Learn about candidates, ballot measures, and voting information for the August 1, 2023 Primary  Election in Washington.

Washington August 1, 2023 Primary  Election

Washington August 1, 2023 Primary  Election Politics and Voting Information

Seattle

Auburn

Kent

Tukwila

Renton

Washington

2023 Seattle Primary Elections

King County Elections, Becka Johnson Poppe

Hacks & Wonks Podcast, Becka Johnson Poppe

- Wants to provide high quality childcare options for babies and toddlers, particularly for low-income and dual language families. 
- Said, "a budget is about our values - it's about our priorities and how we make those real, and that's a unique skill set that I bring." 
- Wants to make sure that nonprofits have the funding to pay their employees more, especially people doing social service work, adjust wages to keep up with inflation, and provide more benefits. 
- As a county employee, she was responsible for King County's $16 billion budget, including funding for metro transit and parks.

Taxes & Budget

LinkedIn

The Seattle Times, King County Council races begin to take shape

- Wants safe, reliable, emissions-free public transportation in District 4 and plans to create a Transportation Benefit District that will create a new tax in the area to expand bus service.

Transit & Infrastructure

- Wants the county to be a leader on address homelessness and said that "[h]elping the unhoused is an urgent priority, [sic] we must scale up supportive services that save lives and build healthy communities for everyone." 
- Supports "scaling up the King County Regional Homelessness Authority's work to center lived experiences, data, and evidence-based practices. 
- Wants to provide support for first-time home buyers, create more housing rental options managed by the county or a nonprofit, and require developers to include affordable housing units in their development projects. 
- As a county employee, she created a $20 million Climate Equity program to build affordable housing and convert homes to run on sustainable sources of energy.

Housing

- Said, "I will also increase investments in renewable energy and green development in public and private projects to ensure our region, and the world, are livable for generations to come." 
- Plans to reduce emissions by changing county zoning, codes, and processes , protect waterways from pollution, and provide more equitable access to green spaces throughout the county. 
- Supports environmental and racial justice, and wants the county to be a leader on climate change. 
- As a county employee, she incorporated a "social cost of carbon" into the county's decisions about infrastructure projects, and she helped update the building codes to require sustainable construction.

Environment

- Plans to provide safer and more effective behavioral health services while improving wages for behavioral health workers. 
- As a University of Washington employee, she worked to make higher education more affordable by expanding financial aid for low- and middle-income students from Washington.

Community Development

King County,  Zero Youth Detention launching the Regional Peacekeepers Collective

- Wants to evaluate "use of force" policies and training for the police and to staff public safety teams with mental health professionals trained to respond to crises. 
- Plans to expand community courts to include misdemeanor crimes, community diversion programs, and community-based alternative to prison sentences. 
- Supports closing the King County Jail. 
- Wants more behavioral health support for people in prison, more access to legal representation, and more "human-centered, criminal legal strategies." 
- Said, "[g]un violence is a public health crisis that disproportionately harms black and brown men," and wants to scale up the King County Regional Peacekeepers Collective, which addresses violence as a public health issue by providing support to at-risk youth and families.

Public Safety

Instagram

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Becka Johnson Poppe

King County Elections, Jorge L. Barón

- Plans to secure funding from the state government and said, "I believe that we will not be able to make sufficient progress in any of these issue areas if we do not address the way that county services are funded." 
- Wants more funding for public transportation, including expanding public transit options such as buses, light rail, and commuter trains.

- Supports dense, walkable neighborhoods and robust, reliable public transportation as an alternative to individual car usage.

- Promises "to develop affordable and dignified housing for all and lead on comprehensive strategies to support our unhoused neighbors." 
- Wants to build affordable housing for low-income families, seniors, and individuals experiencing homelessness, while also providing shelter and support services in the short term. 
- Supports rent stabilization and tenant protections, and wants to prevent unfair evictions and displacement. 
- Believes that "[a]ccess to safe, affordable housing is a fundamental human right and essential for building strong and equitable communities."

- Supports climate resilience initiatives and plants to "approach this issue as one of climate justice, prioritizing the mitigation of impacts of the crisis on marginalized communities." 
- Plans to increase the use of sustainable energy sources, including solar, wind, and hydroelectric power, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 
- Promises to conserve natural resources in the Puget Sound, protect biodiversity, and making sure that land is used sustainably.

- Supports universally affordable childcare. 
- Wants to expand behavioral health services, including substance use treatment. 
- Said, "I believe it is essential to use a racial justice lens when evaluating policies in all these issue areas."

