(Added: Seattle Channel video)

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson gave her first State of the City speech at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute in the Central Area this past hour.

Here’s our summary and toplines, including two brief West Seattle mentions toward the end.

“You ready for this?” she began, warning it might be her longest speech ever.

Her trademark phrase “This is YOUR city” was heard shortly thereafter.

She said it’s an important time to look at history as we are in troubled times, while also acknowledging the confluence of important occasions – Black History Month, Lunar New Year, Ramadan, and overall “a season of reflections and new beginnings,”

She insisted she is not viewing the city through rose-colored glasses, but with hope. “You have to make the decision every single day to keep moving forward.” She said the double murder of teenagers in Rainier Beach was the most difficult thing that has happened so far in her term, and that the loss needs to lead to change, to protect people. “We have to do better for our kids. … Hopes are not enough …. My job is to take action.” She said an “intensive stabilization plan” for the affected commmunity is in the works, too. “But we can’t just react and stabilize … we have to get to the roots of the problem,” She said, without details, that a new gun-violence action plan will help with that, “tailored to the needs of our neighborhoods and our communities.”

Next, she moved to homelessness. “We simply do not have enough housing, shelter, and services for everyone who is living unhoused.” She said, “We’re doing some things right,” helping thousands each year. But if you look around the city, you will agree, she said, that our approach to homelessness has not been successful. “We cannot keep moving people from place too place and call it successful.” She said encampment removals will continue but she wants to minimize harm to people in encampments as well as “taking seriously” safety and access to public spaces. She brought up her quest for expanding emergency housing and shelter. “I know we have a big hill to climb,” but she vows to add 1,000 spaces this year “and we are well on our way.” (She did not mention specifics such as the Glassyard Commons RV lot/tiny-house village planned for West Seattle.)

Next topic – ensuring that Seattle is ready “to respond to threats from our federal government.” To be ready for any possible ICE surge here, the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs has been bolstered. And a new webpage is available at seattle.gov/stand-together. She said organizing “the strongest possible community response” is vital, as observed by a staff member who went to Minneapolis to learn about their response when ICE arrived in force.

Regarding the controversy over city’s plan for more surveillance cameras, she said there are strong arguments on both sides – crime victims’ concerns, privacy advocates’ concerns – for leaving them up or not. For now, “my team will continue to dig in” to figure out what’s the right thing to do, with no particular deadline.

On to the affordability crisis, “you should not need a six-figure income to live here.” But she said the “economic squeeze has been going on so long, it’s hard to believe we can do anything about it.” She talked about past solutions such as the creation of Pike Place Market. “Affordability is not just a poor person’s issue, young person’s issue,” it reaches “high up the scale.”” She announced an Affordability Agenda with four key emphasis areas:

-affordable housing
-affordable child care
-affordable food
-affordable city to build a small business

She said more than 6,000 people already have answered her Renters’ Survey. “We have heard about people forced to move every year because the rent keeps going up, and more. She reminded that it’s open through Friday, and then she will work with the City Council. She said she’s hearing from property owners and managers too.

And builders – she says more housing must be built and she looks forward to work with many groups “to move forward bolder policy … we need to build a ton of housing” but added that she’s aware this won’t necessarily make housing more affordable “any time soon” so she is working on other ways to help with that.

On to social housing, which is advancing because of a City Council vote last week that will move $115 million into the Social Housing Developer’s operations. Social housing will “give us a new tool to expand our non-market housing,” as approved by voters.

Regarding child care, she acknowledged the much-publicized parental help she’s received, but “right now there are so many gaps for so many children, and our whole society pays the price.”” She said Seattle is seen as a national leader but “that’s a little unnerving as any parent will tell you there’s still so much to be done.” She talked about making it easier to build child-care facilities and building more family-size housing. Preschool and child care should be “treated as public goods, accessible to all” like K-12 education, she declared.

On to food, she talked about grocery-store closures though these stores “are essential community assets.” Programs like Fresh Bucks – which 17,000 participants use – help boost access to food. She said her administration is still exploring the idea of a “public grocery store” but has no specifics yet.

As for small businesses, she said she recently lunched with a group in the ID and heard a horror story about a two-year permit process. “I know some businesses never open” because of permit waits, not to mention high rents and other factors, She said taxes and minimum wage aren’t what she hears businesses complain the most about, but rather red tape as well as issues like public safety and homelessness. She wants small businesses to apply for currently available programs.

Directly addressing business leaders, bigger ones – she said “affordability is not government’s responsibility alone.” Her message to “Seattle’s employer community” was “we want you at the table” to discuss solutions, “Seattle has always been a city of builders,” building innovation and solutions and more. She wants their help in building “a world-class city that we can all be proud of.”

Mayor Wilson said she didn’t list potential price tags for what she mentioned because first, it’s time to reach consensus and “set the stage to achieve even more …. so let’s start from a place where we agree.”

She listed upcoming events and plans that she said would be steps toward becoming that world-class city that she is certain everyone wants this to be. This is where the West Seattle mentions came in. Reopening Hiawatha Community Center this Saturday is one step toward the city she wants to build – she’ll be there on Saturday – and she also mentioned the upcoming reopening of South Park Community Center., “Community centers are such an important part of” the city. She also name-checked Sound Transit’s Crosslake Connection, opening in March, and then briefly mentioned light rail extending to West Seattle and Ballard. Other transit, she said, must be restored to pre-pandemic levels. She also mentioned the World Cup games this summer, the newly opened waterfront park, an upcoming new exhibit at Woodland Park Zoo, a new Rainier Beach skatepark, the Garfield Superblock.

“I’m not naive …. I know there will be outrages of the week on social media … but I’ve never been more hopeful or excited about what we can accomplish.” She sees the hope around the city, “yes, we can do big things.” And she sees hope in “all the people who make city government run.”

