King County Elections, Wade Sowders

Wade is originally from the Midwest, and he has lived in Seattle for seven years. He has a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Oakland University. He lives in Denny Triangle.

Wade Sowders' campaign for city council is his first entry into politics.

Wants to create more walkable neighborhoods and make transit a more viable option.

Supports making roads more safe for pedestrians and building more sidewalks.

Wants to "make and encourage large infrastructure investments."

Supports light rail and tram construction, starting with completing the Center City Connector streetcar line.

- Wants to create more walkable neighborhoods and make transit a more viable option. 
- Supports making roads more safe for pedestrians and building more sidewalks. 
- Wants to "make and encourage large infrastructure investments." 
- Supports light rail and tram construction, starting with completing the Center City Connector streetcar line.

Transportation & Infrastructure

Wants to build more housing, improve housing affordability, reduce income inequality, and reduce homelessness.

Supports making zoning rules more flexible, streamlining the development process for housing to "require only a minimum of paperwork," and creating tax incentives for building more affordable housing.

Wants to expand homeless shelters and outreach programs to make sure that no one has to sleep outside or in their cars.

Supports changing areas zoned for single family homes to allow more dense forms of housing, and said, "[r]egulate only the general form and overall structure of a building, not its usage, to open up the most possible options for unit county, size, and design. Additionally, do not distinguish between residential and commercial usages, universally permitting area-appropriate multi-use buildings."

- Wants to build more housing, improve housing affordability, reduce income inequality, and reduce homelessness. 
- Supports making zoning rules more flexible, streamlining the development process for housing to "require only a minimum of paperwork," and creating tax incentives for building more affordable housing. 
- Wants to expand homeless shelters and outreach programs to make sure that no one has to sleep outside or in their cars. 
- Supports changing areas zoned for single family homes to allow more dense forms of housing, and said, "[r]egulate only the general form and overall structure of a building, not its usage, to open up the most possible options for unit county, size, and design. Additionally, do not distinguish between residential and commercial usages, universally permitting area-appropriate multi-use buildings." 
- Opposes rent control.

Housing & Urban Development

As of June 27, 2023, Wade Sowders’s website did not contain information on this issue.

Environment

Wants to change the tax system to move from property, sales and business taxes to a tax on land values, which would be used to fund housing construction and help fund major transit projects.

Said, "[o]ur taxes are aggressive and unstable, and the city faces major budget shortfalls."

Supports expanding services to treat addiction and reduce drug use and overdoses.

- Wants to change the tax system to move from property, sales and business taxes to a tax on land values, which would be used to fund housing construction and help fund major transit projects. 
- Said, "[o]ur taxes are aggressive and unstable, and the city faces major budget shortfalls." 
- Supports expanding services to treat addiction and reduce drug use and overdoses.
- Wants to redesign downtown.

Public Services

Wants to increase funding for the police and increase the number of police officers by two to three times current staffing levels.

Believes that low-level property crimes should be addressed by social services rather than by the police.

Supports prosecuting people for public drug use.

- Wants to increase funding for the police and increase the number of police officers by two to three times current staffing levels.  
- Believes that low-level property crimes should be addressed by social services rather than by the police. 
- Supports prosecuting people for public drug use.

Public Safety

Wade Sowders

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

- 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. 