- Plans to focus on preventing crime, community-based policing, and using data to improve public safety. 
- Said, "I recognize the importance of a holistic approach to public safety that goes beyond traditional law enforcement measures." 
- Supports reforming the police, by providing more oversight, training in de-escalation, and prioritizing transparency. 
- Wants to get rid of discriminatory practices and promote fairness within the criminal justice system. 
- Supports alternatives to prison time, including rehabilitation, diversion programs, and restorative justice initiatives.

Jorge L. Barón

The Daily, City and County Council candidates clash at UW town hall debate

King County Elections, Sarah Reyneveld

- Supports a progressive tax system and said, "I am tired of living in a state with the most regressive tax structure, where big business and wealthy individuals aren't paying their fair share...I am going to advocate, if elected, for the legislature to obtain local jurisdiction taxation authority to impose an excise tax on big business."
- Plans to "invest[] in solutions that center equity and opportunity." 
- Supports "progressive revenue solutions." 
- Wants to pass a countywide dedicated transit revenue package to fund a King County Transportation Benefit District to restore and increase transit service, implement an updated Metro Connects, and transition to zero emission buses. 
- Supports investing in more child care subsidies.

- Promises to "champion frequent, reliable, and safe transit service," and wants to transition to electric buses and help develop sustainable fuel for airplanes.  
- Supports building a light rail to Ballard and new electric vehicle charging stations. 
- Wants to make transit free for low-income people and incentivize employers to pay for their employee's annual transit passes.

- Plans to build affordable housing, expand emergency shelters, and build permanent supportive housing. 
- Supports more behavioral and physical healthcare access for people experiencing homelessness, and wants to expand county programs that provide these services, including JustCARE and Health Through Housing. 
- Wants to acquire, construct, preserve, and subsidize affordable and social housing, which are rental units owned by the government or a nonprofit. 
- Supports more multifamily affordable housing connected to transit, services, schools, and amenities.

- Wants to address climate change and protect the environment, including passing a climate bond ordinance to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector and existing buildings. 
- Said, "I will partner with frontline and environmental justice communities to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help to create sustainable and resilient communities." 
- Plans to protect waterways and prevent pollution "to enhance health, protect tribal treaty rights, and further salmon and orca recovery," including expanding the county wastewater treatment systems to prevent spills and discharge. 
- Wants to reach zero waste of resources by 2030 by investing in the county's solid waste infrastructure, creating new recycling markets, and increasing the purchase of recycled materials.

- Wants more behavioral healthcare, substance use treatment, reproductive healthcare, and services for survivors of gender-based violence.

- Plans to "enact upstream solutions to improve public safety, prevent gun violence, and end racial disparities in our criminal legal systems." 
- Opposes enforcing paying transit fares through punishments. 
- Wants to address the opioid crisis by building crisis care centers, increasing treatment beds, more substance use disorder treatment, and providing more behavioral health services. 
- Supports a goal of zero youth incarceration, expanding diversion programs like the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program, and creating a county pilot program to help people released from prison reentry society by providing services and support.

Sarah Reyneveld

- County council members work together to set and implement county policy.
- County Council is tasked with approving the county budget, setting local tax rates, approving plans for land use in the county, and appointing county officials.
- County council members work to improve the county’s education system, ensure safety, make environmental and business policy, and run the county transportation network.
- There are nine county council members, who represent specific areas of the county.
- County council members are elected to four-year terms, with even numbered and odd numbered districts being up for election on an alternating basis every two years. Elections are nonpartisan, but county council members often make their party affiliations a matter of public record.

Passes laws and regulations for your county

Small Businesses

County Council Member

Ballotpedia, GoodSpaceGuy

King County Government, GoodSpaceGuy

- Said, "King County could become a leader in the new and upcoming orbital space colonization industry. Elon Musk and other leaders are opening the high frontier...Imagine many of your descendants gradually moving up to the amazement of living in the upcoming Orbital Space Colonies. Start small."

- Wants to decreasing homelessness and build a better social safety net. 
- Said, "[t]he Minimum Wage promotes homelessness and shoplifting and other crimes and Job Stress. If we successfully declare the Minimum Wage unconstitutional, then low-paying therapeutic jobs for the Homeless can return into existence.

As of June 27, 2023, GoodSpaceGuy’s website did not contain information on this issue and GoodSpaceGuy did not complete our questionnaire.

- Said, "Please, think of Earth as a spaceship. In our King County on our Spaceship Earth, let us expand our minds and help raise the living standard by abolishing the job-destroying, crime-promoting Minimum Wage." 
- Said, [l]et us embrace the Free Market Economy of Capitalistic Consumerism."

