by Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Phil Manzano
South Seattle residents will decide several key election races on the ballot that will determine who will represent them in King County and on the Seattle City Council, as well as vote on a property tax measure that will affect their pocketbooks.
Continue reading Today Is Election Day; Here Are Key Races and Ballot Measures for South End Residentsby Tobias Coughlin-Bogue and Guy Oron
(This article was originally published on Real Change and has been reprinted under an agreement.)
For King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, the last four years have been a whirlwind. Having been elected in November 2019, most of his first term was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many residents of King County District 2, which includes southeast Seattle, Capitol Hill, and Skyway, were hit particularly badly. During this time, the ambitious Zahilay stepped up his presence in his new role, engaging with constituents on social media platforms, like TikTok and Instagram, while also channeling the social justice principles of his predecessor, civil rights legend Larry Gossett.
Continue reading King County Council District 2 Candidate Girmay Zahilay Talks to Real Changeby Sharon Maeda
There’s no such thing as a post-racial society, as was proffered when Barack Obama was elected president in 2008. And, despite a recent increase in racial hate crimes, vandalism, and harassment of BIPOC communities, some things have changed for the better. We no longer have to wring our hands and hope for the best when a person of our own racial or ethnic group is not ready for prime time, but we feel compelled to vote for them out of ethnic solidarity anyway.
We can vote for people who we know have the integrity and commitment to further justice for our communities during these fragile times. We can vote for the person who most closely shares our values, who we can trust, who is endorsed by those we respect, and who we know will listen when we bring forward important issues, policies, and crises. No longer do we have to vote for someone who “looks like us.”
Continue reading OPINION | Why We Don’t Need to Vote Our Race/Ethnicity in Local Electionsby Guy Oron
(This article was originally published on Real Change and has been reprinted under an agreement.)
In addition to candidate Teresa Mosqueda, Real Change also interviewed candidate Sofia Aragon.
The retirement of 13-year incumbent Joe McDermott from the King County Council prompted two local politicians to run for the open seat: Burien Mayor Sofia Aragon and Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda. They both made it through the primaries and have differing visions for the district, which includes broad swathes of West Seattle, Burien, Vashon Island, White Center, and the Chinatown-International District.
Continue reading King County District 8 Candidate Teresa Mosqueda Talks to Real Changeby Guy Oron
(This article was originally published on Real Change and has been reprinted under an agreement.)
King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay is set to introduce a new ordinance that would raise the minimum wage to $18.99 an hour for unincorporated King County, which encompasses areas like White Center, Skyway, and Vashon Island.
Continue reading King County Councilmembers Propose $19 Minimum Wage for Skyway and White Centerby Luna Reyna
Seattle summer is at its peak this month, and with local music and food festivals, Seafair, beach days, and major league baseball and basketball games to attend, an Aug. 1 primary election is not top of mind for most people. Unfortunately, that doesn’t bode well for the key races in the South End.
Continue reading Primary Elections in the South End Will Impact the Everyday Lives of South Seattle’s Residentsby Lauryn Bray
King County’s Crisis Care Levy, a property levy that will fund the development of several mental and behavioral health care facilities across the Seattle region, passed last month with a 56.7% vote. The levy, which will raise up to $1.25 billion over a nine-year period, garnered support early on with 54% of King County voters approving the levy within the first day of voting.
Continue reading Recently Passed King County Crisis Care Levy Will Offer Mental and Behavioral Health Care Facilitiescurated by Vee Hua 華婷婷
by Lauryn Bray
On Jan. 21, King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay announced the launch of his reelection campaign at Washington Hall. Joined by other County and City elected officials, community members and organizers, as well as news and media outlets, Zahilay recounted some of his successes over the past few years and tearfully explained there is still more work to be done.
Continue reading Councilmember Girmay Zahilay Launches Reelection Campaign
