With less than one month to go until our state’s presidential primary, and other elections later this year, it’s time for a registration reminder – especially first-time voters! Tthe announcement is from Bonnie Gilbert:

Hey Chief Sealth Students, are you registered to Vote?

Did you know that anyone 16 or older can pre-register? As long as you turn 18 before any upcoming election you can then vote in that election!

Stop by the registration table during lunch on Wednesday or Thursday. It’s quick and easy! Know the last four digits of your social security number or bring your license.

OR sign up online!

Signing up is SO EASY – go to this link to the voter registration website – https://olvr.votewa.gov – Make your voice heard!

See Ms. Whited if you have questions. bdwhited@seattleschools.org or email Bonnie Gilbert at fatkitty@comcast.net

Not a Chief Sealth student but want to register? Simply follow the link to the voter registration website above.

If you go to that site now and see a screen that says it’s too late to sign up for “the current election
– THAT’S NOT TRUE for our area; we’re not part of today’s special election. Our area’s next election is the March 10th presidential primary, and March 2 is the online registration deadline.

West Seattle/South Park City Councilmember Lisa Herbold has agreed to pay $500 to settle an ethics complaint. It stems from last fall’s appearance of an unhitched trailer on the street outside her Highland Park home, shortly after a former council candidate had threatened to tow RVs to councilmembers’ homes. The night it turned up, Herbold texted Police Chief Carmen Best to ask what to do, and the Ethics and Elections Commission said she shouldn’t have done that. The backstory, allegation, and even the texts are all in the settlement document, which you can read here (PDF) or below:

The trailer was eventually found to have belonged to a woman who had it towed there, near her family’s house. The settlement is expected to be finalized at the commission’s meeting tomorrow (4 pm at the Municipal Tower downtown).

In three weeks, ballots hit the mail for our state’s March 10th presidential primary, which, this time, counts. If you’re thinking about voting Democratic, the 34th District Democrats want you to know they have just added a section to their website with info about how the primary and caucuses will work this year. They’re not endorsing a candidate, so this isn’t info about candidates – just about the process, which starts with the March 10th primary and April 26th legislative-district-level caucus. The Secretary of State’s office also has an FAQ about the primary, plus the official list of who’ll be on the ballot.

“We used to have a 100-hour work week, 6 days a week. In 1940 the US made the ‘radical’ shift to a 40-hour week that we enjoy today. Now 80 years later we need to re-think that paradigm.” So tweeted 34th District State Sen. Joe Nguyen of West Seattle tonight, after introducing Senate Bill 6516, which would downsize the official workweek to 32 hours in our state. After that, qualifying workers would have to be paid time and a half. Here’s the full text of the bill, as introduced, which includes a variety of exceptions:

Now that the bill has been introduced, it goes to the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee for potential consideration. You can comment on the bill via the Legislature’s website.

(Image: Seattle Channel)

“I take this oath in gratitude and service, inspired by the kind of city I want for my grandchildren,” declared District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) City Councilmember Lisa Herbold this afternoon, right after taking the oath to start her second term. Her grandchildren, Jamaya and Jamil, were right there with her – Jamaya administered the oath, and Jamil fastened the customary pin. You can see Herbold’s oath and speech starting at 10:45 into the official Seattle Channel video:

Councilmember Herbold said her priorities, as set by District 1 voters, include fighting homelessness by doubling the investment in permanent supportive housing, progressive taxation including the high-earners’ income tax “in order to make property taxes, sales taxes, and taxes on small businesses less regressive.” Since Herbold will be chairing the committee overseeing public safety, it’s also notable that she listed as a priority that “We’re going to get back in full compliance with, and out from under, the consent decree, ensure constitutional policing, while also meeting our goals for Seattle Police Department staffing.” She also vowed to “increase access to transit, make all transportation options safer, and work to deliver Sound Transit 3 on time, and to mitigate disruption of D-1 neighborhoods.” Supporting “truly transit-oriented development” in The Junction and Delridge was on her priority list too. She promised to continue “truly superior constituent services,” too. After listing priorities, she declared that her November victory was a result of “people power,” saying that, “If we continue to mobilize like we have, our voices will change the status quo, wherever and whenever change is most needed.”

Herbold will serve as acting council president for part of this month, once the new president, Councilmember Lorena González (a West Seattleite who holds citywide Position 9 and is midway through her 4-year term) goes on maternity leave; councilmembers serve monthly rotations as president pro tem, and this year, Herbold is up first. González’s unanimous election as council president makes her the first Latinx person to serve in that role (more on that here); she became the council’s first Latinx member in 2015.

We continue spotlighting the community organizations that are returning to their regular meeting schedules post-holidays. This Wednesday (January 8th), all are welcome as the 34th District Democrats focus on a spotlight topic, as announced by communications chair Carla Rogers:

The program will be about Hate Crimes in Washington.