GoodSpaceGuy

King County Government, Sofia Aragon

City of Burien, Mayor Sofia Aragon

- Wants to "connect communities so that our residents get to where they need to go, and live and work where they please."

- Wants more affordable housing for low and moderate-income residents. 
- Said, "I support housing laws that protect tenants fairly while respecting the property rights of landlords." 
- Wants to provide mental health, social services, and 24 hour access to facilities and help to people experiencing homelessness. 
- As mayor of Burien, she supported building Habitat for Humanity homes, mixed income apartment complexes, permanent supportive housing, and a resident owned village.

- Wants to address air and noise pollution from SeaTac airport. 
- As chair of the Burien Airport Committee, she supported preserving green space as a buffer to air pollution around the SeaTac airport and worked to provide access to mitigation packages to residents so that they could insulate their homes from noise.

- Said, "I want to make sure King County is a safe, healthy, and inclusive place where families can call home for a lifetime and businesses can take root." 
- Plans to provide funding and technical business support to small businesses. 
- Promises to "pursue creating jobs with good pay, benefits, and safe workplaces for an equitable economy that uplifts all."

- Said, "[a]s a result of Defund the Police, our communities are struggling to address rising crime. We can and must do better, especially as leaders. My job is to represent all residents fairly and not just narrow interests." 
- Supports having more police on county streets. 
- As mayor of Burien, she supported a co-response model for first responders "so that a mental health crisis is not treated like a crime."

Sofia Aragon

SeattleMet, Candidate Profile: Teresa Mosqueda

Seattle City Council, Teresa Mosqueda

King County Government, Teresa Mosqueda

- Supports accessible transit and raising wages for transit workers. 
- Wants to change transit schedules from operating around "peak-hours" to operating more regularly to address people's needs throughout the day.

- Wants to improve access to housing and build housing for workers, including teachers, nurses, and construction workers to prevent them from being pushed out of the county due to housing costs. 
- Plans to provide support to social service providers who provide services for people experiencing homelessness by raising wages and creating career ladders into public health service.

- Supports preventing displacement and sprawl and creating walkable and livable neighborhoods that reduce car emissions and global warming. 
- Wants to partner with local communities to incentivize building green, lasting, and affordable housing to promote density, greenspace, trees, and community cohesion.

The Seattle Times, Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda unveils her own proposal for taxing Seattle's big businessess

- Wants more funding and support for Public Health Seattle/King County to address health crises and future public health emergencies. 
- Supports universal accessible and affordable childcare for everyone.
- Plans to support small businesses and create "good union jobs."  
- As a city council member, she provided cash assistance to workers, passed grants to expand childcare, provided rental assistance to working families and landlords, cash relief for immigrants and refugees, and food security for families.
- As a city council member, she proposed a plan to tax the pay of employees making at least $150,000 per year for businesses making more than $7 million. The money raised would have gone towards affordable housing, addressing homelessness, and supporting low-income households and small businesses.

- Said she plans on "treating gun violence, behavioral health, and substance abuse as the public health crises they are by increasing support for upstream investments; investing in our public health workforce; and implementing the new Crisis Care Levy that I proudly helped craft."

Teresa Mosqueda

- Wants to "conduct local transportation studies to find the most cost-effective ways to connect families to jobs and economic opportunities."
- Intends to develop media campaigns to inform about and prevent road rage.
- Plans to explore upzoning (zone for higher density housing), and develop access with mandatory affordability and social housing rules.
- Advocates for bicycles as a method of safe transportation and a way to create emotional and physical well-being.
- Prioritizes streets with safe walking, rolling, biking, and driving access in neighborhoods.

- Advocates for and plans to implement policy that creates and establishes more affordable housing.
- Supports the creation of Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) and Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs), like tiny homes.
- Intends to "build trust and ensure that housing resources are equitably distributed and decisions are made by the community itself, with council support."
- Plans to expand mental health support services in order to combat homelessness and joblessness.
- Supports wage increases built into worker contracts offered through the Seattle Human Resources Department to homelessness service providers.

- Prioritizes making Seattle a "15 minute city", meaning that all residents can gain access to their necessities within a 15 minute radius to their residence.
- Advocates for environmental justice.
- Intends to use bicycles as a mode of "augmenting the climate crisis" through clean air and reduction of transportation pollution.
- Supports moving away from fossil fuels and into clean energy.

