-Hi.
My name is Maritza Rivera.
I'll never forget waiting
and worrying outside Ingraham High School
as my teenage girls were in lockdown
during the recent shooting there.
It brought home that things are off track.
I grew up in a tough neighborhood in the Bronx,
on the top floor of a five-story walk up.
My dad was a welder, and proud union member.
My mom worked in a factory.
They moved from Puerto Rico seeking a better life.
I found that life here in Seattle.
Unfortunately, due to poor decisions
and performative posturing by the Seattle council,
including pledging to defund the police,
our quality of life has eroded.
Our neighborhood, small businesses are closing,
and our streets are less safe.
I'll make public safety my top priority.
Five-minute response times for priority 911 calls,
get guns off our streets and out of our schools,
shut down open-air drug markets,
address addiction and the mental health crisis.
It's also unacceptable that three years
after the murder of George Floyd,
Seattle still has no alternative
to non-armed response to 911 calls.
Not all situations require uniformed police officers,
but some do.
I'll prioritize.
I will bring people together
to build more affordable housing
and address the homelessness crisis.
I currently serve as a deputy director
of the Office of Arts and Culture at the city.
I worked in the Clinton White House
as the Hispanic liaison, for the ACLU post-9/11,
to protect Muslim communities from xenophobia,
and for former councilmember Tom Rasmussen.
With better governance,
Seattle can be progressive, safe, and vibrant.
I would be honored to earn your support.