.
I have noticed as of late
many people's discouragement
with the Democratic Party,
and yet I don't think the Republican Party
is quite the voice we're looking for, either.
Fortunately, I don't consider myself
a part of either of these
over-bloated, inefficient associations.
I'm not a fringe activist,
nor am I a career politician.
I'm a voice for the people, pure and simple.
The main issue I would like to address
is that of our beloved Democracy Voucher program
and how the current regulations give incumbents
and career politicians an advantage
over the grassroots candidates
the program is supposed to help support.
The current requirement citywide candidates
like myself need to meet before they can receive
a single voucher is 400 $10 donations
from Seattle voters.
The problem is, of course, anyone with
an established base can fill this requirement
much quicker than the unknown
grassroots candidates it's supposed to support.
It's because of this
that not a single city council member or mayor
has been unseated since the start of this program.
And for this reason, I am not participating
in the Democracy Voucher program
out of protest, as I believe
citizens should have the freedom to give
their vouchers to any candidate on the ballot.
Other issues I am an advocate for
are the legalization and taxation of card rooms
and an end to the sweetened beverage tax,
clearing encampments near our schools,
and the city's general support in rebuilding
our small-business community.
In closing, if you are looking for change
and value a practical, reasonable,
hardworking, and efficient
individual looking out for you,
I may just be your candidate.
Thank you and good day.
My name is Kenneth Wilson,
and I'm running for Seattle City Council 8.
I'm a licensed, bridge structural engineer
with 30 years' experience
working on transportation
and infrastructure projects
and own a small business since 2005.
I completed my master's degree in civil engineering
at UW, and I'm a proud resident of Seattle
for over 28 years.
Having lived in West Seattle and now in
the Wallingford/Green Lake neighborhood
with my wife and two daughters,
I have a strong appreciation
for the city's many distinct neighborhoods.
This past year has taught me important lessons
and is the reason I am running.
It reminded me of the value of family.
It showed me once again the ingenuity
of American science and manufacturing
with Ford and GE quickly switching
to medical devices,
while our scientists were first to produce
mass testing and viable vaccines.
Unfortunately, it also demonstrated to me
that our incumbent representatives
do not hold our interests and needs first,
instead often focusing on political projects.
We need a better council.
Our council failed us
with homeless, our infrastructure,
including cutting the West Seattle access,
and our safety.
I will not defund our police
and instead promise to support and work
with them to better serve Seattle.
Our city is an old, mature city,
and the infrastructure needs to be updated
and upgraded.
This includes power, utility systems,
sewer mains, water,
and our city's bridges and roads.
West Seattle access must be restored
and open now, not in 2022.
We've analyzed it, we understand it better,
and there are usage opportunities.
We need homeless solutions
that are not just temporary shelter,
but real actions that correct addictions
and mental problems,
such as 18-to-24-month transition housing
with social services.
As your council member,
it's my intention to build on our strengths,
restore rational decisions,
and to assure progress follow-up.
I have the ability, energy, and expertise
to restore Seattle to the city we want.
I would appreciate your vote.
My name is Paul Felipe Glumaz.
I was born in Mexico
and have lived in Seattle for 41 years.
I am running for Seattle City Council Position 8
in order to stop the transformation
of the city that I love
into an impoverished, crime-ridden,
and drug-infested slum.
I'm doing this because no other candidate
has come forward to say what must be said
or to exhibit the personal courage
and commitment to do what is needed to be done.
The primary cause of this transformation
of Seattle is a combination
of wrong policies and gross mismanagement
by the current city council.
This includes the defunding of law enforcement
and enabling nonprofits
to promote a growing
billion dollar a year
homeless industrial complex,
replete with safe injection sites
and free drugs.
My first priority is to restore to Seattle
a fully-funded public safety system.
This includes creating the conditions
where the homeless are forced off the streets
into emergency transitional shelters.
From there, the individual problems
of the homeless person can be defined
and that person can be forwarded
to substance abuse treatment,
psychological care, or work counseling.
