Another citywide candidacy announcement today – this time, Sara Nelson is running again for City Council Position 9, the citywide seat currently held by Councilmember Lorena González, who announced Wednesday she’s running for mayor. Nelson ran for the seat in 2017 and finished third in the primary. She is co-founder of Fremont Brewing and has worked as a City Council policy adviser (for former Councilmember Richard Conlin). Her announcement says she “wants to put her success in business and city government to work for all Seattleites,” and quotes her as saying, “I will work to bring back jobs and community resources to Seattle by revitalizing our downtown core and neighborhood business districts.” Nelson lives in Green Lake. She is the first candidate for this seat to send us an announcement, but five people have registered campaigns with the city. The field won’t be final until May; the primary is August 3rd.

Six years have passed since King County voters approved the first “Best Starts for Kids” levy, you’ll be asked in August if you support renewing it. King County Executive Dow Constantine‘s announcement says it has served more than 500,000 children in the past six years (here’s a report), “providing comprehensive supports from prenatal development all the way to young adulthood.” The programs proposed to be funded through the levy include:

• Home-based services for new parents – provides support for new families throughout the first years. In these programs, an average of 97 percent of new parents started breastfeeding, helping their babies off to a healthy start. This exceeded the goal of “Healthy People 2020,” a federal initiative with a goal of 82 percent of new parents breastfeeding.

• Programs that promote healthy development for youth – provides support for children and young people to develop leaderships skill, connect with their community, and succeed in school. The levy served 40,000 children and young people with programs before, during, and after school, and throughout the summer.

• Youth and Family Homelessness Prevention Initiative – flexible funds and intensive case management helped 9,200 young people and families. Ninety percent of enrollees did not enter the homeless system, and 92 percent remained housed at least one year after exiting the program.

Child care would also be addressed, “new funding for 3,000 children under 5 who currently have no access to child care.” So what will it cost? The first-year rate is 19 cents per $1,000 valuation, $114 a year for a “median-priced King County home,” with annual increases capped at three percent, raising about $811 million over the six years. The announcement says this is five cents more per $1,000 than the original Best Starts for Kids levy. You can read more about this in the full announcement. Next step for the proposal is a County Council decision on whether to send it to the ballot.

The first high-profile candidate for Seattle Mayor has announced her campaign. Colleen Echohawk leads the nonprofit Chief Seattle Club, which provides services to urban Natives experiencing homelessness. Her announcement says she is “running on a people-first platform to achieve an equitable renewal from the COVID-19 pandemic” and quotes her as saying that “we have a once-in-a-generation chance to rethink how [the city] works, and who it works for.” The announcement describes Echohawk’s priorities as including “an investment in community-based organizations and businesses” as well as “the establishment of a Public Safety Department, with community-based mental health workers and neighborhood liaisons.” Echohawk is a North Seattle resident. In addition to her nonprofit work, she has been involved in a wide variety of advisory groups on major regional issues – our archives note that she was on the Stakeholder Advisory Group for Sound Transit‘s West Seattle to Ballard light-rail plan. Three other candidates have registered campaigns for mayor; this is the first announcement we’ve received. (Campaign website photo)

“This will be a year of rebuilding.” That observation from the new chair of our area’s largest political organization, the 34th District Democrats, as they met last night to elect new leadership – their every-two-years reorganization. After two years, Gina Topp decided not to run for another term as chair, and Carla Rogers was elected unopposed. They had a virtual gavel-passing during the online meeting (in our screengrabs below, that’s Topp holding the gavel):

Others elected included 1st vice chair Rachel Glass, 2nd vice chair Jordan Crawley, state committee representatives Chris Porter and Janine Anzalota, county committee reps Norman Sigler and Leah Griffin, county committee alternates Bunny Hatcher and Richard O’Neill, treasurer Julie Whittaker and secretary Sara Smith. Post-vote, Rogers – whose goals are laid out in the organization’s latest newsletter – observed, “This is going to be quite an adventure.” The organization spans the entire 34th Legislative District, including West Seattle, White Center, part of Burien, and Vashon/Maury Islands.

Local notes related to the breaking national news that’s been happening for the last several hours – the insurrection that disrupted Congress’s electoral-vote counting to finalize the presidential election:

REP. JAYAPAL EVACUATED: Watching cable-TV coverage for a while, we saw NBC video showing West Seattle-residing U.S. House Rep. Pramila Jayapal taking cover in the upper House gallery. She had to evacuate and has since tweeted:

PRAYER FOR PEACE: From Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church:

With the deeply troubling events happening in DC right now, Our Lady of Guadalupe invites all in the community to join with us tonight, January 6 at 7:00 pm for a prayer service. The service will focus on intentions for Peace and Reconciliation. Let us gather in prayer asking Mary’s intercession for peace and reconciliation in our country at this very difficult time.

