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.
King County voters can vote by mail, but the County elections office has also been staffed up to process ballots on Tuesday and assist people with casting their vote. Reach the office by phone at 206-296-VOTE (8683); by email at Elections@KingCounty.gov; or in person at six vote centers.
If you're a registered voter, you should have received your ballot; here are instructions for returning it in time to be counted. If you're not registered to vote, it's not too late — you can register to vote up through Election Day.
To ensure your vote is counted, you can also drop it off at a ballot drop box by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
Here are several contested races and ballot measures that will be key to South Seattle residents and nearby South End communities:
This race features incumbent Tammy Morales against challenger Tanya Woo.
Morales, who won the seat in 2019, has extensive experience built on her last four years in office and previous experience in community work in the South End. She is chair of the Council's Neighborhoods, Education, Civil Rights & Culture Committee, vice chair of the Land Use Committee, and member of the Public Assets & Homelessness; Sustainability and Renters' Rights; and Transportation & Seattle Public Utilities Committees.
Woo, a community activist and owner of a workforce/affordable housing building in the Chinatown-International District, has criticized Morales' lack of access and response to public safety issues. She is active in the Chinatown-International District Community Watch (CIDCW), a neighborhood watch group.
This election will see an overhaul of the City Council, with seven district seats up for grabs and potentially a change in an at-large seat. Seattle has seven district seats and two at-large seats. Here are the contested seats and candidates, with links to Real Change's candidate interviews:
The Seattle Housing Levy would authorize a seven-year property tax increase to fund low-income housing and housing services. Beginning in 2024, it would allow Seattle to raise $970,260,175 from 2024 through 2030.
Read the arguments from Seattle For Growth, which has filed in opposition to the measure, and Yes for Homes, which has filed in favor of the levy.
King County Council District No. 8 features a race between Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda and Burien Mayor and nurse Sofia Aragon. This district is currently held by Councilmember Joe McDermott, who decided not to run. District 8, east of I-5, roughly encompasses Burien, White Center, Georgetown, and West Seattle.
King County Council District No. 2 has incumbent Councilmember Girmay Zahilay running unopposed. This district stretches from the University District south through Beacon Hill and South Seattle, to Skyway.
King County Director of Elections Julie Wise is running for a third term against challenger Doug Basler, which pits a veteran incumbent against a challenger who filed a failed lawsuit challenging 2020's election results.
Port of Seattle Commissioner No. 5 features incumbent Commissioner Fred Felleman and Jesse Tam, managing director at Mega Pacific Investments. Felleman, a commissioner since 2016 and an environmental consultant, was admonished by fellow commissioners earlier this year for ethics violations.
Phil Manzano is a South Seattle writer, editor with more than 30 years of experience in daily journalism, and is the interim news editor for the Emerald.
📸 Featured Image: Photo by Made360/Shutterstock.com
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