Summarizing, she said, “everything we build” helps build hope, too. She wants her term to be judged on whether people “are excited to live here,” whether this is “a welcoming city” – and to get there, she wants to see people open up to recognize that “another world is possible.” In a year, she says, she hopes people will believe “this city is the best city in the world.”

Here’s the full text of the mayor’s speech.

By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

With this year’s Washington State legislative session scheduled to end March 12, here are some updates on the bills for which our 34th District legislators – State House Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, State House Rep. Brianna Thomas, and State Senator Emily Alvarado – are the main sponsors. Longer summaries of these bills are in our previous coverage, and each bill number below links to the Legislature website page with full details (as well as ways to comment).

MIDWAY TO APPROVAL: Several bills primarily sponsored by the above representatives have passed in their original chamber, either House or Senate, and are in the process of working through the opposing chamber. These include:

HB 2215– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Obligation for compliance to the Climate Commitment Act for fuels supplied or sold in Washington.

Scheduled for public hearing on Feb.18 at 8:00 a.m.

HB 2367– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Eliminating limitations on imposing emissions requirements for coal facilities inconsistent with the greenhouse gas Emissions Performance Standard.

Scheduled for public hearing on Feb. 20 at 10:30 a.m.

HB 2123– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Eliminates state prohibitions on contributions by foreign nationals toward Washington State elections.

HB 2303– Rep. Thomas
Prohibiting employers from microchipping employees.

HB 2355– Rep. Thomas
Creates labor protections for domestic workers, including minimum wage requirement.

SB 5496– Sen. Alvarado
Limits excessive home buying by certain entities including those with interest in more than 25 single family residences, with some exceptions.

SB 6026– Sen. Alvarado
A city or county with a population of 30,000 may not exclude residential uses in areas zoned for mixed use or commercial development.

SB 6027– Sen. Alvarado
Minimum of 60 percent of Local Sales and Use Tax for Housing and Related Services used for constructing or acquiring affordable housing, behavioral health facilities, or for operational costs.

SB 5500– Sen. Alvarado
Child-care subsidy base rate must achieve the 85th percentile of market minimum, alters how the cost of quality child care rate model is used by the Department of CHildren, Youth, and Families.

Scheduled for public hearing on Feb. 18 at 4:00 p.m.

SB 5993– Sen. Alvarado
Prohibits interest charges or collecting owed interest on new or outstanding medical debt, and that medical debt may only be enforced six years after its date of entry.

Scheduled for public hearing on Feb. 18 at 8:00 a.m.

SB 5911– Sen. Alvarado
As of Jan. 1, 2027, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families may not apply funds paid to or on behalf of someone receiving Extended foster Care services as reimbursement.

Scheduled for public hearing on Feb, 18 at 1:30 p.m.

Below are others that have not advanced to the opposing chamber, but have passed committee, and are in the process to appear on the floor for a vote before moving forward:

HB 2251– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Repeals three of the Climate Commitment Act funding accounts and replaces them with the Climate Commitment Act Operating Account and the Climate Commitment Act Capital Account.

HB 2517– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Allows regional transit authorities to apply for permits before acquiring property or receiving notice of land use decisions.

HB 2496– Rep. Thomas
Requires the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to consult with federally recognized tribes during siting review and compliance monitoring. It also exempts these meetings from the Open Public Meetings Act, with some exceptions.

SB 5647– Sen. Alvarado
Expands the Real Estate excise Tax exemption for self-help housing.

SB 6173– Sen. Alvarado
Creates an Apple Health Employer Assessment imposed on all employers with employees enrolled in Medicaid, going toward the State Health Care Affordability account.

SB 6069– Sen. Alvarado
Encourages permanent supportive housing, transitional housing,and indoor emergency housing by allowing it in urban growth areas not zoned for industrial use.

NOT EXPECTED TO ADVANCE: Below are several bills unlikely to advance this session after missing deadlines on Feb. 4 and Feb.9. Feb. 4 was the policy committee cutoff, meaning, if a bill was not approved by its designated committee by that date, it is now unlikely to move forward with the legislative process this session. Feb. 9 served as the fiscal committee cutoff, a later cutoff reserved for bills referred to House fiscal committees and the Senate Ways and Means, and Transportation Committees. The bills that failed to make it out of committee for the deadlines include:

HB 2581– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Provides additional investment options for electric utilities under the alternative compliance segment of the greenhouse-neutral gas standard.

HB 2724– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Establishing a tax on millionaires to fund education, health care, and other essential government services.

HJR 4209– Rep. Fitzgibbon
Allowing the legislature to amend Washington State’s congressional districts before the next decennial census if another state does so outside a court order and before the next census.

HB 2182– Rep. Thomas
Removes requirements for the Washington State Department of Corrections to sell abortion medication and allows the department to obtain payment for medication.

HJR 4210– Rep. Thomas
Allows the legislature to determine the length of regular sessions by amending the Washington State constitution.

HB 1090– Sen. Alvarado
Requires that health plans provide a reimbursement of a 12-month supply of contraceptives.

SB 6067– Sen. Alvarado
Modifies workers’ compensation, specifically concerning benefits for total disability.

SB 6068– Sen. Alvarado
Allows workers employed by subcontractors to seek payments for unpaid wages and benefits from contractors.

SB 6028– Sen. Alvarado
Develops a revolving loan fund to give loans to organizations for mixed-income affordable housing development.

WHAT’S NEXT: An additional cutoff is coming up on Feb.17, which is the last day to consider bills in their house of origin. The bills that have yet to appear on the floor for a vote in their house of origin are subject to this cutoff date.

When we looked last month at bills that local legislators are sponsoring this year, one by 34th District State House Rep. Brianna Thomas of West Seattle turned a few heads: HB 2303, preventing employers from microchipping employees. Today the State House overwhelmingly passed Thomas’s bill, 87 yes, 6 no. From the news release we received tonight:

… “Microchips may seem like science fiction, but the technology is here,” said Thomas. “The concept is pretty simple. Don’t chip me, bro!”

