♪
-Welcome to the 2025
King County Primary Election Video Voter's Guide.
Your chance to hear directly from the participants appearing
on the August 5 primary election ballot.
This is a vote-by-mail election.
Instead of going to a polling place,
ballots will be sent to all registered voters.
All ballots must be returned on
or before primary election day, August 5.
Each statement is up to two minutes long and unedited.
The speakers appear on your screen in the order
they will appear on the ballot.
Participants appearing in this video include representatives
who support and oppose King County Proposition 1,
the Parks, Recreation, Trails and Open Space Levy,
along with candidates running for King County Executive
and the Metropolitan King County Council.
First up, King County Proposition 1,
the King County Parks, Recreation, Trails
and Open Space Levy.
The King County Proposition 1 would replace
the expiring parks levy.
If approved,
this levy would raise $1.45 billion over six years
to support county and city park districts,
town parks, open space and trails,
recreation, public pools, and educational and civic venues,
and a levy oversight board.
The levy would also provide funding for Woodland Park Zoo,
the Seattle Aquarium, Memorial Stadium,
Seattle Waterfront Park, and the Pacific Science Center.
Funds would also be used for acquisition,
conservation, and stewardship
of additional open space and forests.
The levy authorizes an additional property tax
beginning in 2026
at just over 23 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.
The owners of a home valued at $844,000
would pay $16.38 per month the first year.
The rate would be adjusted annually
for the next five years,
using the King County inflation plus population index
or the chapter 84.55 RCW limitation,
whichever is greater.
State law exempts qualifying seniors,
veterans, and disabled persons from paying this tax.
-Hi, I'm Rod Dembowski, King County Council member,
and I'm thrilled to speak with you
today about the importance of renewing our
King County parks levy.
It's Proposition 1 on your August ballot.
This measure renews funding for more than 250 parks,
play fields, swimming pools,
and hands-on learning destinations
all over the county.
Your vote will fund essential maintenance,
update our restrooms and playgrounds,
expand ball fields and sport courts,
provide programs for families,
and improve public safety with additional park rangers.
Proposition 1 builds on over two decades
of successful levies
and will cost the average homeowner
around $2.50 more a month than the expiring levy.
It really is a small investment in our health,
our environment, and quality of life.
These investments are independently audited
for accountability, with annual public reporting
from the Parks Oversight Committee.
In crafting this proposal,
King County prioritized healthy and safe places
to play and to learn.
Our parks, our playgrounds, our ball fields,
trails, and swimming pools are essential places
for kids to play and learn, to swim,
and for our communities to gather, recreate,
and enjoy nature.
As this region continues to grow,
it's essential that we act now to preserve
and protect our last great forests, farmlands,
open spaces, and waterways.
This levy protects these treasured landscapes
and provides a model for climate action.
Your yes vote makes all of this happen,
and that's why so many leaders have endorsed
the proposal: Executive Shannon Braddock,
mayors from the county all over, the Nature Conservancy,
the Trust for Public Land, the Trails Association,
the zoo and the aquarium,
Mountains to Sound Greenway, the League of Women Voters,
the Parks Foundation, Splash Forward,
the Play Equity Coalition, and many more.
Please vote yes on your August ballot
for King County Proposition 1 for more parks,
more trails, more pools, and more play fields.
Thank you.
♪
-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.
The top two vote getters will advance
to the general election in November.
-For far too long, our voices have been scattered
behind the things that divide us
instead of bringing us together.
For a while, this is the reason I distanced myself
from political issues and know many of you feel the same.
Shaken by the amount of individuals unsheltered
and traumatized by having to physically fight for my rights,
I have decided enough is enough.
I started a business here just last year
and already donated $12,000 back to the community.
By bringing the same approach
into the King County Executive role,
we can begin to make decisions that align more with the issues
that need attending to the most.
As we fall behind on schedules, resolve budget deficits,
and see an increase in crime and housing issues,
and on top of that, facing mental challenges,
we begin to search for hope in leaders and the entities
who promised us change.
We the people deserve a leader
who will make decisions about the community based on people,
not prior engagements or a profit margin.
We need to deeply invest in our housing,
gun reformation, crime, public health,
small business, and education sectors.
This must be accomplished through a coalition
of community efforts and spearheading
by our elected officials in integrity and truth.
We need to bridge the gap between elected officials
and the community
so that the identity between the two becomes one and the same.
And how does this happen?
By coming together to allow our voices to be amplified
throughout the county for the world to hear,
to create a standard of what leadership should look like,
not just on a local level,
but on an international platform as a paradigm
of what change represents in a community
who is dedicated to making it happen.
If you ever questioned the importance of your vote,
now is the time to take a step
and contribute towards a change that depends on you.
Within a few weeks,
we have the chance to put the odds back in our favor.
King County counts. Count us in. Can we count on you?
Thank you.
-I'm Claudia Balducci,
and I am running for King County Executive
because I believe now more than ever
that local government must work for the people we serve.
This moment requires proven leadership and action.
We must make our communities affordable, safe,
welcoming, and sustainable.
And we must defend our rights against attacks
from the Trump administration.
I'll bring an unmatched record of experience and results
to the job of King County Executive.
I come from a family of public servants
and have been one myself for 25 years.
I've worked as a line staffer
and as the director of a large county department.
I served as mayor of the city of Bellevue,
and I'm currently a King County Council member.
I chaired the county council for three years
during the COVID-19 pandemic,
leading us through one of the most challenging times
in recent history.
I'm the only candidate in this race
who has delivered on housing
and emergency shelter with wraparound care,
putting thousands of roofs over the heads of seniors,
working families, and our most vulnerable neighbors.