The future of the Seattle area
rests on building an advanced
21st-century science and technology
manufacturing hub for the world.
Unfortunately, Seattle's future
has been severely jeopardized
by the current city council.
If you want a future for Seattle,
vote Paul Felipe Glumaz, Position 8.
Sieg Heil, Seattle commie Nazi fascists.
Sieg Heil, Seattle council and mayor,
our fascist and clown,
our crazy Nazi Gestapo garbage rats
from "Animal Farm."
I am Alex Tsimerman.
Speak to you, Seattle immoral, degenerate,
supersmart freakin' idiot
with Nazi, socialist, Democrat,
and anti-Semite principle.
Clean dirty, stupid council chamber
from this clown, criminal, and killer.
This cannot go on forever.
Stand up, Seattle. Stand up, America.
We as a people need to elect intelligent,
civilized businessmen who can bring Seattle
back to normal life,
who will stop the crook
who suck blood and money from us
and make us life miserable,
who will have Q&A every month
with the people in each district,
who does not scared to talk to the people
frankly and honestly,
who is not a fascist sociopath or lunatic,
who is American and respect
and restore our Constitution,
love, and freedom of speech,
who is not scared to open Bertha Landes rooms
in City Hall one day per week
for a citizen conversation
and harness candidate forum for everybody.
We need to stop National Socialist
Democrat Mafia
with progressive Gestapo principle
which have brought Seattle
to No. 1 fascist city in America
in total collapse.
Only pure idiot don't understand.
It's a one-party system. It's always fascism.
We need to clean our government
from dirty garbage rats
who drink from fat cat toilet.
Stand up, Seattle. Stand up, America.
It's time for real changes!
Emerging from this pandemic,
we have an opportunity to come together,
to roll up our sleeves and build
a stronger, more equitable Seattle.
I'm Teresa Mosqueda, and I've dedicated my career
to building coalitions and getting results
by bringing together diverse perspectives
and passing progressive policies that challenge the status quo.
In my first term here at Seattle City Council,
with your help, we passed progressive policies to make
Seattle more equitable and just. I led the coalition
and passed the JumpStart progressive revenue proposal
to bring in over $214 million a year
for investments in housing and small businesses,
in equitable development
and Green New Deal priorities.
I passed wage and leave standards
for app-based drivers,
made sure that our hotel workers had health care
and workplace protections, and during COVID made sure
that our grocery workers had hazard pay.
I led on the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights
that is now a national model for other cities.
And we addressed the climate crisis
by passing energy efficiency standards for city buildings
and funding more housing within the city of Seattle.
In the wake of COVID, I hope to continue to do
this important work with your support.
I hope to return to council with your vote
and make sure that we can continue to invest in workers
and small businesses, address environmental crisis,
as well as make sure that we're addressing the health
and stability for all Seattleites.
I will fight for more affordable housing across our city,
for police accountability, and upstream investments,
making sure that we invest in homeless prevention strategies
and ensure that workers and small businesses have
the support they need for a more equitable
Seattle post-COVID.
I hope you'll join me
and support my campaign for re-election.
Please join individuals like Representative Jayapal,
Attorney General Bob Ferguson,
labor unions from across this county,
including SEIU, Teamsters, UFCW,
so many environmental justice groups,
like the Sierra Club and Washington Conservation Voters
and folks fighting for women's rights,
LGBT rights, and health care justice.
It's been an honor to serve you.
My name is Kate Martin.
I'm a planning and design consultant
and an affordable housing provider.
I know we agree that Seattle needs better government
and that is why I'm challenging the incumbent
and the status quo.
As pressing problems go unsolved
while bigger and bigger budgets are consumed,
my heart breaks. This is my town for 42 years.
I raised my family here,
have my business here,
and have worked shoulder to shoulder with fellow volunteers
from one end of this city to the other for decades.
It's clear that things are actually getting worse.
Homelessness, support for the mentally ill
and addicted, public safety, and affordable housing
are all crises.
We, the taxpayers, are doing our part,
voting for higher taxes with the promise it will help.