If passed by the Senate and signed by the Governor, House Bill 2303 would make Washington the 14th state to pass legislation limiting or banning the use of microchips in work environments.

“It creates an opportunity for employers to track employees during work hours and at home. That is scary,” continued Thomas. “We recognize that the power dynamic between an employer and an employee makes true freedom of choice nearly impossible. This is a big step to help protect our employees from being microchipped by their employer.”

Next, the State Senate will consider the bill.

By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

As the second week of Washington State’s 2026 legislative session concludes, here’s a quick look at bills that West Seattle’s three 34th District legislators – State Senator Emily Alvarado, State House Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, State House Rep. Brianna Thomas – are sponsoring so far, with all bill numbers linking to the page where you can get full details:

CHILD CARE

SB 5500 – Sen. Alvarado
The bill would assert that the child care subsidy base rate must achieve the 85th percentile of market at a minimum, and that this must be based on the most recent market rate survey. It also alters how the cost of quality child care rate model is used by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to recommend base rates. Lastly, it requires DCYF to recommend rate enhancements to support infants, nonstandard hours, and special needs rates every three years.

SB 5911 – Sen. Alvarado
The bill instills that as of January 1, 2027, DCYF may not apply any funds paid to, or on behalf of someone receiving Extended Foster Care (EFC) services as a reimbursement. It would also make DCYF responsible for analyzing whether someone receiving EFC services is eligible for additional government benefits.

ENVIRONMENT

HB 1814 – Rep. Fitzgibbon
The bill provides an exemption from the State Environmental Policy Act for trails and paths that have a surface area of 10 acres or less, or that are on a railroad designated for trail use under federal law, specifically in a city with a population of 500,000 or more. It also requires that applicants wanting an exemption must request consultation with any federally established tribe that may be affected.

HB 2215 – Rep. Fitzgibbon
The bill creates an obligation for compliance with the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) for fuel suppliers in a combined fuel amount exceeding 500 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent. Compliance is also required for purchasers from a business not registered under the Climate Commitment Act.

HB 2251 – Rep. Fitzgibbon
The bill repeals three of the Climate Commitment Act funding accounts and replaces them with The Climate Commitment Act Operating Account and the Climate Commitment Act Capital Account. It also makes modifications to CCA spending goals and reporting.

HB 2367 – Rep. Fitzgibbon
The bill specifies that emissions from before Jan. 1 2026 from a coal fired electric generation facility in operation on or before Jul. 22, 2011 are exempt from the Cap-and-Invest Program [CQ] It also removes state limitations from imposing greenhouse gas emissions requirements on a coal facility that is inconsistent with the greenhouse gas Emissions Performance Standard.

HB 2581 – Rep. Fitzgibbon
The bill provides additional investment options for electric utilities under the 20 percent alternative compliance segment of the greenhouse-neutral gas standard under the Clean Energy Transformation Act. These investment areas include transmission capacity constraints, distributed energy resources, and electric vehicles for low-income populations.

GOVERNMENT

HB 2123 – Rep. Fitzgibbon
The bill effectively gets rid of state prohibition on contributions and funds given by foreign nationals toward Washington State elections. Additionally, it repeals certification requirements against foreign national involvement in expenditures.

HJR 4209 – Rep. Fitzgibbon
This House Joint Resolution proposes an amendment to the Washington State constitution that allows the legislature to amend Washington’s congressional districts before the next decennial census through a majority vote, if another state redistricts outside a court order and before the next census. [CQ]

HJR 4210 – Rep. Thomas
This House Joint Resolution would allow the Legislature to determine the length of regular sessions by amending the Washington State Constitution.

HEALTH

HB 2182 – Rep. Thomas
The bill removes requirements for the Washington State Department of Corrections to sell abortion medication and allows the department to obtain payment for distributed medication. It also includes misoprostol under the definition of “abortion medications.”

HB 1090 – Sen. Alvarado, Rep. Fitzgibbon
The bill requires that health plans provide a reimbursement of a 12-month supply of contraceptives, unless a smaller supply is requested. The supply applies to refills, not the original prescription.

SB 5993 – Sen. Alvarado
The bill prohibits interest charges or collecting owed interest on new or outstanding medical debt. It also outlines that a judgement that includes medical debt may only be enforced six years after its date of entry, and that afterward the judgement is unenforceable.

SB 6173 – Sen. Alvarado
The bill creates an Apple Health Employer Assessment. The assessment would be imposed on employers with employees enrolled in Medicaid. The amount owed would be calculated annually by the Department of Social and Health Services and collected quarterly. The assessments would go toward the State Health Care Affordability account and be used in health-care programs for low-income individuals. [CQ]

HOUSING

SB 5496 – Sen. Alvarado
The bill prohibits a business or investment entity that has an interest in more than 25 single-family residences from obtaining interest in another, unless the entity is a nonprofit, making modifications to the new interest to comply with building codes, purchasing to increase the number of residential units on the property, constructing property, or purchasing through foreclosure. It also creates a civil penalty under the Consumer Protection Act.

SB 5647– Sen. Alvarado
The bill expands the Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) exemption for self-help housing. It would include all ownership housing provided by an affordable homeownership facilitator.

SB 6026 – Sen. Alvarado (requested by Gov. Ferguson)
The bill proposes that a city or county with a population of 30,000 or more that plans under the Growth Management Act may not exclude residential uses in areas previously zoned for mixed-use or commercial development. Additionally, that the city or county may not require that mixed use or ground floor commercial is a condition of development. [CQ]

SB 6027 – Sen. Alvarado
The bill proposes that a minimum of 60 percent of Local Sales and Use Tax for Housing and Related Services be used for constructing or acquiring affordable housing, for behavioral health facilities, and for operational costs.

SB 6028 – Sen. Alvarado
The bill develops a revolving loan fund created by the Department of Commerce to give loans to organizations for mixed-income affordable housing development, a portion of which would be permanently affordable for low-income households.

