Business Owner and Karate Teacher Takayo Ederer Contends for Seattle City Council's District 2 Seat

Takayo Minakami Ederer, who was born and raised in Columbia City, is running for the Seattle City Council District 2 seat in November. The Northwest Asian Weekly reported on Feb. 25 that Ederer was announcing her candidacy. Ederer is the third person vying for the position, along with D2 hopefuls Adonis Ducksworth and Eddie Lin.

"I am a lifelong Seattleite and a fighter, in every sense of the word, who will champion a safer, more livable, and more prosperous community for generations to come," Ederer says on her campaign website.

Ederer and her competitors have their eyes on the seat held by former Councilmember Tammy Morales, who, after serving five years, resigned in January. To fill the vacancy, the council initiated a replacement process that resulted in councilmembers selecting Mark Solomon, whose term runs through this year. Solomon will not run for the office again. (Both Ederer and Ducksworth had sought to fill Morales' seat after her resignation, but neither was chosen by the council.)

On the "My Story" page of her website, Ederer describes growing up multiracial in the South End, the child of a father who didn't speak English when he arrived in the U.S. from Japan and a mother who contended with mental health struggles. While living with her mother after her parents divorced, food insecurity and poverty became a "daily reality."

Her mother's mental health struggles led Ederer to move in with her father, and she eventually took over the family business, Minakami Karate-Do. A graduate of Seattle University with a degree in international studies, she lives in D2 with her husband and three children.

"I believe in the power of resilience, in overcoming adversity, and in the possibility of change, because I've lived it," she says on her site.

As a candidate, Ederer plans to focus on four key areas: public safety; addiction and mental health; housing and homelessness; and economic development. Her personal experiences, she says, have given her insight into the difficulties faced by families and small business owners. Those experiences have also helped shape the solutions she would seek if elected.

"The strength of this city runs through my blood," her site says.

While the D2 race is still in its early stages, as of March 23, Ederer leads her competitors in contributions received. According to Seattle's Ethics and Elections Commission, she has banked $19,881 in contributions ($4,081 of which she contributed herself). Ducksworth follows with $10,410 in contributions ($560 came from the candidate). Lin's contribution total stands at $5,990 (Lin contributed $10 to the total).