- Plans to revitalize the downtown sector, specifically Pioneer Square.
- Promotes "'Reproductive Justice' – social activism that centers the complete physical, mental, spiritual, political, economic, and social well being of people who can become pregnant."
- Advocates for parental leave, childcare, and flexibility of work schedules in order to bring women's workforce levels back to pre-pandemic numbers.
- Intends to "seek action steps toward eliminating racism in our city." 
- Supports implementing programs that support youth through educational and entrepreneurial means.

- Wants to grow the Seattle mental health network, including supporting training by the Mental Health Technology Transfer Center Network (MHTTC).
- Advocates for designated crisis responders (DCRs).

Jean Iannelli Craciun

King County Elections, Lucy Barefoot

- Wants longer tunnels instead of elevated concrete bridges.

The Seattle Times, Seattle City Council elections 2023: Meet District 1 candidates

- Supports converting unused office space in downtown Seattle into housing. 
- Said she is "ready to engage with stakeholders to strategically seek and use allocated resources" for affordable housing. 
- Supports rent control. 
- Wants to address the root causes of homelessness and "invest in self-sustainable programs." 
- Supports "development without displacement."

- Wants to invest in public education, especially civics education, and education to normalize mental health therapy in order to reduce ableism and stigma. 
- Supports revitalizing downtown Seattle. 
- Said, "I intend to foster economic development and keep our taxes low to promote affordability."

- Wants to increase the number of police officers to 1,400 and opposes reducing or increasing the police department's budget. 
- Opposes creating a new department for non-police emergency response.

Lucy Barefoot

- Wants to expand accessible mobility and improve health through making streets safer.
- Intends to create good paying, green economy jobs through an offshore solar plan in conjunction with unions, businesses, and the Port of Seattle.
- Plans to partner with Seattle Public Schools to ensure that jobs are set aside for Seattle students in regards to public work in order to improve city infrastructure.

- Believes that "homelessness is a housing problem, and the “housing first” approach is the most cost-effective solution."
- Intends to relegalize middle housing in all neighborhoods.
- Plans to free up disused office and motel space by buying it in order to house the homeless and relieve space in homeless shelters.
- Wants to implement a vacancy tax of 1% of the property value on any residence left unoccupied for at least 6 months in a given year.
- Supports the recent "Social Housing" program.

- Wants to reduce port emissions by electrifying short haul trucking and port docks in the Duwamish Valley community.
- Supports Alternative 6 for the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan, which will implement middle housing and mixed use neighborhood centers to reduce carbon emissions.
- Will create a safe bike infrastructure network to reduce transportation pollution.
- Supports renewable power generation, offshore wind and solar, and urban green spaces.
- Plans to turn library and community centers into "resilience hubs" with clean air, heat-pump cooling, microgrid solar, and access to social services.

- Supports the creation of neighborhood safety alliances or community responder programs.
- Advocates for music and sports programs as well as familial counseling to create safer communities and reduce crime.
- Wants to re-implement the Community Court program, which had an 80% success rate at decreasing recidivism in 2 years.

- Advocates for investment in housing, mental health, and substance abuse care.
- Intends to improve training programs for unarmed responders, and utilize social workers to lead mental health crises.
- Plans to expand the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program.
- Opposes lesser restrictions on firearms, and "will support and partner with groups like Alliance for Gun Responsibility, Choose 180, and Community Pathways that provide support and resources to communities that are disproportionately affected by gun violence."
- Believes that Seattle needs more effective policing, and wants to reduce overwork and low morale for officers through mental health care, de-escalation training, and accountability processes.

Maren Costa

As of June 27, 2023, Mia Jacobson’s website did not contain information on this issue and Mia Jacobson did not complete our questionnaire.

- Wants to implement digital public comment on all city government meetings, proposals, policies, and agendas 24 hours a day.
- Intends to contribute to a public agenda by making an "open public comment."
- Advocates for public input on invited government speakers and wants to add a requirement that these speakers respond to public queries and input.
- Supports proxy voting over presentative voting.

Mia Jacobson

- Believes that "three of our urgent infrastructure needs are density and zoning, multimodal transit access, and developing holistic communities through human infrastructure."
- Plans to implement multimodal transportation, which allows citizens more options when it comes to transit.
- Wants to invest in essential programs and services by partnering with non-profits and small businesses.
- Intends to promote business grants and low- or no-interest loans "with emphasized distribution to BIPOC communities."
- Advocates for increasing service frequency and broadening service networks.

- Establishes a comprehensive approach including housing subsidies, gap financing for lower-income households, and production of middle-income housing among other things.
- Focuses on behavioral health support, housing & weatherization assistance, and building more emergency shelters and temporary housing.
- Intends to work with the King County  Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) to create a plan to lower or end homelessness in Seattle.