SB 6069 – Sen. Alvarado
The bill aims to encourage permanent supportive housing, transitional housing, indoor emergency housing, and indoor emergency shelters through allowing this housing in any zones within an urban growth area that are not zoned for industrial use.

LABOR

HB 2303 – Rep. Thomas
The bill prohibits employers from microchipping employees.

HB 2355 – Rep.Thomas
The bill creates labor protections for domestic workers by clearly defining the term. It includes a requirement for hirees to pay at least minimum wage and provide overtime compensation.

SB 6067 – Sen. Alvarado
The bill modifies workers’ compensation, specifically concerning benefits for permanent total disability. Workers would get monthly payments that include one-hundred percent of the employer’s health-care benefits, unless the employer continues current payment as well as a percentage of their wage. The percentage varies depending on workers’ marital status and number of children.

SB 6068 – Sen. Alvarado
The bill would allow workers employed by subcontractors to seek payment for unpaid wages as well as benefits from contractors. It also addresses misclassification of employees and combats the underground construction economy.

TRANSPORTATION

HB 2517 – Rep. Fitzgibbon
The bill allows regional transit authorities (such as Sound Transit) to apply for permits before acquiring property or receiving notice of a land use decision.

HB 2495 – Rep. Thomas
The bill enables certain cities with populations over 700,000 to remove vehicles that interfere with streetcar operations or are a public safety risk. It asserts that the impoundment would be directed by an “authorized city representative.”

WHAT TO KNOW, AND HOW TO LET LEGISLATORS KNOW WHAT YOU THINK

2026 is the second year of the legislative biennium. This year is a short session, with an expected end date of March 12, 2026. Additional information and updates about the Washington State Legislature and West Seattle’s legislators can be found at leg.wa.gov. Public feedback may also be submitted on any particular bill using this link: leg.wa.gov/bills-meetings-and-session/bills/how-to-comment-on-a-bill. We’ll follow up later in the session to see how local legislators’ proposals are progressing.

A West Seattleite is the incumbent in the race for King County Prosecuting Attorney this year. In a news release today, Leesa Manion said she will seek a second 4-year term after making some significant changes in the Prosecuting Attorney’s office during her first term. So far, campaign finance records show she is the only candidate.

Manion started her last term by adding new units within the office for gun violence prevention, gender-based violence and prevention, an economic crimes and wage theft division, and a felony traffic unit. Last October, she modified case review policy in the office so that all charges referred by law enforcement would have a decision about whether they would be filed within 30 days.

In announcing her candidacy for re-election, Manion pointed to progress made, from juvenile justice to increased focus on retail theft and more. “I’m proud of our accomplishments, from reducing the pandemic-era backlog of unfiled cases in our courts to proactively addressing public safety priorities,” said Manion. “We made our office more responsive to the needs of our diverse communities and more effective at balancing accountability, crime prevention, and victim support.” She also points to work still to be done around hate crimes and federal overreach.

Manion won the election in 2022 with 58% of the vote. She succeeded Dan Satterberg, for whom she was chief of staff.

4:02 PM: Since taking office two years ago, District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka has chaired what was simply called the Transportation Committee. Now, as he starts the second half of his term, Saka’s committee has expanded its scope and has become the Transportation, Waterfront, and Seattle Center Committee. Saka talked about it during his turn at the first Council Briefing meeting of the year, which wrapped up less than an hour ago. (He starts 17 minutes into the Seattle Channel meeting video below:)

Musing on what the three topics have in common, Saka said he believes “safety” ties them together. The reworked committee – of which citywide Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck is now vice chair – has its first meeting of the year at 9:30 am Thursday (January 15); its agenda isn’t out yet (watch for it here), but Councilmember Saka told his colleagues at this afternoon’s meeting that he’s expecting a safety report from SDOT, including Vision Zero progress.

SIDE NOTE: During his turn at the briefing meeting, Saka also recapped his visits – with council colleagues – to two big high-school basketball games last Friday night (both of which we covered – the Regina Rogers-Wright tribute at the Chief Sealth IHS girls’ game here, the West Seattle HS boys’ game vs. #1 nationally ranked player Tyran Stokes and Rainier Beach here).

9:44 PM: Thursday’s committee agenda is now available on the council website.

The primary election is still many months in the future, but as we’ve been reporting, some campaigning has already begun. In fact, there are already candidates eager to oversee how your property taxes are determined and collected. With the latest announcement, at least two people will be on the ballot for the King County Assessor position in August.

Rob Foxcurran, who is the city of Seattle’s Senior Appraiser, announced this week in a news release that he’s running, “to make the property tax system more affordable, fair and transparent.” Foxcurran is also a Hearing Examiner on the King County Board of Appeals and Equalization, and with those credentials, says he is “the only candidate for this position with any experience related to the role of the Assessor.”

The other candidate to file so far is Shoreline Council Member Chris Roberts, who declared his candidacy almost six months ago, well before the current Assessor, John Wilson, announced he would not be running for a fourth term. Roberts has been elected five times to the Shoreline council, and served as mayor during parts of two of those terms. He was just re-elected last year to a term that ends in 2029, and is also chair of the 32nd District Democrats. On his campaign website, Roberts says he’s running, “to ensure property assessments are accurate, transparent, and grounded in public trust. With over a decade of public service, Chris understands how local policy affects real people.”

Wilson is completing a shorter term as County Assessor than usual following the passage of Charter Amendment 1 in 2022, which moved King County positions for executive, assessor, director of elections and council members to elections in even-numbered years. Wilson’s decision in October to not run again followed allegations by his ex-fiancée of harassment that subsequently led to Wilson also dropping his bid for County Executive in 2025.

(WSB photos, video by Tracy Record)

“We must not capitulate. We must not conform. We must not pre-emptively comply … I have never backed down from a fight.”

Those declarations about federal actions came toward the end of District 8 King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda‘s campaign-kickoff speech tonight at the new White Center Hub event space.

