♪♪
-My name is Shane Macomber, and I'm your candidate
for Seattle City Council in District 5.
I moved to North Seattle at 18, and found a community
in local businesses like Cranium Cafe
and the Greenwood Market.
These and other spots have been replaced
with corporate chains, which suppress our wages
while giving nothing back to the neighborhoods.
-As a Payee coordinator and a realtor,
I support people navigating systems
which do not work in their favor.
-I have the insight into programs that will actually
improve our housing, bring down cost of living,
and make Seattle a place where everyone is welcome.
That's my vision -- a Seattle for all.
Addressing affordability will require developing for density,
which is responsible fiscal policy.
We need to fully fund and empower
our social housing authority
to expand the amount of available housing
in the city, which will protect residents
from skyrocketing home prices and predatory rent increases.
Expanding reliable and accessible transit
is vital for District 5.
Our residents need public transit,
and I will be a champion of a transit system
which everyone can rely on.
Many emergencies do not need the response
of an armed officer.
Being in distress shouldn't have the same response
as committing a crime.
By adopting an independent social services task force,
we can better support our residents and police
by tailoring our responses
to those best trained to provide them.
I will be a tireless advocate for such an initiative,
which will help our residents know
they are protected and respected.
District 5 deserves to be fully included in Seattle
as we plan for the future.
It's time for an advocate who's going to make sure
our city keeps its promises.
It's time for responsible fiscal policy,
accessible transit, and being protected and respected.
It's time for a Seattle for all.
Vote for Shane Macomber
for Seattle City Council District 5.
Learn more at shaneforseattle.com.
Thank you.
-I'm running to promote. upstream solutions
that deliver effective, collective,
and sustainable results.
I'm determined to help make our policy systems
more interconnected.
If elected, I will ensure that city government centers
and amplifies the needs and voices of our community.
Together, we'll make Seattle function better
for all people in our city.
From direct social and housing service work
to social equity and policy advocacy consulting,
I've advocated alongside hundreds of community members,
and helped bring transformative change
to over 200 organizations and government agencies.
Additionally, I am the former co-chair
of the Seattle Disability Commission
and Renters Commission,
a board member of Base and UW CREATE,
and a member of TRU and Green Party Washington.
To enact sustainable solutions to persistent problems,
we must start with the root causes of inequity
in our policies and systems.
We must implement pragmatic policies
in the following arenas,
sustainably establish accessible
and affordable housing, increase wage parity,
and improve working conditions for everyone.
Create diverse pathways toward shared goals
around community safety,
improve multi-modal transportation systems,
focused on pedestrian safety, support small businesses
with economic recovery and growth,
fix infrastructure gaps throughout our city,
and intentionally focus on disability justice
and intersectional civic empowerment.
My policy change background includes
co-leading passage of one of the nation's
first bans of subminimum wage,
successfully advocating for the adoption
of disability justice principles
at the Seattle Office of Civil Rights,
co-organizing the fight for rent control,
resulting in the six-month advance-notice legislation
sponsored by Councilmember Sawant's office,
and endorsing the JumpStart Tax
as a small business owner.
We can find collective, effective,
and sustainable policy solutions
that get to the heart of the issues facing our district.
I humbly ask for your vote.
Thank you.
-Neighbors and friends,
Seattle is a progressive city, a compassionate city,
but it's not progressive, compassionate,
or even morally defensible to allow displaced residents
to live unhoused in dangerous and unsanitary conditions
in public spaces meant for the enjoyment of all,
or to allow young women to be sex-trafficked in public
at all hours, in all seasons, in what is still,
for many, a public health crisis.
We cannot simply tolerate a citywide opioid epidemic
with open-air drug markets and drug use fueling theft,
vandalism, home invasion, and other crimes,
while businesses are shuttered or driven out of the city
on the heels of renters and homeowners
fleeing unaffordable rents and astronomical property taxes.
It's a failure of public policy
to allow enforcement of the laws on our books
to fall by the wayside,
effectively throwing our hands in the air,
and giving up, decriminalizing whichever behaviors
we don't seem to have the ability to control.
I want to change all that.
I'm Justin Simmons,
and I'm a lifelong resident of what is now
Seattle's District 5, where I've been an active volunteer
for more than 20 years,
and am now raising my own family.
I was the first candidate to file in this race,
and I'm running because I love our city.
Our city is in crisis, and I have the skills,
track record, relationships, and energy needed to help.
My campaign priorities are public safety,
with a focus on behavioral health,
hate crimes, and gun violence,
homelessness, affordable housing for all --
including renters, seniors,
and other residents on fixed incomes --
protecting businesses, public spaces,
the environment, and the unique character of Seattle
and its neighborhoods,
and accessibility, transparency and accountability
from public servants and law enforcement.
You can read all about my qualifications and experience
in the printed voter's guide and on my website,
simmonsforseattle.com.