But those promises have been broken.
Why does the council keep failing?
Why do we, the voters, accept these failures?
I see a few answers.
First, democracy is under attack in our city.
Special interest power is too great, and elections
have become squabbles between the city's most powerful groups.
We must fully recognize the district-level democracy
we voted for in 2013.
District-level plans
and electing district council members to shepherd
those plans will make all of the difference.
Second, there's too little intellectual
and professional diversity on the council.
Today, it's an echo chamber
that can't even notice it's failing.
I'll bring debate, professional problem-solving skills,
and a focus on proven solutions.
Seattle's history is great,
and it wasn't that long ago that we were safer,
healthier, and better housed.
While we can't fix these problems overnight,
it's time we recompose the council
to get Seattle on track.
Please visit electkatemartin.com
and theseattlejournal.com to learn more.
I ask for your vote and truly cannot wait to serve you
as the next Position 8 Seattle City Council member.
Thank you for your consideration.
♪♪
My name is Brianna Thomas,
and I'm running for Seattle City Council Position 9
because I'm ready to lead on the policies
our city needs to move forward.
I am proud to have led successful efforts that put
Seattle at the national forefront of workers' rights,
livable wages, and police accountability
from inside City Hall and in the community
as an advocate and an organizer.
For over a decade,
I've invested time and energy in this community.
I managed the Yes! for SeaTac campaign
that won the first $15 minimum wage in the country.
I led Honest Elections, which brought those democracy vouchers
that fuel our campaigns with people power
instead of corporate influence.
I'm a proud progressive and a proud Democrat.
I moved to Seattle in 2004 when I was 23 years old.
I found an apartment in Admiral Junction
and a couple of jobs to make ends meet.
I was able to chase my dreams in this city
because opportunity was abundant.
I'm deeply concerned that those opportunities
are moving quickly away,
particularly for people of color and working families.
From my childhood, growing up in a trailer park
in rural Georgia,
volunteering at our neighborhood soup kitchen,
to negotiating police accountability legislation
as chief of staff to the council president,
I have long felt the call to public service.
Last year, I was proud to be part of the council,
doing the work of holding this city together
during one of its most challenging periods in history.
As your council member, I will prioritize pandemic recovery
that supports small businesses and our arts,
music, and cultural communities
that are the vibrant backbone of our city.
I am committed to reimagining
our entire criminal justice system,
not just sentencing and policing,
and doing the hard work of building trust
between communities of color and law enforcement.
I will champion building a sustainable Seattle
that's affordable,
transit-connected, and accessible,
and allows seniors to age in place with respect and dignity.
Seattle deserves compassionate and effective leadership
to navigate these unprecedented times.
I'm running for Seattle City Council
because it's time for real results,
not just rhetoric, lifting all of our neighbors up
and making sure no one is left behind.
I humbly ask for your support.
My name is Lindsay McHaffie,
and I am running for Seattle City Council
Position 9.
I believe I would be a good fit for the job
because I have experience being low income,
struggling with systemic oppression.
If a person is behind on their child support payments,
the state will suspend the person's driver's license.
How is that person supposed to get to work
to make their payments if they can't drive to work?
New roads being built are getting tolls added onto them.
The Highway 99 tunnel was built to replace the viaduct.
A toll has been added on,
so now only people who can afford to pay can use it.
This is a vivid example of class disparity
that the city is supporting.
Victimless crimes exist
solely for the purpose of generating revenue,
but the people being targeted with these laws are forced
to choose between paying fines or caring for their families.
Much like our elderly, living on fixed incomes,
being forced to choose between their necessary medications
or food. I believe that government
should not make laws that complicate life.
People should be free to be true to themselves,
regardless of how others feel about it.
Laws need to be written
with maintaining the people's freedoms as a first priority,
not how much money can be generated from taxes.
Seattle needs to learn to live within its means.
The city is literally crumbling down around us all,
and everything being done, from my standpoint,
is done reactively.
It is time to start being proactive about our city
and all of the people living within it.
The struggle is real,
and it doesn't have to be.