What began as a relatively amiable speech by Mosqueda with her six-year-old daughter Camila at her side – noting Camila is “crushing kindergarten” – and an opening list of accomplishments, she built to a crescendo after referring to the shootings involving federal agents this week in Minneapolis and Portland. Here’s the heart of her speech, after a list of acknowledgments aimed at high-profile supporters and donors – six minutes in is where she talks about the ICE shootings and crackdowns:

“They’re coming for us because we’re effective .. they think we’ll turn on each other, but we won’t take the bait,” she vowed. Before she spoke, introductory speakers were introduced by Aaron Garcia, executive director of the White Center Community Development Association, which led the building of the Hub. These speeches included one on video by U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal in D.C.

Elected officials past and present who were announced in attendance included state legislators and local leaders from jurisdictions north and south of Seattle as well as Joy Hollingsworth and Dionne Foster from the Seattle City Council, on which Mosqueda served before moving to the county council. Her job is back on the ballot after three years rather than four years because voters approved changing the county charter so that offices like this are now on the ballot in even years. So far no one else has registered a campaign for the position. Tonight’s event was announced as having a $30,000 fundraising goal.

ADDED: Video of Mariachi Monarcas, the band that played before the speeches:

District 3 City Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth is making history as the first Black woman to serve as the council’s president. She won a unanimous vote at the council meeting that just wrapped up, succeeding Sara Nelson, who lost her reelection bid in November. Hollingsworth is midway through her first term on the council, representing a district that includes the Central District, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Eastlake, Montlake, Madison Park, Madison Valley, Portage Bay, Leschi, and Madrona. Also at the meeting, the new citywide councilmember who defeated Nelson in November, Dionne Foster, was sworn in, with her son administering the oath:

The council’s other citywide rep, Alexis Mercedes Rinck – elected to her first full four-year term – was sworn in this afternoon too.

One other council note – as first reported by Publicola, two members of District 1 Councilmember Rob Saka‘s staff have departed, and Saka has replaced one with a man who once ran for the council job. Saka chief of staff Elaine Ikoma Ko confirms to WSB that Saka staffers Ian Griswold – “to return back to school for his Ph.D.” – and Logan Duling – “desiring a full-time position and found one with the City of Redmond closer to his home” – have left. She also confirms that Saka’s new policy adviser is Brendan Kolding, the former Seattle Police lieutenant who finished third in the primary for the District 1 seat in 2019 (and ran for State Legislature in 2016). Saka’s district director Erik Schmidt is still on staff, and Ikoma Ko says, “We are recruiting for a new (legislative assistant).”

(WSB photo)

11:55 AM: Katie Barrett Wilson is now Seattle’s 58th mayor, third woman in the job. We’re at City Hall, where her swearing-in ceremony has segued into photo ops. She stood at a city-logo podium on a small stage, in City Hall’s huge main lobby, with her husband Scott Myers – who emceed the ceremony – and their daughter Josie at her right, as the oath of office was administered by Pauline Van Senus, a founding member of the Transit Riders Union, the nonprofit that Mayor Wilson led before her election.

(WSB photos from here down by Torin Record-Sand)

Wilson’s speech, in front of supporters holding campaign-style signs with her “This Is Your City” slogan, emphasized that she can’t do the work ahead alone – the city’s success “is going to require all of you. … Seattle is what we make of it together.” She didn’t list any specific policy plans but rather a sweeping vision that this should be a city where what you do in your off-hours should be valued too – “a city that thinks you should be able to read a book,” or make music, or sit in a park and daydream: “We need bread, but we need roses too.” We have her speech on video, and what others said before she took the stage, and will add to this story when we’re back at HQ.

2:07 PM: Above is video of the ceremony in its entirety, from her ovation-greeted arrival, through the four speakers who preceded her oath of office, followed by her speech. The crowd filled the lobby, and some watched from the mezzanine:

ADDED 3:33 PM: First speaker was Ifrah Abshir, a Somali-American health services researcher and writer now working on her doctorate:

“Rights are not just words – they are practice,” she observed, adding that while “cities can’t fix everything … they can help.” She also recalled her work, when studying at Rainier Beach High School, improving bus service for students.

Speakers also included Cynthia Anne Green, an 80-year Seattle resident and longtime community advocate:

She hailed Wilson as “a mayor who didn’t come from the loudest rooms or richest donors, but from the long hard work of organizing, the type of person the world needs more of.” She suggested that people might suggest lowering their expectations only because they’ve “grown comfortable living with inequity” and added that
Wilson’s election brought new hope, while also cautioning that this is just the beginning, though it’s a jubilant moment as a “victory for those who refused to disappear from this city.”

Also speaking (above) was Jarvis Capucion, an advocate for homeless people, formerly homeless himself. He addressed that issue, stated by Wilson as one of her top priorities, declaring that “without shelter, people die.” He is looking for the new mayor to address the homelessness crisis “at the scale it deserves.”

ADDED 4:55 PM: Wilson referred to “at least one former mayor” in attendance – we believe she was referring to West Seattleite Greg Nickels, visible in the lower left corner of our photo above, who was there with wife Sharon Nickels. They sat in a gallery that included other dignitaries – toward the center of the photo you’ll see new King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. Our area’s King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda was there too..In addition to her and the Nickels, locals we noticed included a delegation from the Duwamish Tribe – including Tribal Council member Ken Workman and longhouse director Kristina Pearson – and Paulina López of the Duwamish River Commmunity Coalition, a member of Wilson’s transition team; she was among those standing onstage with the new mayor during the event, and told us she’s encouraged that Wilson is paying attention to Duwamish issues.

WHAT’S NEXT: Mayor Wilson has yet to announce some key leadership decisions. Meantime, city politics-watchers will also turn their attention to the City Council, which will elect its new president on Tuesday.

(WSB photo: Marjorie Prince during a solo protest this summer)

By Hayden Yu Andersen
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Driving or riding past the corner of 35th and Edmunds, near Providence Mount St. Vincent (WSB sponsor), you might have noticed someone standing on the corner, holding a sign in quiet protest. From stricter gun legislation to ending the war in Gaza, many issues have kept Marjorie Prince standing in vigil every day for nearly seven months, protesting what she calls the Trump Administration’s “active dismantling” of the United States.

