-King County Executive.
The County Executive manages the delivery
of such regional services as criminal justice, metro transit
and wastewater treatment.
The executive also directs the local services provided
to those in the unincorporated areas, outside of cities.
In 2022, the County Charter was amended
to move certain county offices to even-year elections.
Therefore, in 2025, the election to King County Executive
will be for a three-year term
instead of the normal four-year term.
King County Executive is a non-partisan position.
All voters in King County can vote for county executive.
-When I talk to people across King County,
I hear the same things.
Housing is too expensive,
too many communities don't feel safe,
and after decades of failed promises, we are all frustrated.
I'm Girmay Zahilay, and I'm running for county executive
because I know we can do better.
Every tax dollar must deliver safer, healthier
and more affordable communities.
That urgency comes from my own life experiences.
I was raised in South King County
after our family arrived here as refugees.
We experienced homelessness and lived in public housing
even though my parents worked multiple jobs.
I know how hard it is to make ends meet.
Today I'm a husband and father raising my own family here.
That's what drives me to make government work better.
That experience also led me to a life of service.
I worked in the Obama White House,
practiced business law at top firms,
and founded a national youth education nonprofit.
As council chair, I led the work to fund new recovery centers
to address the addiction crisis,
expand King County's gun violence prevention strategy,
and invest in thousands of new affordable homes
near public transit.
This year, I also championed a public safety initiative
that will invest in more first responders
that keep your neighborhood safe.
That's why I'm the only candidate in this race
endorsed by Governor Ferguson,
Attorney General Nick Brown
and Congress members Pramila Jayapal and Adam Smith.
My record of delivering results
has also earned sole endorsements
from Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates,
Washington Conservation Action,
the Alliance for Gun Responsibility,
and more elected officials around the region
than any other candidate.
They believe I'm the most effective candidate
in this race, and so do the voters.
I won first place in the primary election by double digits.
As executive, I'll tackle our biggest challenges head on,
fighting homelessness with urgency,
improving public safety, defending reproductive rights,
expanding addiction care and supporting small businesses.
If you're ready for leadership that delivers,
I'd be honored to earn your vote.
-King County is at a crossroads,
and business as usual just isn't good enough.
Too many of our neighbors are priced out of homes
or suffering on the streets,
while our federal government is gutting healthcare
and threatening our rights and our economy.
In these challenging times,
local government must work
to protect our people and our values.
As King County Executive,
I'll meet this moment with decades of proven leadership.
I'm the only candidate who has led a large public agency,
and I've fought political resistance
to deliver big results.
I'll be King County's housing executive,
helping working people with a plan
for 44,000 affordable homes
that's been called both ambitious and achievable.
I'll build on my experience
already creating thousands of affordable homes,
shelter beds and supportive housing.
I'll prioritize public safety,
balancing accountability and compassion.
As a former public safety leader myself,
I know how to reduce gun violence and crime
at our stores and small businesses,
protecting our residents and workers.
I'll deliver on mental health and crisis intervention
to stop the revolving door to jails and emergency rooms.
I'll fight to bring light rail to West Seattle and Ballard,
just as I opened the Eastside starter line
and led the early delivery of light rail in South King County.
I'll work for safer roads, sidewalks and trails,
building on my pioneering work as former president
of the Puget Sound Regional Council.
In the face of a hostile administration,
I'll protect our environment, our healthcare,
and our rights to reproductive freedom,
LGBTQ+ equality and immigrant justice,
because King County should always be a place
where everyone belongs.
I'm proudly endorsed by the Seattle Times,
public safety leaders, firefighters, Democrats,
housing and transportation advocates, the Snoqualmie Tribe,
over 100 elected and community leaders, and more.
I'm Claudia Balducci, and my promise is simple --
proven leadership to deliver bold,
achievable results for all of King County.
I'd be honored to earn your vote.