With your help, I believe we can revive this dying city
and build it back greater and more affordable
than it was before.
♪♪
In the last year,
Seattle has had a reckoning with racial inequality,
a battle with a devastating pandemic,
and is facing a continued climate crisis.
The question before Seattle voters is straightforward.
Will we continue to rely on the policies of the past,
many of which brought us to this point,
or is it time for a fresh perspective
rooted in community care? I'm Nikkita Oliver.
I use they/them pronouns, and I am running
for Seattle City Council Citywide Position 9.
I'm an artist, adjunct professor
at Seattle University School of Law, an executive director,
and an attorney who has supported clients
through school exclusion, eviction,
and anti-discrimination cases.
When elected, I will govern with a conviction
that those most impacted by the problems facing our city
are those who have the solutions we most need.
A vote for the Nikkita for 9 campaign is a vote
for a city that embodies racial and economic justice,
a city with labor protections for freelancers
and prevailing wages and health care
for frontline workers,
a city that enacts progressive revenue to build housing for all
and meet basic needs of residents,
a city that takes bold action to address the climate crisis,
including working towards free transit
and reforming a zoning code
that restricts our supply of affordable housing,
forcing longer commute times between work and home.
My campaign has garnered more democracy vouchers
than any other Position 9 race
because we've built community power from the ground up,
from the South End to the North End,
among renters and vulnerable homeowners,
seniors at risk of displacement, and young people alike.
I've been endorsed in this race by UFCW Local 21,
SEIU Local 925, author Ijeoma Oluo,
Seattle City Council members Tammy Morales
and Mike O'Brien,
County Council members Girmay Zahilay
and Larry Gossett,
and Washington State Representatives
Kirsten Harris-Talley and Tarra Simmons.
With their support and yours, we're going to build the city
we say we are, a Seattle where all are welcome
and none are excluded.
Hi, Seattle. My name's Xtian Gunther.
In addition to hopefully being your city councilor,
I'm a creative, eco-conscious marketer,
publicist, business developer, and music maker.
I've worked with mayors, councilors, celebrities,
and some people endorse me.
You can go to my website, xtiangunther.com,
for specifics. I'm running to represent you
because the challenging crossroads
we're at demand bold, swift action,
well-informed, specific,
practical, and sustainable long-term plans.
But I haven't heard much of those.
So I jumped in. Through my extensive work
for the nonprofit, natural foods, and music industries,
I've formed innovative public-private partnerships
that make dollars go further, getting stuff done.
For decades, politicians here rolled out 10-year
end homelessness plans, declared homelessness a crisis,
and congratulated themselves
for producing hundreds of units of social housing
when many thousands were needed.
Let's end the inadequate piecemeal approaches.
I'll introduce legislation
to create a housing public utility district
to build the many thousand green,
supportive, affordable rental
and first-time homebuyer units we need throughout Seattle.
And our wealthy city must have adequate hygiene stations
and public restrooms for all.
I have detailed plans.
We must overhaul our public safety system,
starting with residency requirements.
A small, well-trained, elite armed division
should only supplement a larger public safety department
that addresses the needs of our growing city.
We can provide much day-to-day safety via bylaw,
mental health, and community officers without guns.
As the only member on council
with significant arts industry experience,
I'll work to create housing, financial opportunities,
and relief for our music, film, theater, culinary,
and other arts creators who define Seattle so much.
Let's equip community centers with art and music
work studios and commissary kitchens
geared especially toward those historically marginalized
and make Seattle Subway's comprehensive subway system
Vision Map a reality, prioritizing humans over autos,
and adopt a comprehensive gray water reuse plan.
My proposals come with funding mechanisms,
so if you want bold, systemic change for the better,
you have to elect bold leaders.
I hope to earn your vote.
Seattle is an incredible city,
but unfortunately, our city leadership is failing us.
My name is Sara Nelson, and I'm running because
Seattle deserves a city council that keeps its promises.
Like you, I've watched with frustration
as the city struggles on issues
like homelessness and public safety.