We first met Prince, a former political-science professor and lifelong Democrat whose experience protesting stretches back to the 1968 Nashville Civil Rights protests, this summer. Since then, something has changed. Prince isn’t alone any more.

(Photo by Kathryn Rawle)

For weeks, she’s been joined by a larger group of friends and activists every Monday, each inspired in their own way by watching her protest. As temperatures drop, and even when reception from some is colder than the weather, the group continues to protest because, as protester and former journalist Kathy Rawle put it, “We found our community here.”

The idea of gathering with Prince on her vigil started with organizers Mary Jo Bukovik and Story Squires, both members of Postcards 4 Democracy, which gathers in West Seattle weekly to write and send notes to voters in undecided and underrepresented areas across the country.

Both organizers met Prince during their time working at The Mount, and what started as a conversation over lunch one day quickly evolved into Mondays With Marjorie. Every Monday, from 3:00 to 3:30 pm on the corner of 35th and Edmunds, anyone is welcome to join Prince in protest.

“Marjorie is an inspiration,” said Bukovik, in between drivers honking to express support while passing the group this past Monday. Sally, another protester, keeps track of every honk they get- some days over 300. Bukovik believes the protest vigil is important to keep the issues they care about in the forefront of people’s minds, and hopefully, she said, inspire them to get out and protest too. “Everybody needs to do something.”

Rawle, who helped start Postcards 4 Democracy in 2017, says it’s all about finding your passion. “Find your lane,” she said, “get in it, do it, and then pass it along to someone else. Talk to the people you know, make sure they know what’s going on, because sometimes that’s the hardest thing to do.”

Also out in protest on Monday was Heidi, who found her lane in Mondays with Marjorie. This kind of protesting is more her speed than larger, louder rallies, she said. In addition to her sign, she also brought backup in the form of the group’s resident protest pups.

Squires, who helped start the meetings with Bukovik, still remembers seeing Prince’s door at The Mount covered in political slogans, long before the two started protesting together. Since then, both Prince and Bukovik have inspired her to think about protesting critically. For over 200 days, Prince’s quiet dedication has continued to draw a crowd, and amidst the chatter and new friendships being built around her, Squires pointed out that she remains, for the most part, silent. Focused on her work. That, more than anything else, is her biggest inspiration.

“When we gather out here, there’s a lot of chatting,” Squires said, “but if you ever look at Marjorie, she doesn’t talk. Every person who drives by, every person who honks, she’s looking at them. She’s looking at people.”

We’d already mentioned that Mayor-elect Katie Wilson would take the oath of office on January 2nd (this Friday) – now the official invitation is out, in case you want to be there:

Inauguration of Katie B. Wilson set for Friday, Jan 2nd at 10 am
“This is your city”

Katie B. Wilson will be inaugurated as Seattle’s next mayor this Friday in a public ceremony that marks the start of a new era at City Hall. The oath of office will be administered, Wilson will deliver her inaugural address, and several guest speakers will offer reflections on her roots as a community organizer and her commitment to the vision that all of us should have the opportunity to shape Seattle’s future together. Once sworn in, the new mayor will get to work on her key priorities, including taking on the affordability crisis, bringing people inside, and making our city a great place to live, work, and raise a family.

The ceremony and speeches are planned in City Hall’s first-floor lobby (600 4th Avenue, downtown). Wilson’s spokesperson Sage Wilson (no relation) says it’s open to anyone who wants to attend, and they’re requesting (but not requiring) RSVPs for planning purposes – here’s the form.

Our area’s largest political organization is inviting involvement with a new initiative – its Non-Violent Resistance Committee. Here’s the announcement we received today, described by the 34th District Democrats‘ chair as a “call to action”:

The 34th District Democrats announce the creation of a Non-Violent Resistance Committee to research, plan, and lead a local response to federal government overreach that protects our community, liberties, and democracy in the 34th Legislative District.

“We’ve all seen news of National Guard troops being sent to cities uninvited, of ICE and Border Patrol agents getting increasingly aggressive and violent, and of immigrants and citizens alike being caught up and detained, harmed, or killed,” said committee chair Kenny Austin. “Seattle hasn’t been targeted to the level of L.A., D.C., or Chicago yet, but hoping for the best is not a plan. Failing to plan is planning to fail. This committee will work proactively to advise individuals and the 34th Democrats as an organization so we’re ready when Trump turns his attention on Seattle.”

“What do you do if you see ICE raiding a local business? If National Guard troops are deployed to your neighborhood? If our midterms or ballot drop boxes are interfered with? These are the types of questions we will seek to answer,” Austin added.

The Non-Violent Resistance Committee will perform its research by asking vulnerable communities what support they need, talking to experts in non-violent resistance, legal experts, historians, and peers in impacted cities. The committee will explore what forms of non-violent resistance have been tried, what worked, what failed, and what are most likely to work here. It will work collaboratively with other organizations dedicated to non-violent resistance, supporting democracy, or supporting vulnerable communities that are being targeted by the Trump administration.

“If ever there was a time for us to stand together, it’s now,” said 34th Dems chair Jordan Crawley. “This administration’s depravity is boundless. We cannot be silent. To do nothing is to accept and normalize what they’re doing. As an Army veteran myself, I respect and echo the call of those Democratic lawmakers who encouraged servicemembers to disobey unlawful orders. We cannot and will not be intimidated into tolerating tyranny. As the Chair of the 34th Democrats, I am proud to stand with Kenny and the other leaders who have agreed to put their time and energy into this effort, and hope others will join us in answering this call to action.”

If you are interested in joining the Non-Violent Resistance Committee’s work, contact committee chair Kenny Austin at NVRC@34dems.org.