- Promotes beautification or neighborhoods through public spaces.
- Commits to keeping parks clean and safe.

- Wants to bring in community centers to neighborhoods without them.
- Plans to incorporate work of local artists into public projects.

- Believes that "drivers of crime should be resolved through intervention, diversion, and services - not incarceration," and plans to promote proactive service outreach and connections as well as diversion programs to eliminate the roots of crime.
- Plans to make crime prevention services such as counseling, mediation, and recovery programs accessible through provided transport and variable methods, such as by phone, app, in-person, or internet.
- Intends to "enhance police leadership and culture" through addressing police misconduct, implementing transparent data reporting, and increasing accountability.

Phil Tavel

- Intends to repair and maintain roads and bridges due to their essential nature in regards to the Seattle transportation system.
- Wants to upgrade Seattle's electrical grid to better accommodate electric transportation.
- Plans to "accelerate, where possible, the build-out of the Sound Transit Light Link."

- Plans to create more housing options for low-income, working-class, and middle-income residents.
- Intends to diversity housing and property ownership with land trusts and publicly funded home ownership options.
- Opposes restrictions preventing construction of family sized housing.
- Advocates for more permanent  and transition housing options for the homeless.

- Advocates for the "widespread adoption and expansion of clean energy solutions, like wind and solar farms, to further the green transition for Seattle-based industries."
- Wants to "aggressively expand the urban tree canopy with tree species that are drought resistant."
- Plans to preserve green spaces and habitats, and incorporate them into public education.
- Supports the incorporation and expansion of horticultural and forestry programs for Seattle public high schools.

- Supports investing in union jobs that provide a living wage, proper benefits, and safe working conditions.
- Wants to create apprenticeships across different trades and industries for increased quality of education and a diversified workforce.

- Plans to hire more police officers specifically from Seattle. 
- Aims to increase programs and outreach to youth and impacted communities in order to reduce gun violence and crimes. 
- Proposes greater utilization of Seattle's Community Court.

Preston Anderson

- Prioritizes road and bridge repair and maintenance.
- Wants to expand and improve Seattle's public transport options.

- Intends to "build more affordable housing at all income levels, particularly low-income housing and workforce housing for middle income residents."
- Looks to streamline the permitting process for greater efficiency and affordability.
- Wants to implement anti-displacement strategies.
- Supports encampment removal in order to connect the homeless with shelters and services, such as mental health treatment facilities.

- Looks to keep parks open, clean, safe and accommodating to all.

- Plans to expand access to affordable childcare.

- Hopes to invest in unarmed responders and responses, including behavioral health and social work.
- Aims to create better guidelines and training systems for police officers. 
- Wants to establish greater accountability for police and first responders.

Rob Saka

- Said, "\[a\]s a council member, I would seek seats on the King County Regional Transit Committee as well on the Sound Transit board so I could advocate consistently for the transit needs of West Seattleites."
- Supports small businesses and wants to provide insight and formal training so they may compete properly with larger competitors.

- Believes that the city should act to eliminate widespread illegal encampments and public drug use and focus on introducing permanent housing and rehabilitation programs to the homeless.
- Wants to build more affordable housing for lower- and middle-income residents.

- Prioritizes moving the city from fossil fuels to renewable energy as a primary energy source.

- Wants to revitalize downtown urban areas.

- Supports "every reasonable measure to restrict access to hand guns and assault rifles."
- Wants to improve Seattle law enforcement by providing additional training, accountability and support resources.

Stephen Brown

- City council members work together with the rest of city council to set and implement city policy, including passing legislation about the police, fire department, parks, libraries, electricity, water, solid waste, and drainage utilities. 
- City council members work with the mayor to govern city departments, such as the police department, fire department, transportation department, and parks and recreation department.
- City council members serve four year terms, and elections are nonpartisan. City council members are either elected to represent specific districts or are elected at-large, meaning that they represent the entire city. 

Passes laws and regulations for your city

Policing

City Council Member

King County Elections, Margaret Elisabeth

- Wants to invest more into public transportation and safe biking lanes.

The Seattle Times, Seattle City Council elections 2023: Meet District 2 candidates

- Supports rent control and renter's rights, building mixed-income developments, banning new AirBnB developments, and expanding social housing, which is rental units owned by the government or a nonprofit. 
- Wants to end single-family zoning in order to build more high-density housing and mixed income housing near transit centers.
- Said, "[w]e need to address the housing crisis by first ensuring that high quality public housing is guaranteed to all who would prefer not to live in market-rate housing."
- Supports converting unused office space downtown into housing.