It's time for a leader that offers real solutions,
not the same old ideological rhetoric.
I have a track record of putting my progressive values
to work to get things done.
As former aide to council member Richard Conlin,
I worked to pass landmark legislation while ensuring that
Seattle delivered on its basic commitments.
On city council, I'll do the same.
My focus will be making sure
Seattle helps the vulnerable by working with proven service
providers using clear and transparent metrics for success.
Public safety is also a crucial issue in this race.
I strongly support the Black Lives Matter
movement's urgent call for police reform,
and I don't believe defunding is the answer.
We need to commit to keeping all communities safe
while holding people accountable for their actions
and then make appropriate funding decisions.
It's important that every Seattleite can feel confident
in a fast, effective response when they call 911.
As we recover from the COVID pandemic
and as the co-founder of Fremont Brewing,
I'll bring the critical perspective
of a small-business owner to council.
I'll also bring the commitment to environmental sustainability
and treating people right that Fremont Brewing is known for.
I'm proud of my broad base of support.
I've got the sole endorsement of the Seattle firefighters,
the Building and Construction Trades Council,
ironworkers, environmental leaders like Denis Hayes,
former Representative Gael Tarleton,
former Seattle City Councilmembers Conlin,
Wills, Rasmussen, Drago, and Godden, and many more
you can see at my website, saraforcitycouncil.com.
My name is Sara Nelson, and with your vote,
I'll fight for a city council that keeps its promises.
Hi. My name is Corey Eichner,
and I'm running for Seattle City Council Position 9.
I know that I'm a new face in
Seattle politics, and that is because
I have spent my career as an educator.
For the last 18 years,
I've gone to work every day, serving our youth as a teacher
and assistant principal in our public schools.
I have proudly served our students across our communities
from Shoreline to South King County,
where I have fought for reform and investments
in our education system to ensure that our students
and families furthest from educational justice
have the access and opportunities
they need to succeed.
We are at a critical moment in our city.
Inequities continue to exist.
We need to advance reform
to bring change to our criminal justice system
that embraces a system of restoration
and not punitive consequences, to act with immediacy
and prioritize regional funding that will provide rapid
rehousing and support to our neighbors without homes
so that we can move them to a path of success,
to be transformative with our infrastructure
that grows our mass transit and utilizes density planning
to actually provide access to affordable housing,
new jobs, parks, and public resources,
and to finally systemize an action plan
to combat climate change and the environmental impacts
our decisions have on the future.
We all know these are not new challenges to us.
Even though most of our city government
share similar progressive values,
there is a polarization
that stops collaboration and progress.
We need new leaders able to push past this divide.
As a city councilmember, I'll get us back to the basics.
Equitable and progressive policy that solves problems
in a practical, "get things done" kind of way.
Seattle will continue down the wrong direction
if we don't change paths,
and I know that my fact-based, collaborative approach
can show real progress for Seattle.
Thank you, and I ask for your vote.
Announcer: Seattle School Board.
The Seattle School Board
adopts the policies that govern
Seattle Public Schools.
The board provides direction
for the educational program.
The seven directors represent
different areas of the city.
Directors are nonpartisan
and serve four-year terms.
Just three
of the seven district seats
are up for election this year.
Now, just for the primary,
only those who live
in each school board district
are eligible to vote
for candidates in that district.
The top two vote-getters
in each district will advance
to the general election.
At the general election,
all voters in Seattle
will have the opportunity
to vote for one candidate
from each district.
♪♪
A thriving and just society owes equal opportunity to all,
and that cannot be achieved without quality,
inclusive education.
I know this firsthand as a child of immigrants
who came to the United States with literally nothing,
just $500 in their pockets.
From my beginnings as
an "English as a second language" student
whose hearing disability was identified by a teacher,
I received a quality public education
and I'm the first woman in my family to graduate from college.
Public education transformed my life.
I'm a private-sector professional
with over 15 years of experience in finance and operations
and have a Master's in Business Administration
from Harvard Business School.