This will be via livestream – here’s the Vimeo link.

WEST SEATTLE ELECTED OFFICIALS’ STATEMENTS: West Seattle/South Park Councilmember Lisa Herbold says, “”This violent occupation of our Capitol – and attack on our American Democracy and values – must be ended immediately” (full statement here); West Seattle-residing Councilmember Lorena González says, “As elected leaders, we all have a responsibility to continue to denounce dangerous rhetoric and work to move our country forward toward progress and healing” (full statement here); West Seattle-residing King County Executive Dow Constantine says, “I urge leaders at all levels of government and across the political spectrum to stand together in support of our nation, our constitution, and the peaceful transfer of power that these traitors are seeking in vain to disrupt” (full statement here).

Though some speculated she might run for mayor, West Seattle-residing City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda has decided to run for re-election instead. Mosqueda has moved to North Delridge since her 2017 election to Position 8, one of two at-large (citywide) seats on the council. She was in the spotlight last year for multiple reasons, including as the council’s budget chair, and as sponsor of the “JumpStart” tax, as well as workers-rights issues. The early-morning news release announcing her candidacy quotes her as saying, “There are many challenges ahead as we leave the COVID-19 era; to restart our economy and get people into housing, a proven track record of delivering will be needed. My team and I are ready to do the work.” Her listed priorities include homelessness, housing affordability, supporting child-care providers, strengthening support for small businesses and community services, and continuing public-safety reform. She plans to participate in the Democracy Voucher program, as she did in her 2017 campaign. So far, one other candidate has registered a Position 8 campaign with the city, Kaia Persson. (Photo courtesy Mosqueda campaign)

With that campaign-style video, Mayor Jenny Durkan has just announced she will NOT run for re-election next year. The emailed announcement quotes her as saying, “”We know stopping the spread of the virus, protecting jobs and focusing on the economic recovery — especially for downtown– is going to take everything we’ve got. As Mayor approaching the last year of my term, that meant a choice. I could spend the next year campaigning to keep this job or focus all my energy on doing the job. There was only one right choice for our city: doing the job. I have decided not to run for reelection because Seattle, we still have some tough months ahead.”

ADDED: Durkan, a former U.S. Attorney, beat Cary Moon in 2017 after the two emerged from a 21-candidate primary. Three candidates have registered campaigns with the city so far – Lance Randall (who filed months ago) and two recent filers, perennial candidate David Ishii and William Kopatich.

Seattle hasn’t had a two-term mayor since West Seattle’s Greg Nickels, who left office a decade ago.

(WSB photo, October 2019)

Durkan has visited West Seattle for more than half a dozen walking tours and town halls since taking office three years ago. Before the West Seattle Bridge shutdown, public safety was the most-frequent topic, and she returned time and again to The Junction to talk with business owners. That’s also the topic on which she and City Councilmembers clashed last summer, with their push to cut the SPD budget leading to the departure of SPD Chief Carmen Best. But more recently, she did not challenge the cuts and changes that made it into the 2021 budget she signed last week.

Her highest-profile action regarding West Seattle, of course, was the decision announced last month to repair rather than replace the cracked high bridge, now in its ninth month of closure. Since Durkan’s term won’t end until late 2021, she’ll still be presiding as most of the repair process plays out.

We’ll update with any post-announcement developments of note throughout the day.

As the State Legislature gets ready for its mostly online session starting next month, legislators are choosing leaders, and one from our area has been chosen by his colleagues for a major role. 34th District Sen. Joe Nguyen, a West Seattle resident, has been elected as Assistant Floor Leader by the State Senate Democratic Caucus. The announcement explains, “The Assistant Floor Leader supports the Floor Leader in setting Senate floor agendas and works with bicameral and bipartisan leadership to facilitate discussion.” Sen. Nguyen is midway through his first 4-year term and also is on the Transportation, Environment, Energy & Technology, Rules, and Human Services, Reentry & Rehabilitation committees. The legislative session is set to start January 11th.

Three weeks after the voting ended, the general-election results for King County are now certified. Three notes:

TURNOUT: Countywide, 86.87 percent, breaking the 85 percent record set in 2012. For the city of Seattle, 88.18 percent. For the 34th Legislative District (West Seattle, White Center, Vashon, part of Burien), 87.64 percent.