The 34th District includes West Seattle, White Center, Vashon and Maury Islands, and Burien.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Shasti Conrad not only leads the Democratic Party in our state, she’s a national leader too – a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee.

But when Conrad spoke to Sunday’s monthly meeting of West Seattle Indivisible, she made it clear she wasn’t there as a cheerleader for the Democratic Party’s status quo. Conrad said she’s hoping to be a changemaker from within, believing the party is “in a revolutionary moment.”

She’s already done some changemaking via history-making in a variety of ways, including by being the first South Asian woman to lead a state party in the U.S. But her attributes go beyond her identity, said Jordan Crawley, chair of the 34th District Democrats, who introduced her, saying they’d met during her days as chair of the King County Democrats. Crawley declared, “After seven years, I can confidently say she is what leadership looks like.”

Read More

Just in from Mayor-elect Katie Wilson – she’s chosen a new interim SDOT director, and decided to keep two other department heads. From the announcement:

My administration is committed to building a transportation network that allows every person in every neighborhood to safely and reliably get where they want to go, whether they use transit, walk, bike, roll, or drive. We have the opportunity to move quickly to shape Seattle’s transportation future in line with this vision. In just the next year, Sound Transit will make key decisions regarding West Seattle and Ballard Link, our Seattle (Transit) Measure will be up for renewal, and we’ll continue to deliver on projects across the city that were funded through the recent transportation levy.

Success on this quick timeline will require strong operational expertise, which is why I am excited to announce Angela Brady as Interim SDOT Director to lead on these critical issues in 2026. Angela comes to SDOT from the Office of the Waterfront, Civic Projects and Sound Transit, where she oversaw implementation of the new Waterfront Park, and where she currently serves as the City of Seattle’s Designated Representative to Sound Transit. Angela is committed to addressing our maintenance backlog, and shares my vision of world-class transit, a citywide network of protected bike lanes, safe and accessible sidewalks, great pedestrian spaces, and housing-rich neighborhoods packed with amenities. I want to thank Adiam Emery for her dedicated service to the SDOT and the City of Seattle.

(Brady is quoted as saying:) “I am honored to be selected for this critical role with the new administration, particularly at such a pivotal and exciting time for our city. I have worked tirelessly through many years of community engagement, planning, design, and construction to successfully deliver on major investments that will forever shape Seattle’s waterfront and our city’s identity and I am thrilled to be able to offer my leadership and expertise toward delivering on SDOT’s commitments to the public as part of the Seattle Transportation Levy and so much more. I want to thank Mayor-elect Wilson for trusting me with this important role, and I am truly looking forward to working in partnership with her, other city departments, communities, and key agency partners as we continue working to ensure efficient and safe access to all modes of travel in Seattle.”

According to the city announcement of Brady’s promotion a year ago to the role she’s leaving, she “has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington, is a licensed Professional Engineer in Washington State, and is also a licensed Project Management Professional with the Project Management Institute.”

Wilson’s announcement also includes her decisions to keep Tanya Kim as head of the Human Services Department:

Reducing unsheltered homelessness will be a top priority for my administration. We particularly need to take quick action to open new emergency housing and shelter beds ahead of the World Cup in June 2026. Success will require close collaboration between my administration, the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, service providers, the business community, and many other stakeholders. To partner with my office in this work, I am retaining Seattle Human Services Department Director Tanya Kim. Together, I am confident that we can provide people the care they need, in dignified settings, and bring proven solutions to scale.

And she’s keeping Dr. Dwane Chappelle as head of the Department of Education and Early Learning.

One of the two West Seattleites helping lead Mayor-elect Katie Wilson‘s transition team will have a major role in her administration too – Brian Surratt has been announced as her deputy mayor. (Just one deputy mayor, unlike outgoing Mayor Bruce Harrell, who has four.) Brian Surratt will be Wilson’s second-in-command. Here’s how the announcement describes him and his role:

The Deputy Mayor is responsible for building public will for the Mayor’s key policy priorities.

Brian is a multi-sector executive with 25 years of experience driving economic development and cultivating partnerships across private and public sectors and diverse communities. Currently, Brian is the CEO of Greater Seattle Partners, a private/public partnership focused on attracting new business, promoting international trade, and growing our major industries for the region. Previously, Brian was the Director of the City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development, where he oversaw small business, workforce, key industry, foreign-direct investment, and anti-displacement programs and strategies, and negotiated the city’s $1.2 billion development agreement to build Climate Pledge Arena. During his time in the Mayor’s Office of Policy and Innovation, Brian served as the policy lead in Seattle’s effort to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.

The mayor-elect’s announcement today included six other senior staff members:

Kate Brunette Kreuzer, Chief of Staff
• Jen Chan, Director of Departments
• Seferiana Day Hasegawa, Director of Communications
• Alex Gallo-Brown, Director of Community Relations
• Aly Pennucci, Director of City Budget Office
• Nicole Vallestero Soper, Director of Policy and Innovation

Department-head choices such as Transportation and Parks & Recreation are yet to come.

One week after Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson announced who’s leading her transition team – including two West Seattleites – she’s announced the rest of the team, and we recognize another West Seattleite (though we’re sure there are others – the list does not describe people beyond their current major organization/business/school/etc. affiliation). Here’s the full announcement:

Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson today announced a 60-member transition team which brings extensive knowledge of housing, business, labor, arts, community safety, civil rights, transportation and other fields. Over the next several weeks, members of the transition team will identify and reach out to dozens of additional community advisors to gather the broadest possible range of input, identify priorities, and help equip Mayor-Elect Wilson to successfully execute her vision as the next mayor of Seattle.

“I’m a coalition-builder — that’s how I ran my campaign, and that’s how I’ll govern,” said Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson. “My transition team brings people together from a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise to help me deliver on the vision that guided my campaign: a vision of a city that is more affordable, more accessible, and more innovative, where economic growth is paired with equity, government functions effectively, and communities feel supported and heard by their city government.”

