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:

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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.

3:45 PM: Just in from King County Elections, the second count of results from last night’s election. In the City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park) race, Lisa Herbold is still narrowly leading Phil Tavel, 10,047 votes to 9,337 votes – 51.65% to 48.0%.

4:05 PM: Note that there are still many ballots to count. In District 1, today’s count added 1,709 ballots to last night’s total (go here to see the first night results). More than 12,000 D-1 ballots remain. And KC Elections says “bigger results drops” – counts – are coming over the next two days. Meantime, nothing changed in the other council races; the only other district with fewer than 1,000 votes separating the candidates is District 7, and it’s very close – Jim Pugel now has a 20-vote lead over Andrew Lewis, down from 203 last night.

4:54 PM: To answer a question in comments, what’s linked above are just the King County numbers – so if you are looking for the statewide initiatives, you have to go to the Secretary of State website. The latest on I-976 is here, still passing with 55% approval; the latest on R-88 is here, still narrowly being rejected. Here’s our earlier followup on local leaders’ plans to challenge 976 in court.

8:15 PM: The first results are in and for Seattle City Council District 1 (West Seattle/South Park), and incumbent Lisa Herbold is ahead of challenger Phil Tavel 51.2% (9,144) to 48.3% (8,614). We’re at both parties. More to come, including video from both speeches. (added) Both were ebullient. Herbold seemed confident she’ll stay in the lead. Here’s the second half of her speech (full clip shortly):

Tavel was confident he’ll pull out a win – lauding a “people-powered campaign” and declaring, “We’re gonna win this for West Seattle”:

Four years ago, Herbold’s opponent Shannon Braddock was six points ahead on Election Night, but Herbold eventually won – by 39 votes. Her party tonight included other elected officials present and past, including U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal and former Councilmember Nick Licata, for whom Herbold worked before her election in 2015:

Tavel’s party included many of the local businesspeople who supported his run:

8:50 PM: As for the other council races – in District 2, Tammy Morales has 56%, in closely watched District 3, Egan Orion has 54% to incumbent Kshama Sawant‘s 46%, in District 4, Alex Pedersen is ahead with 57%, in District 5, incumbent Debora Juarez is ahead with 57%, in District 6, Dan Strauss is ahead with 52&, and in District 7, Jim Pugel is leading, 50.3%.

NEXT COUNT: Wednesday afternoon, around 4 pm. (Note that many ballots remain to be counted – in this district alone, 24,528 ballots had been received in time to make the 6 pm count, but the results announced at 8:15 pm only included 18,558.)

Tonight’s election also includes two statewide ballot measures and one for King County.

INITIATIVE 976 (car-tab taxes) – Results here

Update: 11:16 pm
Yes – 545,827 – 55.59%
No – 436,083 44.41%

REFERENDUM 88 (affirmative action) – Results here

(Update – 11:16 pm)
Yes – 461,367 – 48.55%
No – 489,017 – 51.45%

KING COUNTY PROP 1 (Medic One levy) – Results here (PDF)

Yes – 239,003 – 79.11 %
No – 63,123 – 20.89 %

(Looking for the other statewide measures? Results here.)

The City Council races got almost all the attention, but they weren’t the only ones on the ballot. Also of note (full results here):

KING COUNTY COUNCIL DISTRICT 8 (includes West Seattle, White Center, Vashon/Maury Islands)
Joe McDermott* – 27,404 – 82.13 %
Michael Robert Neher – 5,787 – 17.34 %

(Leslie Harris, photographed at Lisa Herbold’s election-night party)

SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 6 (includes West Seattle and most of South Park)
Leslie Harris* – 66,441 – 65.70 %
Molly Mitchell – 34,110 33.73 %

SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 1
Liza Rankin – 52,494 – 51.14 %
Eric Blumhagen – 49,639 – 48.36 %

SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT 5
Chandra Hampson – 66,563 – 65.53 %
Rebeca Muñiz – 34,436 33.90 %

SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 3
Sam Cho – 151,037 – 56.76 %
Grant Degginger – 113,559 – 42.68 %

SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION POSITION 5
Fred Felleman* – 180,337 – 69.16 %
Garth Jacobson – 79,377 – 30.44 %

10:03 PM: Updated above with full numbers/percentages from tonight’s results; next update will be in the King County Elections count around 4 pm Wednesday.

Just arrived in the 44th/Alaska lot in The Junction – thanks to Lora Radford from the West Seattle Junction Association for the photo – signage for parking spots temporarily reserved for ballot drop-off. This dropbox is also next to bus stops. You have until 8 pm Tuesday to get your ballot into a dropbox (also nearby are ones outside the High Point, White Center, and South Park libraries – here’s the full countywide list). If you’re sending it by postal mail, don’t wait that long; it needs to be postmarked no later than tomorrow, and most mailbox pickups are earlier. As of today’s midday count, almost 80 percent of West Seattle/South Park ballots are still out.