PRESIDENTIAL VOTING: Countywide, it was 74.95 percent for Biden/Harris, 22.24 percent for Trump/Pence.

HOW BALLOTS WERE TURNED IN: KCE says 73.9 percent of voters used ballot drop boxes, 24.98 percent mailed in their ballots, and 1.1 percent got theirs in by fax.

More stats are in the KCE news release.

One of last week’s many community meetings featured five West Seattle-residing elected representatives joining forces for an online Town Hall.

Wednesday night’s livestreamed event was hosted by State Sen. Joe Nguyen, with guests State Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon, City Councilmember Lisa Herbold, and County Councilmember Joe McDermott.

They presented updates and answered questions. We’ll start with where they ended: Discussing Thanksgiving plans.

Read More

One of the issues brought up in the process of deciding whether to repair or replace the damaged West Seattle Bridge is the cost of future maintenance. Tonight, three councilmembers including West Seattle/South Park’s Lisa Herbold are proposing a car-tab fee to help pay for bridge maintenance citywide, replacing part of a fee that’s about to expire. From the announcement we just received:

With support from labor and business communities, Councilmembers Alex Pedersen, Lisa Herbold, and Andrew J. Lewis today proposed legislation to use Vehicle Licensing Fees to boost maintenance of multimodal bridges throughout Seattle. Vehicle Licensing Fees, which were previously set at $80, would move from $20 to $40 under the new legislation, as authorized by RCW 36.73.065 and RCW 82.80.140. The legislation would raise an additional $3.6 million in 2021 and an additional $7.2 million in subsequent years. The Councilmembers propose to direct the additional funding to bridges with high-frequency public transit.

The Seattle City Auditor recently published a report on the city’s bridges indicating high unmet needs for bridge maintenance. The engineering standard for bridge maintenance in Seattle ranges from $34 million to $102 million per year, and yet the current level for is only $10 million approximately. The city needs to add $24 million at the very least to meet the lowest estimate of maintenance needs. The City Council Budget Chair’s initial balance package restores or funds several transportation projects while adding $4 million to bridge maintenance. By tapping the adjusted vehicle license fees, this legislation would invest another $3.6 million to double the Council’s addition to $7.6 million. This represents an incremental increase to begin meeting a clear need.

So to recap – the current city car-tab fee is at $80 (going toward transit) and scheduled to drop to $20, but this would drop it to $40 instead. The proposed legislation (read it here) is on the council’s “introduction and referral” calendar for the coming week; it likely won’t be voted on until after the council wraps up its budget work just before Thanksgiving.

By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Next Wednesday, your state legislators and local city/county councilmembers will join forces for an online Town Hall.

The three legislators gave a preview in their appearance at this past Wednesday’s 34th District Democrats meeting.

It began with updates from each: Read More

(WSB photos/video unless otherwise credited)

West Seattle’s Statue of Liberty had a new accessory tonight, we noticed while on rounds just before dark. The inbox brought word of other flags:

The photo is from Xuu206, who explained, “Flags are popping up on houses all over the neighborhood. (Genesee-Junction) Feels so good to be proud to fly our flag again! Ours will be up through Inauguration Day!” And flags were still being waved in The Junction at sunset, more than six hours after we first found revelers at Walk All Ways:

Late in the day, as one reader put it, this turned into more of a dance party, with a DJ in the garage-door-open Easy Street Café:

The DJ: West Seattleite Derek Moon of Soul Focus:

Outside, signs and sightings:

(This photo and next, courtesy FoldingFan)

We went back through California/Alaska after nightfall and just a few people remained outside Easy Street. (Our earlier coverage is here.)

(WSB photo, added 10:29 am)

8:50 AM: In case you haven’t seen/heard it somewhere else already – the presidential race has been called. We heard when someone here on the Gatewood/Fauntleroy line went outside their house and yelled “JOE BIDEN GOT THE WIN!” and now the scanner has multiple reports of fireworks. This is because the state of Pennsylvania has been called for Biden, meaning he’s got 273 electoral votes, three more than needed for election. California Sen. Kamala Harris makes history as the first woman on a winning president/vice president ticket, 36 years after the late Geraldine Ferraro became the first woman on a major-party ticket.

LOCAL NOTE: In King County, the most-recent results count shows 75 percent of the countywide vote for Biden/Harris, 22 percent for Trump/Pence.