- Promises to make sure that Seattle reaches its goal of being carbon neutral by 2030. 
- Wants to prepare for an influx of people moving to Seattle because the city is viewed as a "safe" climate destination.
- Supports preparing for sea level rise and divesting from fossil fuel companies and financial institutions that invest in fossil fuel companies. 
- Wants to reduce carbon emissions from vehicles by creating a carbon tax on vehicles driving on city streets.

- Wants to create a citywide universal single payer healthcare system to give residents free at point of service healthcare without them relying on employer-sponsored plans or private insurance. 
- Supports a $25 hour minimum wage, which would be automatically adjusted based on the cost of healthcare, housing, food, transportation, and inflation.
- Wants to equalize funding for public schools across all schools in the city so that each student receives a quality education, as well as provide free school breakfasts and lunches. 
- Supports ranked choice voting and wants to implement it by 2025. 
- Plans to raise teacher pay.

- Opposes increasing the police department to 1,400 police officers and opposes increasing the police department's budget. 
- Supports creating a new department for non-police emergency response.  
- Opposes prosecuting people for public drug use.

Margaret Elisabeth

King County Elections, Tammy J. Morales

Seattle City Council, About Councilmember Tammy J. Morales

Ballotpedia, Tammy Morales

The Seattle Times, Tammy Morales to seek reelection to Seattle City Council seat

- Supports improving walkable, connected spaces, and she supported funding for sidewalks the Georgetown to South Park Trail, the Cheasty Greenspace Trail, and traffic calming projects to make streets safer. 
- Wants to reduce the number of pedestrians killed by cars in South Seattle.

- As a city council member, she passed an eviction moratorium during the pandemic and closed the "end-of-lease" loophole to prevent evictions. 
- As a city council member, she helped pass a Tenants Bill of Rights and provided $600,000 in homelessness services.

- As a city council member, she helped get funding for Seattle's Green New Deal and created Community Resilience Hubs for people to escape extreme heat and smoke.

- Supports abortion, reproductive care, and gender-affirming care. 
- Said, "if you work for a living, you should be making a living that supports your family." 
- As a city council member, she helped get funding for mental health resources in Southend schools and for tribes. 
- As a city council member, she helped get paid sick leave for gig workers. 
- As a city council member, she supported funding for an arts hub for Black and brown youth and a new skate park in Rainier Beach.

- Said, "[w]e've only just begun building alternatives to punishment and incarceration - especially for our Black and brown neighbors who suffer from the paradox of over-policing and under-policing." 
- Said, "for too long, community safety was understood largely as a criminal justice issue, without attention to the underlying causes of violence, like under-resourced neighborhoods," and supported investing $23.5 million in community economic recover, neighborhood revitalization, micro-business support, and cultural spaces. 
- As a city council member, she opposed adding public drug use and possession to Seattle's municipal code.

Tammy J. Morales

King County Election, Tanya Woo

KING 5, Tanya Woo announces campaign for Seattle City Council

The Seattle Times, The Seattle Times editorial board recommends: Tanya Woo for Seattle City Council District 2

- Wants more safety measures to get traffic-related deaths to zero. 
- Plans to work with King County Metro to make sure that there are more frequent and accessible transit options in South Seattle.

The Seattle Times: Seattle City Council elections 2023: Meet District 2 candidates

- Supports changing the zoning of single-family neighborhoods to allow higher density housing and incentivizing developers to provide a higher percentage of affordable housing units in their projects. 
- Wants funding for substance abuse treatment for people in public housing and supports housing first policies for people experiencing homelessness. 
- Supports converting office space in downtown into housing.
- Wants people who work in the district to be able to live there and for seniors to be able to age in place. 
- Said, "[w]e need to offer proper housing and services to get people inside."

As of June 27, 2023, Tanya Woo’s website did not contain information on this issue and Tanya Woo did not complete our questionnaire.

- Opposes the city looking for new sources of revenue to address shortfalls in the budget.

- Supports making public drug use illegal. 
- Said, "[t]he cost of doing business is too high. We have broken windows, robberies on a daily basis. The thing we need is public safety." 
- Supports community-based policing alternatives for situations where an armed officer is not required. 
- Opposes increasing the police department to 1,400 officers and opposes reducing the police department's budget.

Tanya Woo

- Advocates for free public transit for all through Seattle's Jumpstart tax and a new transit tax for large employers.