“I don’t expect everyone on the transition team to agree with me on every issue, and it doesn’t matter who they supported in the election,” Wilson continued. “I have sought out their input and invited them to join my transition team because being a successful mayor means being a mayor for everyone.”

The transition team is organized into seven policy areas focused on:

Housing Affordability & Community Needs
Economic Development & Workers Rights
Transportation & Environment
Arts, Culture & Creative Economy
Civic Narrative & Major Initiatives
Standing Up for Our Values
Public Safety, Parks & Wellbeing

Transition team members in each policy area will solicit input from a broad base of community advisors to identify short, medium, and long-term priorities that advance the Mayor-Elect’s platform in accordance with her vision. The transition team also includes six student and youth advisors.

Transition Team Leadership (previously announced)

Andrés Mantilla, Transition Director; Uncommon Bridges
Karen Estevenin, Transition Co-Chair; Executive Director, Protec17
Tiffani McCoy, Transition Co-Chair; Co-Executive Director, House Our Neighbors
Quynh Pham, Transition Co-Chair; Executive Director, Friends of Little Saigon
Brian Surratt, Transition Co-Chair; President and CEO, Greater Seattle Partners

Housing Affordability & Community Needs

Policy Area Co-Leads:
Colleen Echohawk, CEO, Community Roots Housing
Jon Scholes, President & CEO, Downtown Seattle Association

Policy Area Members:
Cate Bridenstine, Executive Director, Imagine Institute
Alvertis Brooks Jr., Executive Director, Rainier Valley Community Development Fund
Gregory Davis, Managing Strategist, Rainier Beach Action Coalition
Alison Eisinger, Executive Director, Seattle/King County Coalition on Homelessness
Nakita Venus, Executive Director, Seattle’s LGBTQ+ Center

Economic Development & Workers Rights

Policy Area Co-Leads:
Richard de Sam Lazaro, Senior Director, Government Affairs, Expedia
Corina Yballa, Political Director, MLK Labor

Policy Area Members:
Jeanie Chunn, Founder, Seattle Restaurants United
Arif Gursel, Founder and Executive Director, The Union
Toshiko Hasegawa, Commissioner, Port of Seattle
Joe Mizrahi, UFCW 3000, Seattle School Board
Terrance Stevenson, Director, SeaCiti Initiative, WTIA

Transportation & Environment

Policy Area Co-Leads:
Shemona Moreno, Executive Director, 350 Seattle
Anna Zivarts, Program Director, Disability Mobility Initiative

Policy Area Members:
Lowell Bander, 9Zero Climate Innovation Hub
Lindsay Goes Behind, Chief Impact Officer, Seattle Foundation
Lee Lambert, Executive Director, Cascade Bicycle Club
Paulina Lopez, Executive Director, Duwamish River Community Coalition
Gordon Padelford, Executive Director, Seattle Neighborhood Greenways

Arts, Culture & Creative Economy

Policy Area Co-Leads:
Randy Engstrom, Co-Founder & Principal, Third Way Creative
Ben Hunter, Artistic Director, Northwest Folklife

Policy Area Members:
Michael Greer, President and CEO, ArtsFund
Jesse Hagopian, Educator, Author, and Blues Musician
Edwin Lindo, Co-Founder, Estelita’s Library
Amy Nguyen, Executive Director, Watershed Community Development
Elisheba Wokoma, Co-Executive Director, Wa Na Wari

Civic Narrative & Major Initiatives

Policy Area Co-Leads:
Alex Hudson, Executive Director, Commute Seattle
Joy Shigaki, President & CEO, Friends of the Waterfront

Policy Area Members:
Lilliane Ballesteros, Executive Director, Latino Community Fund
Dr. Ana Mari Cauce, President Emeritus, University of Washington
Andrea Caupain Sanderson, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Ile Kimoyo
Leo Flor, Chief Legacy Officer, Seattle FIFA World Cup 26
Mari Horita, SVP, Seattle Kraken

Standing Up for Our Values

Policy Area Co-Leads:
Roxana Norouzi, Executive Director, OneAmerica
Jaelynn Scott, Executive Director, Lavender Rights Project

Policy Area Members:
Caedman Cahill, Civil Rights Attorney
Deaunte Damper, Regional Office of Gun Violence Prevention, King County
Mubarak Elamin, American Muslim Advancement Council
Faduma Fido, Collaborative Governance Lab Leader, People’s Economy Lab
Abdi Jama, Community Legal Advocate

Public Safety, Parks, & Wellbeing

Policy Area Co-Leads:
Lisa Daugaard, Co-Executive Director, Purpose.Dignity.Action
Dominique Davis, CEO, Community Passageways

Policy Area Members:
Asia Adam, Executive Director, OurHope
Erin Goodman, Executive Director, SODO Business Improvement Area
Rev. Dr. Robert Jeffrey, Sr., New Hope Missionary Baptist Church
Gregory Joseph, Communications Director, Alliance for Gun Responsibility
Lonnisha Landry, CEO, Just/Us Love Ones

Student & Youth Advisors

Leo Falit-Baiamonte, President, Seattle Student Union
Russell McQuarrie-Means, Student, South Seattle College
Bailey Medilo, Staff Organizer, Washington Bus
Simon Kreft, Student, Seattle Central College
Rayne Thompson, Student, University of Washington
Sonal Virk, ASUW Vice President, University of Washington

When we reported the mayor-elect’s announcement of transition-team leaders last week, we noted that Mantilla and Surratt are West Seattleites. Names of local note on this list include student adviser Russell McQuarrie-Means, who was behind the “Save Curby” signage targeting City Councilmember Rob Saka‘s plan to remove a raised divider from Delridge (a plan since scrapped), transportation/environment policy team member Paulina López of the South Park-based Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition, and arts/culture/creative economy team member Randy Engstrom, a former director of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center. Wilson will take office January 2; we’re told the ceremony location isn’t yet set.

(Photo: WSB’s Torin Record-Sand, from Wilson’s election-night gathering on Beacon Hill)