I am proud to be endorsed by the Washington state Attorney
General, King County Executive, King County Assessor, president
and past councilmembers, business and community leaders,
and the Metropolitan Democratic Club of Seattle.
I would be honored to have your vote.
♪♪
-Hi. I'm Nilu Jenks.
I'm running because, like so many of you,
I'm tired of the divisiveness
that has taken root in Seattle politics,
that has not brought us the policy solutions we deserve.
As a second-generation Iranian American
whose parents were granted political asylum,
I know how fragile democracy can be,
and that we need elected leaders
who can focus on practical solutions and coalition-building
to address our housing crisis, our transportation needs,
and to create a world where we can all feel safe.
-In 2019, my son and I heard a car crash,
and ran outside to help.
We immediately ran into a policeman pulling out his gun,
telling us to run back inside as he went on
to confront the Sandpoint mass shooter only 20 feet away.
I believe he saved our lives that day.
And this happened to me in my community,
someone who had organized with two moms to fundraise for
and establish our nation's largest gun buyback program
after the Parkland shootings.
We need to continue to make progress
addressing our gun violence epidemic.
And I want to bring that passion,
commitment, and proven collaborative
working skills to Seattle City Council.
We are all tired of false choices
when it comes to public safety.
We should be able to keep our parks and neighborhoods safe
without blaming our unhoused neighbors
as the root of our problems.
These issues are heightened by our climate crisis,
with ever hotter days and stifling wildfire smoke.
Climate activists have chosen this campaign
as the top climate platform of all candidates citywide.
In this platform,
there are solutions for our housing crisis,
plans to move towards a greener transit system
that includes sidewalks, and funding
for alternative police models and behavioral response teams,
and to get our unhoused population
into shelters and homes.
I'm endorsed by former City Councilmember
Jim Street, County Councilmember Rod Dembowski,
Sen. Javier Valdez,
and have the sole endorsement of the 46th District Democrats,
and many, many more.
I would be honored to earn your vote.
Thank you.
-Back in 2013, the Lake City Community Center
had been begging the city for months and months
to install Wi-Fi, with delay after delay and no action.
The community needed a solution, so I volunteered,
got on the roof,
and installed the first wireless Internet system
at the Lake City Community Center.
Sadly, a decade later, nothing has changed.
We watch volunteers take action and get results
while programs City Hall pours millions into seem ineffective.
We have been patient and generous with our tax dollars,
but we're not getting our fair share or a fair say on spending.
Accountability is my top priority.
We need to enhance auditing of city expenditures,
identify what is working, and cut wasteful programs.
Having lived in North Seattle for almost 25 years,
some of you know me from my prior business,
the Computer Doctor.
Some of you know me from my contributions
at the Eagles Area No. 1.
I'm proud to be an active participant in our community,
using my skills to making it better.
I believe IT management principles
can change City Hall.
Examining problems and finding solutions within budget
is what I do every day.
More importantly, I will make sure your voice is heard,
because I will conduct a survey every three months,
and focus on what you want from your city government.
And I'll make darn sure City Hall knows what you want, too.
Also, I am a proud advocate of civil rights,
and especially the right to choose.
The anti-choice movement is based on two lies.
The first lie is every fetus is viable.
The second lie is that pregnancy and birth
don't pose a life-threatening risk.
Last year, the United States
had the highest maternal mortality rate
of all advanced countries.
Protecting civil rights is not enough.
We have a moral obligation to audit,
and ensure our tax dollars
are not feeding anti-choice organizations.
Learn more and get involved at votebibby.org.
Thank you.
-Hello, everyone. My name is Cathy Moore.
I'm excited to be running to represent
District 5 on the Seattle City Council.
We are a district of dynamic and diverse communities
and small businesses with unique mobility,
safety, and affordability challenges
deserving a strong, experienced leader in City Hall.
I'm a lifelong Seattleite, family business owner,
and mother of three Seattle Public School graduates.
I spent most of my career in the criminal legal system,
most recently as a twice-elected King County Superior
Court judge, and before that as a public defender,
family law attorney, and chair of
the Seattle Human Rights Commission.
In these roles, I have worked on all sides of the complex
health and safety issues facing our communities.
I'm particularly proud of the work I've done
to reform our criminal legal system,
addressing racial bias and disproportionality.
That proven track record of helping vulnerable neighbors,
enacting improved equity and accountability,
and improving public safety is what's needed now
to get measurable results across our communities.
A decade ago, Seattle voters approved
districts to improve on the ground services,
while setting citywide priorities and policies
consistent with our progressive values.
From this lens, I will be a tireless advocate
to get District 5's fair share of investments,
and make progress on citywide issues of safety,
affordability, and opportunity.
I'm proud of my proven record of progressive leadership,
deep roots in our neighborhoods,
and the unique perspectives and experiences
I'll bring to this office.