9:26 AM: Via Twitter, a sample of West Seattle-residing elected officials’ reactions:

Meantime, multiple drivers have gone through the two-arterial intersection near our HQ, honking,

10:29 AM: We went out to look for spontaneous celebrations, and found some, big and small, In Admiral, outside Circa:

On our second pass through The Junction, flag- and sign-wavers had gathered at Walk All Ways:

Video:

12:30 PM: The Junction revelry continues. Jess sent us this clip, also from Walk All Ways:

Earlier this hour, we participated in a media Q&A with Mayor Jenny Durkan, who says the Biden win increases the chance of federal money for the West Seattle Bridge. Separate story to come. On a more personal note, she said, “I’ve waited a lifetime to see a woman elected to one of the highest offices in America.”

1:20 PM: People are still at Walk All Ways celebrating.

All the post-election suspense is at the national level – but we’re going to present a quick local update anyway.

TURNOUT UPDATE: Will King County hit that 90 percent goal? It’s getting closer – as of tonight, just under 86 percent of ballots countywide had been received; looking just at the city of Seattle, it’s almost 88 percent. (For comparison, the final 2016 percentages were 80.85% countywide, 84.26% for Seattle.)

RESULTS UPDATE: Nothing we were watching at the local/state level was close, and today’s added returns haven’t changed anything. Seattle Transportation Benefit District Prop 1, sales tax to fund extra Metro service, has 8X percent approval, while King County Prop 1, property tax for improvements at Harborview Medical Center, has 77 percent approval. See the updated King County results here, and the updated state results here.

King County is out with its first and only results report – 72.4% of county votes have been counted. Locally, the ballot measures are tonight’s biggest news:

SEATTLE PROPOSITION 1
Sales tax for transit funding
82% yes
18% no

ADDED 8:33 PM: West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold on Prop 1:

“Today’s vote in support of Proposition 1 for transit funding is good news for West Seattle. Proposition 1 specifies that up to $9 million annually to support mobility needs related to the closure of the West Seattle Bridge, and COVID-19 response and recovery. With the West Seattle Bridge closed through at least 2022, traffic and access issues will only increase once social distancing ends or decreases. Transit service will be critical to meeting the ambitious goals of SDOT’s Reconnect West Seattle plan. The ballot measure notes Investments could include, in addition to transit service, speed and reliability improvements, first-last mile transit connections, and Transportation Demand Management strategies described in the community-driven Reconnect West Seattle plan.”

Back to results:

KING COUNTY PROPOSITION 1
Harborview Medical Center property tax
78% yes
22% no

ADDED 8:49 PM: From King County Executive Dow Constantine:

“While there are still many votes to be counted, I thank the voters of King County for their support for Harborview Medical Center. These investments will ensure that our region continues to be the best place in the country to receive emergency medical care, and needed seismic upgrades will protect the lives of patients, employees, and visitors to Harborview. Besides helping people with behavioral health needs and better preparing the region to fight pandemics, the measure creates thousands of family-wage construction jobs at a time when our region needs them the most.”

Back to results:

KING COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT 5
Change sheriff from elected to appointed?
56% yes
43% no

We’ll be adding more. Meantime, major races are for Congress and state offices – plus one state ballot measure of note – those results are here:

U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 7
(Includes West Seattle)
Pramila Jayapal (D) 85%
Craig Keller (R) 15%

ADDED 11:45 PM: Rep. Jayapal (a West Seattle resident) thanked voters via Twitter, adding:

I am humbled, grateful & ready to serve again. Our path to truly build a more just & equitable country is long. But we are bold, progressive & unafraid, and if we believe in the possible & organize, we WILL win!

GOVERNOR
Jay Inslee (D) 60%
Loren Culp (R) 40%

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
Denny Heck (D) 47%
Marko Liias (D) 34%

SECRETARY OF STATE
Kim Wyman (R) 52%
Gael Tarleton (D) 48%

STATE REFERENDUM 90
Sex education
Approved 60%
Rejected 40%

Unlike the Seattle/King County-only races, the statewide ones will change through the night because of other counties, so we’ll keep updating.

P.S. If you’re interested – the presidential race in King County so far is Biden 77%, Trump 21%; statewide, it’s Biden 61%, Trump 36%.

Final hour of voting – and ballot drop-box sites are ready for a crush of procrastinators who might not show up, given this year’s early voting – 83 percent of Seattle ballots received by late today. Nonetheless, there are flaggers on the street and staffers on the sidewalk by The Junction’s drop box:

And when we stopped by before 7 pm, they were outnumbering the last-minute voters. If you still haven’t dropped off your ballot, get to your nearest drop box by 8 pm – the list is in our daily preview. King County’s first round of results are due out around 8:15 pm.