Our January meeting (1/8) will be held at The Hall at Fauntleroy in West Seattle. We start at 6:30 with a potluck and social 30 minutes. The short business meeting will begin at 7 and the program will start shortly thereafter.

Join Nina Martinez from the Latino Civic Alliance and Attorney General Ferguson’s Hate Crimes Working Group, and Kendal Kosai of the Anti-Defamation League of the Pacific Northwest, for a panel discussion on the prevalence of hate crimes in Washington State.

The Hall at Fauntleroy is at 9131 California SW.

When the Seattle City Council starts its year next Monday, they’ll take care of some internal business, from swearing-in ceremonies to new committee assignments. That means some changes in committee names, too. The new lineup – barring any last-minute changes before a vote on Monday – is here (along with a description of each committee’s responsibilities).

District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) Councilmember Lisa Herbold, about to start her second 4-year term, has a big change – she’ll chair the Public Safety and Human Services Committee. She’ll be vice chair of the Finance and Housing Committee, chaired by Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda. Herbold will also be a member of the Transportation and Utilities Committee, chaired by new Councilmember Alex Pedersen, and of the Public Assets and Native Communities Committee, chaired by re-elected Councilmember Debora Juarez, as well as serving as an alternate member of the Community Economic Development Committee, chaired by new Councilmember Tammy Morales. (The other three committees are Governance and Education, chaired by Councilmember Lorena González; Land Use and Neighborhoods, chaired by new Councilmember Dan Strauss; and Sustainability and Renters’ Rights, chaired by re-elected Councilmember Kshama Sawant.) Also of note: That’s one fewer committee than the current lineup. This will all get finalized – plus, the council will choose its new president – 2 pm Monday at City Hall downtown.

6:04 PM: Before the U.S. House of Representatives‘ expected vote tomorrow on presidential impeachment, hundreds of rallies are happening around the nation tonight, one of them in the West Seattle Junction. Our rough estimate is about 100 people at California and Alaska; they are walking back and forth during the crossing times in the Walk-All-Ways intersection.

A rally is also under way downtown at 2nd/Marion.

6:45 PM: Our crew has moved on but the live traffic camera at California/Alaska shows the rally has ended.

10:09 PM: Added video and 2 more photos.

EARLY WEDNESDAY: Thanks to those who sent photos. Here are two by Jonathan Rawle:

West Seattle doesn’t see a lot of political rallies, perhaps due to the proximity to downtown, but one is planned tomorrow night (Tuesday, December 17th) in The Junction. There’s been a nationwide call for rallies on the eve of the U.S. House of Representatives‘ vote on impeachment. In addition to one planned outside the Federal Courthouse downtown and another on the I-5 overpass at 50th, Sue contacted us to say she is organizing one in the heart of The Junction for 5:30 pm, so it’s in the WSB Event Calendar.

That’s the ruling from King County Superior Court judge Marshall Ferguson this morning, putting Initiative 976 on hold while the lawsuit against it is argued. Among the parties to the suit claiming it’s unconstitutional is the city of Seattle, which sent the document and quotes including this from Mayor Jenny Durkan: “This is good news for transit, safety, and equity in Seattle. We are pleased that the Court recognized the severe and irreparable harm to our residents that would have occurred without this injunction. Our residents rely on Metro bus service, ORCA cards, neighborhood safety improvements and road maintenance. … A supermajority of Seattle voted this irresponsible measure down in Seattle. That is because Seattle votes every day with our feet and with our dollars to invest in more transit.” The results certified on Tuesday show 59.47% of King County voters rejected 976; statewide, 52.99% of voters approved it. The document above (it’s here in PDF if you can’t read it there) spells out what plaintiffs say is at risk of cuts – including Metro bus service – if 976 were allowed to take effect December 5th as written; it also says that if ultimately 976 is upheld, overpaid taxes/fees can be refunded. So bottom line – no change in your license fees TFN. State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, in charge of defending the initiative since voters approved it, says, “This is not a final judgment, and this case is far from over. We will continue working to defend the will of the voters. This case will ultimately wind up before the State Supreme Court. We are working now to determine our immediate next steps.”

Three weeks after the voting ended, King County Elections has certified the final results. So for the record, here’s how the local races turned out:

Countywide turnout – 48.54%

Seattle City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park, turnout 54.51%)
Lisa Herbold – 20,033 – 55.71 %
Phil Tavel – 15,787 – 43.90 %

King County Council District 8 (West Seattle, White Center, Vashon/Maury Is., part of Burien, turnout 49.74%)
Joe McDermott – 56,753 – 83.71 %
Michael Robert Neher – 10,729 – 15.83 %

Seattle School Board District 6 (West Seattle & most of South Park; districtwide turnout 54.42%)
Leslie S. Harris – 142,214 – 65.82 %
Molly E. Mitchell – 72,805 – 33.70 %

The full list of countywide results is here.