Vote today if you haven’t already – each vote that gets to King County Elections before Tuesday means one less vote to count AFTER that first round of results. Best way to do that? Use a county dropbox for your ballot. Four are in our general area:

–Junction (SW Alaska, south side, west of California)
–High Point (outside the library, 3411 SW Raymond)
–White Center (outside the library, 1409 SW 107th)
–South Park (outside the library, 8604 8th S.)

You can also use postal mail but there’s no guarantee your ballot will arrive by Tuesday for early counting (but as long as it’s postmarked by Tuesday, it will count whenever it arrives). As of last night, 12,181 West Seattle/South Park ballots were already in, out of 68,521 sent.

P.S. For all our election coverage, scroll through our politics archive (newest to oldest) here.

The voting ends and vote-counting begins one week from today. So far, as of tonight’s count, 8,530 of the 68,521 ballots sent out in City Council District 1 have been turned in; that’s a little over 12 percent. It’s the third-highest total by district, while D-1 has the fourth-highest number of voters. If you’re still not sure how to turn your ballot in and/or track it, that info’s here.

FINAL FORUM: The D-1 race is not all you’re deciding (as we noted here). But it’s certainly the highest-profile race.If you haven’t decided who to vote for yet, here’s one more chance to hear the candidates side by side. We recorded this forum last week at Arrowhead Gardens, the senior-living complex in southeast West Seattle. This was an open-mic Q&A event – described by organizers as “town hall” format. The questions were asked either directly by attendees or by moderator Diane Radischat from cards some had filled out.

No opening statements – after the introduction, it was on to Q&A, one and a quarter hours of it, all summarized below:

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By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor

Mayor Jenny Durkan walked around the West Seattle Junction this afternoon for the fourth time since taking office two years ago.

And there was some sitting involved, too.

“I’m happy that you take a substantial interest in West Seattle,” Jack Menashe told her as they chatted for a few minutes on the couch in his family’s shop Menashe and Sons Jewelers (WSB sponsor). He wanted to discuss the future of Junction parking, and the mayor suggested they arrange some time to talk. He also invited her to visit the legendary Christmas-lights display at his Beach Drive home; Durkan joked that he might merit a discount from Seattle City Light.

The tour was full of that kind of warmth as well as some serious discussions. It began at Husky Deli, where proprietor Jack Miller greeted Durkan with a hug:

Inside, he scooped a small cone of Husky Flake for the mayor and she nibbled at it while mingling with the seating area in the shop. She was accompanied by a crowd at the start – TV crews as well as city personnel, including Fire Chief Harold Scoggins and SPD Assistant Chief Deanna Nollette, plus Southwest Precinct leaders Capt. Pierre Davis and Lt. Steve Strand.

The TV turnout thinned after a group interview stop outside Easy Street Records. “This is a great store!” the mayor enthused. The TV people wanted to know whether, for example, things were better than her last visit. Yes, she believed, but they could always be better, so she hit her budget talking points including police hiring.

Inside West 5, proprietor Dave Montoure had a different view. He shared concerns about crime and disorder and the uneasiness that can result. “When our door opens at 11 am on weekends, we don’t know what’s going to come in.”

The mayor spoke of not just policing but also alternative tools for dealing with street disorder, including the new Health One program that SFD will be launching. Nollette also mentioned the long-awaited return of Community Service Officers.

Among a group of other local entrepreneurs who gathered at West 5 was Dan Austin of Morgan Junction’s Peel and Press. He voiced concerns about police staffing and retention; the mayor said she believed police morale “is returning.” (She announced initiatives in that area during a Delridge visit last month.)

From there, the tour crossed California to Menashe and Sons. Along with Jack Menashe, others there to greet the mayor included City Council candidate Phil Tavel and signal-box-muralist Desmond Hansen. And then the group headed back southbound toward the final scheduled destination, Cupcake Royale.

After offering to treat anyone interested to cupcakes, the mayor sat down for a roundtable of sorts with some of the businesspeople who had met with her at West 5, as well as Lora Radford of the West Seattle Junction Association.

Topics included business regulation – – the mayor agreed more could be done to reduce the burden on small businesses – but came around again fairly quickly to public safety. The mayor stressed that it wasn’t just a matter of “throwing everyone in jail,” but providing shelter and services for those who need them.

The businesses need services too, Radford noted at one point – describing it as “inhumane” for small-business owners to have to continually deal with crime problems such as repeat break-ins. But with a few more beat cops, and outreach services, “we can take care of it,” she said. However, they need to know who they can call, who they can count on.

Durkan agreed. The answer to “who do I call?” is not always 911, she observed.

Having to navigate the system while also trying to run a business can be daunting, Austin added.

Shortly thereafter, the mayor’s assistants said time had run out. And after a few more conversations, her 23rd neighborhood tour was over.

WHAT’S NEXT? The City Council continues reviewing the mayor’s budget plan – next scheduled meeting Tuesday morning.