For more than 25 years, I've had deep civic engagement
with volunteer work and youth programs,
particularly ones in immigrant communities.
Of most importance to me,
I'm a mother of four children, current and future
Seattle Public School students.
In my capacity, serving on
the superintendent's Parent Advisory Council
and as a PTSA president, I've spent many hours
advocating in partnership with other parents and stakeholders
in local and state forums.
And as I attended more and more school-board meetings,
I realized there was an opportunity for me
to better serve our community.
I bring a diverse background,
finance and management expertise,
and a genuine desire to work collaboratively
for greater opportunity and outcomes.
Among my priorities as director
are making real progress on real inclusion,
establishing mental health as an essential service of schools,
supporting working families with transportation,
and committing to good governance and decision-making
through authentic community engagement
and leveraging my financial and operational skills.
I seek to help our community recover
from the pandemic and become stronger than ever.
I'm proud to be endorsed by the 36th District Democrats,
State Senator Reuven Carlyle, former School Board Directors
Eden Mack and Kay Smith-Blum,
and other community and education leaders
in Seattle and Washington State.
I'd be honored to have your support and vote.
Thank you.
♪♪
Hi. My name is Laura Marie Rivera.
As a mother and a lifelong learner and an educator myself,
I can tell you that I truly believe
in the power of education.
A quality public education
is the greatest gift we can give our children.
It opens up the door for a brighter future
and gives our students the skills they need to succeed.
We owe this to them and to our society as a whole.
As an educator, it is always my goal
to get my students to success.
Now, I know that success may look different for each student,
but they all have so much potential.
Whether I'm teaching a kindergartner
how to write the number five
or a teenager how to do a time step,
it's all about breaking it down
into manageable pieces.
"Down, around, across,"
or, "Stamp, hop, step, flap ball change."
See? And you can't help but smile when you get it right.
This is the success that I want all of our students to have --
a quality education
and the best prospects for their future.
This includes opening up the options
for more technical schools and opportunities
with our local businesses, innovators, and the arts.
All services must be delivered equitably
and effectively, 100 percent inclusive, and center
on each individual student's needs.
Educational justice may be the most important
issue of our time.
Without solving this public crisis,
we cannot give our students their best shot
at the American dream.
Just like teaching in the classroom,
we need to break down these systems into manageable pieces
and create a structure that can work for all.
As a family with special challenges,
we have learned how difficult it can be to navigate the system
and advocate for your child.
I would like to use my experiences as a parent,
a teacher, and a member of our community
to advocate for all of our children.
This attention to our students means graduation and success.
If I'm elected as a Seattle School Board Director,
I pledge to listen and to learn
and to make the best possible choices for our students.
I'm Laura Marie Rivera,
and I would be proud to have your vote.
My name is Erin Dury,
and I was recently appointed to the Seattle School Board
to ensure our schools truly serve all students.
I am a changemaker with a proven track record
of system change through centering community voice.
I'm a proud single mom and, until my appointment,
served as a regional PTSA leader
representing Northwest Seattle and a classroom volunteer.
I've dedicated my career to children
and families, leading a statewide
court-appointed special advocate program
to advocate for youth and child welfare,
and a Seattle help line supporting vulnerable families.
Now, as a consultant, I help nonprofits break down
racially based structures and barriers.
My goal is to build a citywide educational community
with a commitment to transparency
and continuous communication.
We must listen carefully to the voices of youth
and families in order to create educational programs
that serve individual learning and growth needs.
Together, we can ensure that every student leaves
Seattle Public Schools confident in their value and abilities.
With your support, I will continue to center
our educational priorities and policies
to focus on making education accessible
and targeted to all students,
particularly Black and brown students,
students furthest from Educational Justice,
students with disability, and LGBTQ youth
who have been systematically marginalized.
As a school district and city,
we must protect and uplift those most at risk
falling through the cracks
while reforming structures that marginalize or exclude.
In an innovative city like Seattle,
I know we can do better and do right
by the students from all walks of life
and lived experience.
Thank you.
♪♪
Hello. My name is Crystal S. Liston.