- Said, "\[r\]ather than work against the KCRHA, I will work with them, along with other organizations that are dedicated to ending homelessness. I will stand up to the mayor’s office to shift focus to mitigating the impact of “illegal encampments” while our collaborative systems of service providers can get them to a meaningful transition."
- Committed to clearing 1,000,000 square feet of space in order to allow the homeless to create their new homes. 
- Wants to create sanctioned encampments for those that are not ready to be housed.
- Intends to support investments in emergency homelessness services through vacancy taxes and encouraging landlords to provide more affordable housing.

As of June 27, 2023, Alex Cooley’s website did not contain information on this issue and Alex Cooley did not complete our questionnaire.

- Said, "\[t\]o beautify the city and add a significant amount of housing and green space, I strongly support a lid on I-5. This lid will be covered with affordable, sustainable housing and an expansive network of parks."

- Supports reduction of armed police officers to crime situations and shift focus to unarmed or civilian personnel.
- Proposes a "a first-of-its-kind city-based public safety training academy" in order to address the police shortage.
- Wants to shift focus in criminal justice intervention to rehabilitation and prevention of recidivism.
- Intends to create a plan that legalizes, taxes, and regulates all drugs.
- Plans to "work with city lobbyists and legislators to write a bill that ends the state-level ban on cannabis consumption lounges."

Alex Cooley

- Said, "\[a\]s a committed urbanist, I believe that our transportation system should build equity, create safety, support good green economy jobs, and enhance our quality of life and make our lives easier."
- Advocates for funding for existing plans for long-term improvement in terms of the transportation system, such as Vision Zero.
- Wants to build a safe network of sidewalks and accessible pathways to public transit.
- Supports employer-covered transportation.

- Plans to increase the amount of Jump Start dollars going towards creating affordable housing.
- Supports the Housing Levy renewal and plans to work to implement it further.
- Advocates for the expansion of Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA), which requires market-rate projects to invest in affordable housing.
- Opposes exclusionary zoning and wants to find a more flexible set of guidelines that creates more opportunities to build affordable housing.
- Calls to automatically enroll eligible residents in property tax deferral programs.

As of June 27, 2023, Alex Hudson’s website did not contain information on this issue and Alex Hudson did not complete our questionnaire.

- Will develop policies supporting the creation of new small neighborhood businesses in order to supplement the losses seen during the pandemic.
- Supports "the implementation of a municipal capital gains tax in light of the City's anticipated budget shortfall" with the goal of making Seattle's tax code more equitable.
- Intends to create more support, programs, and employment opportunities for youth.

- Wants to implement alternative crisis responses due to longer response times from 911 responders and police officers.
- Plans to reform the Seattle police through increased accountability and transparency; greater training and education with an emphasis on culture change; and more community-led violence intervention and engagement.
- Supports greater restrictions on firearms and weaponry.
- Advocates for the expansion of programs such as JustCARE, mental health recovery and Co-LEAD in order to combat crime and homelessness.

Alex Hudson

- Advocates for multimodal and accessible public transportation.

- Said, "I will focus on the 3 A's of housing: affordability, availability, and accessibility."
- Supports social housing, ethical zoning, and financial incentives as part of the plan to combat the "state of emergency" homelessness situation in Seattle.

- Supports intentional and inclusive zoning in order to protect green spaces throughout all of Seattle.
- Plans to secure proper transitions for workers shifting from the fossil fuel sector to the renewable energy sector.
- Wants to expand access to EV charging stations.

- Intends to push legislation that will give Seattle official status as a protected city for transgender and non-binary people.
- Plans to ensure that gender-affirming care is accessible and affordable to all.
- Wants to invest in social services for LGBTQIA+ youth.

- Supports greater community involvement and outreach, especially with POC and LGBTQIA+ members, in order to learn what public safety needs need to be addressed.
- Plans to protect small businesses.

Andrew Ashiofu

- Wants to repair potholes and broken sidewalks for greater pedestrian safety.
- Plans to create more bike and scooter lanes.

- Supports the lifting of zoning restrictions and streamlining of the process to convert commercial spaces into residential areas in order to create more housing.
- Plans to implement a vacancy tax to incentivize landlords and others to encourage housing more residents.
- Wants to construct alternatives to encampments, such as tiny houses and supportive housing.

As of June 27, 2023, Bobby Goodwin’s website did not contain information on this issue and Bobby Goodwin did not complete our questionnaire.

- Wants to tax spray paint cans in order to reduce the amount of graffiti in the city.
- Supports increasing the severity of nuisance laws to aid business owners in repairing damages associated with graffiti on their businesses.
- Opposes Seattle's current tax system and wants to make it more progressive.