Most of this month’s 34th District Democrats meeting was devoted to a “town hall” Q&A event with our area’s state legislators – Sen. Joe Nguyen, Rep. Eileen Cody, and Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon. Rachel Glass and Jordan Crawley moderated the event Wednesday at The Hall at Fauntleroy. Here’s our video:

Ahead, our toplines from what was asked and how it was answered:

Read More

As year’s end approaches, so does a new session of the State Legislature. If you have questions or comments for your state legislators, you will find them all in one place tomorrow (Wednesday) night at the 34th District Democrats‘ meeting. You don’t have to be a member to attend – they’re welcoming all community members, 7 pm at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW). Don’t know your legislators, who represent the 34th District, including West Seattle, White Center, Vashon/Maury Islands, and part of Burien? They are State Sen. Joe Nguyen and Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon – all West Seattle residents. P.S. You can send questions in advance – find the link here.

One week after the voting ended, vote-counting continues. It’s mostly a daily trickle from now on, so this will be our last daily update, but here’s where the Seattle City Council District 1 vote totals stand after today’s results report:

Lisa Herbold – 19,835 – 55.71 %
Phil Tavel – 15,638 – 43.92 %

Comparing today’s ballot-return stats to the number counted so far, fewer than 600 remain uncounted in D-1. Turnout for this district is already above 54 percent; 2015 turnout was 45 percent, with ~10,000 fewer ballots returned, ~7,500 fewer registered voters. The final results will be certified in 2 weeks.

3:36 PM: Just released: The 4th round of results since voting ended Tuesday night, first of two updates promised today. Here’s where Seattle City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) stands:

Lisa Herbold – 18,460 – 55.36 %
Phil Tavel – 14,764 – 44.28 %

That’s roughly double the margin she had after yesterday’s count. And that means the incumbent has sewn up the win, as the number of D-1 ballots left to count is about 2,600, smaller than the number by which she leads. (added) One more D-1 note – with 37,000+ ballots cast in this election, that’s a third-plus more than the 27,000 cast in 2015, when Herbold won by 39 votes.

And in other results, Kshama Sawant is now leading in D-3, by 500+ votes. The only other district that was in play appears to be settled – in D-7, Andrew Lewis (behind by a few votes on Election Night) is now 1,400+ votes ahead of Jim Pugel.

In the statewide measures, (update) Referendum 88 is now too close to call; I-976 approval is still well ahead, though the gap closed a bit more.

WHAT’S NEXT: King County Elections plans to release one more set of results by 8:30 pm, and says that will be less than half the size of this one. As noted above, ballot-return statistics indicate a little over 2,500 ballots remain to be counted in D-1.

8:29 PM: That next round is now up. In D-1:

Lisa Herbold – 19,647 – 55.63 %
Phil Tavel – 15,542 – 44.00 %

That leaves about 2,500 D-1 ballots yet to be counted. … For those watching the D-3 race, Kshama Sawant now leads Egan Orion by more than 1,500 votes. … The next results won’t be out until Tuesday, since Monday is Veterans Day.

9:55 PM: It’s been pointed out that we were using the wrong stats to calculate what’s left to count. Not all ballots have votes in all races. So with 36,853 *ballots* counted in D1, and 37,736 ballots received, there are actually fewer than 900 remaining to be counted.

ADDED SATURDAY MORNING: Phil Tavel has just sent this to his campaign mailing list:

First of all, I want to thank you so much for all of your support during my campaign. My supporters are the reason I ran – to help make the community better for us all. The way that the community stepped forward to support me over the past year is truly humbling.

Unfortunately this time around, we came up short. While things didn’t end up the way we had hoped, I am proud of the campaign we ran and forever grateful for the backing I had every step of the way.

I’m going to take some time off and spend some time with my family, but I look forward to seeing what other opportunities arise in the future. My commitment to our community has not diminished, and I want to thank you again for believing in me.

3:35 PM: Just in – the third round of general-election results. For Seattle City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park):

Lisa Herbold – 13,330 – 53.53 %
Phil Tavel – 11,482 – 46.11 %

Herbold’s 1,800+-vote lead is up from about 700 votes yesterday, 500 votes on Tuesday. About 11,000 ballots remain to be counted in D-1. King County Elections plans to release two counts tomorrow, 4 and 8:30 pm.

3:49 PM: As for the other six City Council races, two notes: In D-3, Kshama Sawant has gained major ground on Egan Orion, now fewer than 800 votes and three percentage points behind; in D-7, Andrew Lewis has pulled ahead of Jim Pugel, by 300+ votes. Statewide, Referendum 88 is still losing (but narrowly); I-976 is still passing.