With your vote and support,
I know we can make progress.
Together, we can get good things done for our neighborhoods
and families, and build the Seattle future
we all deserve.
Thank you.
-Hello.
My name is Lucca Murdoch Howard,
and I'm a college student and native of North Seattle,
so I'm deeply familiar with the issues facing District 5.
Affording rent, much less mortgage,
is drifting out of reach for most residents.
Seniors and students alike have to choose
between moving out of city limits or facing tough choices.
Basic problems are ignored in our bus network,
making driving mandatory,
and creating parking problems across the district.
Aurora hasn't been invested in for decades,
being so decrepit that neighbors avoid it
when there could be a business area an urban hub.
Across North Seattle,
communities are ignored by City Hall.
Most District 5 neighborhoods have no community center,
sidewalks, or voice in Seattle's growth.
As Seattle's youngest city councilman,
I will bring a fresh perspective to our district.
I will listen to the community,
and advocate for their solutions.
I worked on I-135, and I will ensure
that the Seattle social housing developer
is funded to relieve homelessness
and residents that are being priced out of the city limits.
Aurora should become a proper main street,
by bringing bus, bike, and pedestrian infrastructure
to places that don't have them.
My main priorities are transit,
affordable housing, and community improvements.
And I will prioritize community-based,
sustainable solutions, so that young people
can start to thrive in Seattle.
-Hello, Green Lake community.
I'm Bobby Tucker,
but everyone in the community knows me as "B.T."
And I want you to know B.T. cares.
When I moved to Seattle over a decade ago,
recommendation of my cousin,
I instantly found my home in Seattle.
It's such a vibrant and warm community,
full of people who deserve transparency and leadership.
I am excited to share my experience
as a father and a spiritual leader
to help elevate conversations of systemic racism,
affordable housing, good paying jobs,
and environment stability.
My greatest joy in life is being a father,
and I think there is no greater responsibility
than ensuring a great future for our children.
As the 11th child of the 16 -- 16 kids,
I was raised by my mother to care, to add action,
to empathy, and to build communities
toward a progressive future.
In scriptures, I am reminded of Nehemiah.
Nehemiah 2:18 --
"I told them, too, of the good hand of God,
which was upon me, as also the prophet words
that He had spoken unto me.
And they said, 'Let us rise up and build.'"
So, they strengthen their hands for -- for this good work.
I know the struggle we face in our community first-hand.
For a period of time, I myself was unhoused,
and it was through the grace of God,
and in the community, that I was lifted up out of poverty,
and into a more comfortable life.
I'm grateful for the opportunity that the city afforded me,
and filled with righteous purpose to do unto others.
As a Christian man, Father,
and your next city council representative,
I will give you my best,
to serve with humility, transparency,
and the wisdom of our collective community.
-Hi.
My name is Tye Reed,
and I'm running to be the next District 5 councilmember.
Most of you might know me as the co-chair
and co-founder of the House Our Neighbors Coalition
behind the successful campaign for social housing.
I am also a mutual aid organizer,
a member of the Transit Riders Union,
a board member for both Be:Seattle
and the Housing Justice Project, as well as a displaced renter
who is ready to represent your community
on the Seattle City Council.
For the past three years, I've spent nearly every week
distributing survival supplies to people living outside,
listening to their needs, and learning exactly
what would work to get them inside.
I've worked alongside countless organizations
researching and advocating for solutions that ultimately end up
being ignored or modified into ineffectiveness
by elected officials.
It's become all too easy for politicians to ignore our needs
while insisting they're our allies during election season.
That's exactly why I'm running on a platform
to uplift the demands laid out in the 2022 Solidarity Budget.
Community members have already told us
what they need to live and thrive
in a safe and healthy Seattle.
Politicians simply need to say "yes."
I will start by immediately focusing my office's attention
on passing bold, progressive revenue
to fill the projected $200 million shortfall
in the 2024 budget.
I will do this by increasing the JumpStart Tax
on large corporations,
and implementing a capital gains tax at the city level.
Seattle is tired of regressive taxes
that make every year harder and harder
for working-class families.
Seattle must stop the sweeps.
While this might not be a popular position to take,
we know that they just don't work.
Last year, the city carried out over 900 sweeps,
many at the same location multiple times,
with nothing to show for it
except a worsening homelessness crisis.
Millions of our tax dollars are being wasted on services
that are impossible to access.
Finally, I will prioritize creating safe spaces
for our kids, elders, and disabled neighbors.
I will start by pedestrianizing Aurora
with sidewalks, trees, and lit crosswalks.
I will fight to make sure the 130th Street station
opens on schedule, in 2026,
with zoning that allows for dense affordable housing
in our district.
I'm not running on the idea
that we need new solutions to our problems.
I'm seeking your vote precisely because we already have them.
We just need leaders courageous enough to make them happen.