NEWS GLEAMS | Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales Resigns; New Candidates Join Race for King County Executive

Early Wednesday morning, City of Seattle Councilmember Tammy Morales announced that she will be stepping down from her position as the elected official for District 2, which represents the South End. She has served on the council since 2019. Her last day will be Jan. 6, 2025.

Morales issued her resignation while sharing what she saw as some of her greater victories, which include helping the City of Seattle pass its Race and Social Justice Initiative into law, as well as a Tenants Bill of Rights.

The bulk of her announcement was filled with concerns regarding the state of the current City Council. "This Council has eroded our checks and balances as a Legislative department and undermined my work as a policymaker," she wrote.

Some points of concern that Morales raised included the current council's inference with the non-partisan Council Central Staff, which prevented them from providing objective policy analysis, and the fact that the council has offered up an alternative ballot initiative next February that has the potential to rid Seattle of its voter-approved social housing developer. She also criticized the council's passage of a budget that "reduces funding for social services for our most vulnerable while dramatically increasing funding for jails, police, and sweeps."

Morales also criticized the council's approach to public comment and public meetings, citing that they have prohibited First Amendment rights by arresting citizens during public comment or intimidating them by including a police presence on-site whenever controversial legislative issues were expected.

"I'm not going anywhere," Morales wrote in closing. "I just need some time to think about how best to serve the City I love and find the next opportunity to repair the harm done to Black and brown communities, democratize access to power and resources, and plan for the 7th generation. Thank you for the opportunity to serve you."

New candidates have joined the race to be the next King County executive, after current Executive Dow Constantine announced in mid-November that he would not be seeking reelection. Constantine has served in his current role since 2009.

On Monday, Dec. 2, current King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay announced his candidacy, joining his fellow King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci and County Assessor John Wilson in the race. Balducci and Wilson had announced they would be running last month, shortly after Constantine made his decision public.

Zahilay, a 37-year-old resident of South King County and a Sudanese refugee who was elected to the King County Council in 2019, stated that he believes that he "represents the next generation" even though Constantine was "the right person for the right time." Of the three current candidates, Zahilay is seen as being the most progressive, as a King County Councilmember who frequently advocates for alternatives to youth jails and actions towards equity that are beyond simply "performative."

Balducci brings to her campaign over 15 years of experience working in the county jail system and over a decade of experience on the Bellevue City Council before running for the King County Council in 2015. She has been highly influential in the expansion of the Sound Transit Light Rail system and has been an advocate for more supportive housing as well as King County's decision to once again book individuals into jail for misdemeanor offenses.

Wilson was previously a journalist and communications director for U.S. Rep. Al Swift, and has been the King County assessor since 2015, where he oversees appraisers that establish county property values. As King County Executive, he would advocate for more resources for the criminal justice system, as well as eliminating the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, which he has criticized as being too inefficient.

Join the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation for a free holiday party at Daybreak Star! The event will include food, games, raffle prizes, photo opportunities with Santa, and a robust Toys for Tots Distribution event.

The Toys for Tots distribution will be divided based on age group. Age groups are as follows:

• 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.: 0–2 years old

• 6:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: 3–5 years old

• 7:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.: 6–9 years old

• 7:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.: 10–13years old

• 7:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.: 14–18 years old

The Holiday Party takes place from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, at Daybreak Star Cultural Center, located within Discovery Park. All questions can be sent to Events@UnitedIndians.org.

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