- Advocates for pursuing alternatives to incarceration, like community service or behavioral health treatment programs.
- Said, "\[w\]hatever punishment follows we always need to keep an eye towards the future to ensure people passing through the system are given paths to recovery/redemption and not simply setup to recidivate."
- Calls for more "community-centric" policing as an alternative to traditional policing and to repair the relationship between the Seattle community and its police department.
- Intends to make sure HB1724 is signed into law, which would expand access to mental healthcare providers.

Bobby Goodwin

- Believes that shifting focus away from automobiles in terms of the best mode of transport to public transit will aid in creating a better public transportation system.
- Advocates for completion of the streetcar system.
- Prioritizes the Move Seattle Levy renewal.
- Wants to build more passenger rail tracks and invest in a Cascadia high speed rail system.

- Supports usage of a vacancy tax and economic incentives (such as a tax break) to "maximize usage of existing inventory."
- Proposes a "policy shift which would require minimal residential and or/commercial usage in neighborhoods with plots of land used as surface parking lots before any additional, net new parking can be installed."
- Advocates for upzoning.

As of June 27, 2023, Efrain Hudnell’s website did not contain information on this issue and Efrain Hudnell did not complete our questionnaire.

- Advocates for investment in non-criminal intervention as opposed to traditional policing.
- Calls for prioritization of rehabilitation over punishment for low level offenders.
- Wants to increase mental and behavioral health services in order to fight crime at its root cause.

Efrain Hudnell

- Wants to increase the impact of the Seattle Department of Transportation on the city.

- Wants to "expand investments in shelter, emergency and transitional housing for unhoused neighbors to get everyone inside, off the street as quickly as possible."
- Encourages "pathways to homeownership for historically excluded communities."
- Supports the construction of more family-sized housing, such as duplexes or triplexes.
- Plans to create a faster, more streamlined permitting and design review process.

- Aims to elevate projects that create low carbon footprints and net zero emissions.
- Supports investment in food rescue programs and food access points.

- Plans to engage small businesses in governmental programs in order for them to gain more resources.
- Wants to support families by providing affordable childcare, afterschool programs, and pathways to college and careers.
- Supports investment in youth enrichment programs.

- Advocates for providing the police, fire, and emergency medic technician departments with additional resources to combat long response times and staff shortages.
- Supports increased regulation of firearms and weaponry.
- Intends to increase access to mental and behavioral health services to combat crime.

Joy Hollingsworth

- Advocates for the creation of a bike-share program for residents and visitors.
- Wants to provide free travel vouchers to increase ridership participation.
- Intends to partner with Sound Transit to let the Link Light Rail run 24/7.
- Plans to establish one singular street car system.

- Wants to establish Seattle as a "right-to-shelter" city, which supports the homeless by providing them with circumstance-specific resources.
- Supports the expansion of social housing and mixed-use development.
- Advocates for a vacancy tax on medium to large landlords.
- Intends to increase renter protections, such as by passing an ordinance establishing rent stabilization and control.

- Plans to implement a corporate carbon or capital gains tax.
- Wants to ensure recycling and composting sustainability goals are being met through an internal audit of waste systems.
- Supports solar leasing, green roofing and/or heat pump incentives.

As of June 27, 2023, Ry Armstrong’s website did not contain information on this issue and Ry Armstrong did not complete our questionnaire.

- Supports an increase to the city's JumpStart tax as a progressive revenue source.
- Wants to create two new independent departments as alternatives to traditional policing: "311 for non-emergent needs, renter’s rights and sustainability protocols, and 611 for mental health needs, case work for our houseless neighbors, community mediation, and medical services for addiction."
- Intends to create higher training and accountability standards for law enforcement.
- Plans to make substance abuse and mental health treatment more accessible.
- Supports increased regulation on firearms and weaponry.

Ry Armstrong

- Intends to "\[w\]ork with Seattle City Light to plan and develop infrastructure to enable the goal of only new electrical cars by 2035."
- Wants to increase road and pedestrian safety through fixing potholes and damaged pavement.

- Intends to create more affordable housing through de-zoning and leveraging I-135 to expand low- and medium-income housing.

As of June 27, 2023, Shobhit Agarwal’s website did not contain information on this issue and Shobhit Agarwal did not complete our questionnaire.

- Wants to expand opportunities for small businesses, "especially those owned by women and minorities."
- Advocates for workers' right to organize.
- Plans to ensure family planning is economical and accessible.

- Encourages youth of all backgrounds to join public safety organizations.

Washington August 1, 2023 Primary Election

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