King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay Launches Campaign for King County Executive at Kickoff Event

On Jan. 25, District 2 King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay launched his campaign for King County executive with a kickoff event at the Rainier Arts Center. At the event, which featured speakers like Attorney General Nick Brown and Renton City Councilmember Ruth Pérez, Zahilay announced his commitment to addressing the local challenges that will arise from the regressive policies passed during President Trump's administration.

"In the face of a new presidential administration that will threaten many of our values — values that embrace my refugee family — we will make sure King County remains a beacon of hope and opportunity for all," said Zahilay at the event.

County executive is the highest local office in Washington State. "The King County Executive leads a government of over 17,000 employees, manages a $10 billion annual budget, and oversees the delivery of essential services to 2.3 million people in King County [like] public health, criminal justice, affordable housing, and more," explained Zahilay. 

In his speech, Zahilay also promised to build emergency housing, focus on issues like behavioral health and gun violence, and create youth job programs. 

"I will work with you all to stand up 16,000 units of emergency housing to get our 16,000 unhoused neighbors off the street and into a safe space. We will build out the most effective behavioral health system in the nation with a fully staffed phone number to call real resource crisis responders to show up to people who are in crisis, and full service crisis care centers in every corner of the region to promote real paths to recovery," said Zahilay. 

"We will stand up a King County youth jobs program to give thousands of young people summer jobs — both in King County government and with our incredible private sector partners," Zahilay said. "We will partner with public schools and unions to expand apprenticeship opportunities for everyone and build our future workforce with high-paying union jobs."

Since his reelection to King County Council in 2023, Zahilay has proposed policies that have passed, like the regional workforce housing initiative. Election as Executive would put him in charge of that initiative's implementation. King County Council also passed Zahilay's proposal for a gun violence prevention strategy, which requires the executive to create a $1 million comprehensive plan for addressing gun violence in King County.

Zahilay was also unanimously selected as King County Chair at the start of the year, putting him in charge of balancing a $150 million budget deficit. While speaking at the event, Zahilay put forth three strategies for "a new era in King County."

"First of all, we need real relationships and real collaboration," he said. "We need to lead with the idea that real progress takes all of us working together, business and labor, public and private sectors, moderate and progressive, all races, all genders. It'll take building authentic relationships with each other, finding common ground, and moving forward aggressively in the same direction."

Zahilay also advocated for "outcomes over ideology," stating, "We need to focus on problem solving and not virtue signaling. And when something in our own ideological camp is not working, we have to be willing to try something different."

Zahilay's third strategy is one he's held with him since his early days in public service: "The people closest to the pain have to be closest to the policy," he said. "We have to be able to empower and inspire everyone to get involved in local government, not just the privileged few."

Zahilay is running against King County Assessor John Wilson and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci. The 18-day voting period for the primary begins on July 18 and ends on Aug. 5. Voting for the general election begins on Oct. 17 and ends at 8 p.m. on Nov. 4.

If elected, Zahilay would be the third King County Executive who hails from southeast Seattle. Eight King County executives have served in Washington State since 1969, after King County established the home rule charter. Former King County executives from southeast Seattle are Gary Locke (1994–1997), who resigned to serve as Washington State governor, and Ron Sims (1997–2009), who resigned to serve as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Dow Constantine, the current King County executive, lives in West Seattle.