I'm a gay, disabled parent of two stepsons
who attend West Seattle schools and a member of your community
who's very passionate about our public schools.
I'm so passionate, in fact, that I've made it my mission
to volunteer in every school in our district,
as I do not understand how a board member
can govern a body of people they know nothing about.
As of the 2018-2020 school year,
I volunteered in 20 of our 102 schools,
and as a volunteer, I have noticed a disconnect
in our school community as a whole.
The reason I'm running for school board
is to lead a paradigm shift
where schools interact and communicate with one another,
a shift where the Seattle community
is held accountable to participate
and nurture our schools,
a shift where school board members
are active in the various schools
and communicate to their students, parents, and teachers.
Instead of telling schools what they should be doing,
we need to ask,
"We have resources. What do you need?"
Another aspect of our school district
that has become clear to me is the lack of equity.
Why do some schools have band instruments for students
but others don't?
Why are social workers not in all of our schools
to support our students with trauma
and our faculty who need support from their administration?
Why has the current school board
chosen to lay off school librarians?
Why, as a progressive city,
are we still teaching a white-controlled curriculum?
I'm a firm believer that our values
are in our budget, and our current school board
is failing to represent our community's values.
Maybe you're asking yourself, "What qualifies you
to be on the board?" My response is this.
I can give you a list of my college degrees.
I have two. I have one trade school certificate.
But what qualifies me to be on the board is that I'm a parent,
and I'm also a professional volunteer.
And what is a Seattle School Board member?
An unpaid volunteer.
So, in conclusion, if you're part of the movement for change,
then be vulnerable and courageous and vote for me,
Crystal S. Liston.
"Be bold, and the mighty forces will come to your aid."
Goethe said that.
Hi.
I would like to do a descriptive introduction
for people who may have access needs.
My name is Michelle Sarju,
I'm African American, and I'm wearing all black.
I'm a 34-year Central District resident,
and I'm running for school board director for the children
and youth of Seattle Public Schools District 5.
As a former foster parent and the mom of three former
Seattle Public School students,
I'm running because I believe every student --
and I do mean every student -- should have access
to a high-quality, public school education.
Far too often, variables like race,
zip code, and socioeconomic status determine
who has access to a high-quality and equitable education.
We are now presented with an opportunity
to make the necessary changes that can result
in all SPS students being able to thrive.
Some of my high-level priorities are creating policies
that will support the emotional and mental health
of our next generation of leaders,
our students, ensuring that effective policies and programs
are established and in place to support the return
of all SPS students in the fall,
creating and installing evidence-based
assessment strategies that demonstrate
what our students have actually learned and retained.
It is time to move away from standardized testing
to strength-based assessments.
I'm excited about what SPS can be for all of our students,
and I'm looking forward to partnering with you all
to make that happen.
Thank you for supporting my candidacy
for Seattle Public Schools
School Board Director, District 5.
Announcer: You've just seen
all the video statements
recorded by the candidates
that appear on
Seattle primary ballots.
For King County
and Port of Seattle candidates
and issues,
watch the King County version
of the "Video Voters' Guide."
We will produce another
"Video Voters' Guide"
for candidates who advance
to the November
general election.
This program is a collaboration
of the Seattle Ethics
& Elections Commission,
the Seattle Channel,
and King County TV.
This will be
a vote-by-mail election.
Ballots will be sent
to all registered voters.
Look for your ballot in the mail
after July 14
and vote and return it
on or before
Tuesday, Aug. 3.
Remember to sign the envelope
with your voted ballot.
To learn about
accessible voting options,
go to kingcounty.gov/elections.
Ballots can be returned
via U.S. mail
or at one of King County's
secured ballot drop boxes.
Ballots must be postmarked
by Aug. 3.
You can track the progress
of your ballot online
and find the location
of drop boxes by visiting
King County Elections
at kingcounty.gov/elections.
Thank you for joining us.
We'd like to hear from you
about the "Video Voters' Guide."
To comment on this guide,
please call (206) 684-8500.