As the only candidate with direct public safety experience,
I know what it takes to protect the public,
reduce gun violence, support survivors of assault and abuse,
and restore lives harmed by addiction and other crises.
I'm a regional champion for
transit, road safety, and trails,
and I've taken on and overcome well-funded
opposition to bring light rail to East King County.
For decades, I've fought to protect our climate,
clean air and water, habitat, parks, and open space.
Because of my experience,
I'm the only candidate endorsed by a broad coalition
of business, labor, democratic organizations,
and local, state, and federal elected officials.
I'll bring my experience as a lawyer
and my commitment to justice
to fight Trump administration overreach,
safeguarding our values and our people.
And I'll be the first woman and mom elected county executive
at a time when attacks continue on gender identity
and reproductive rights.
As executive, I will work tirelessly for you,
our families, and our communities.
I humbly ask for your vote.
♪
-King County voters, I'm Don L. Rivers,
your candidate for King County Executive.
With over 40 years as a King County employee
and a union member,
I understand the real issues facing our communities,
from public safety to homelessness.
We need leadership that understands the three L's:
the ability to listen, learn, and then lead.
I will protect our metro drivers and transit workers 24/7.
Homelessness is our most viable area
of untapped positive resources.
In 2024, while running for governor,
I was offered $950 million to eradicate homelessness.
I plan to put that funding to work for King County.
I support protecting the environment.
I plan to do a study to develop a wastewater treatment plant
for Vashon Island.
I'm committed to safer streets and cleaner neighborhoods.
Crime must be controlled.
We are currently $150 million over budget.
We must do a better job of using taxpayers dollars.
I will always protect freedom of choice
and our immigrant communities.
I'm Don L. Rivers. I need your vote.
I need your support.
Let's move King County forward together.
Thank you.
-Hi. I'm proud to be the only candidate on the ballot
who has the official endorsement of the Republican Party
and serve as the GOP's standard bearer in this race.
People support me because they know
that I am deeply concerned about taxes,
the cost of living, crime, and homelessness.
We are far worse off in each of these areas
than we were when the last county executive was elected.
Under my leadership, we will do much better.
Common sense with compassion.
Did you know that county leaders have increased
your taxes by nearly 50% in the last 10 years?
Do you believe you're getting 50% better services?
With critical services not being provided,
the answer is clearly no.
In addition to keeping costs down,
we must reprioritize the county's
approximately $20 billion budget to fully fund our sheriff,
prosecutor, and other criminal justice services
instead of pursuing foolhardy ideas like closing county jails
and releasing violent offenders into our community.
We must make a meaningful dent in violent crime
and drug addiction in King County.
When elected, I will establish a humane standard for removal
of homeless encampments, and I will enforce that standard.
Statistics show that Seattle has become
the dead-end street for America's homeless population.
King County spends millions on single-occupancy apartments
when we should be building congregate shelters
at a fraction of the cost.
These congregate shelters can house our homeless population
and eliminate the ugly and dangerous outdoor encampments.
I will use my management experience in both private
and nonprofit sectors to reign in King County
and bring it back to America's best places to live and work.
Together, we can make a difference.
Thank you.
-The deepening crisis
of the capitalist system is intensifying conflicts
between the ruling classes of each country.
This is bringing us closer to a nuclear world war.
Only the working class taking power
can disarm the imperialist rulers to stop this.
We live in a class-divided country
ruled by a tiny class of billionaire families
through their Democratic and Republican parties.
Working people need a break from both
and build an independent movement
to defend ourselves against their attacks
on our wages and living conditions.
A revolutionary political party is needed to lead
and organize a mass popular movement
to establish a workers government.
A workers government can start with the needs of millions,
not the profits of a few,
and build a society based on human solidarity.
I support whatever builds this solidarity,
confidence, and fighting capacity of the working class
to defend our interests.
And I oppose anything that undermines solidarity between us
and promotes dependence on this dog-eat-dog system.
Workers and the unions
need to fight for a federally funded public works program
to put millions to work at union wages,
building and repairing infrastructure, schools,
parks, affordable housing, and hospitals,
fight for a shorter workweek at no loss in pay
to prevent layoffs,
and for workers control of production
to guarantee safety on the job and protect the environment.
I oppose all attacks on constitutional freedom
of worship and speech,
freedom of the press, association, and assembly,
due process and other liberties needed and used by the toilers.
I joined with fellow workers
to support labor struggles for higher wages and work schedules
that allow for family time and recreation.
We must fight for amnesty
for immigrants to unify the entire working class.
In face of rising anti-Jewish attacks around the world,
we fight Jew hatred
and defend Israel's right to exist as a refuge for Jews,
and we demand the US get out of the Middle East.
We defend Ukraine's sovereignty
and demand US troops and nuclear weapons out of Europe.
Join the Socialist Workers Party.
Thank you.
-When I talk to people across King County,
I hear the same thing over and over.
Housing is too expensive.
More neighbors are living outside than ever before.
Too many communities don't feel safe.
And after decades of failed promises and business as usual,
we are all frustrated.
I'm Girmay Zahilay,
and I'm running for King 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 experience.
I was raised in south King County by a single mother
after our family arrived here as refugees.
We experienced homelessness, lived in public housing,
and relied on food stamps.
I know how hard it is to make ends meet.
Today I'm a husband and a father raising my own family here.
That's what drives me to make government work
better for everyone.
That experience also led me to a life of public service.
I worked in the Obama White House,
practiced law at top national firms,
led anti-poverty policy efforts,
and founded and ran a national youth education nonprofit.
I've spent my career expanding opportunity
and delivering results.
As council chair,
I led the work to fund new crisis care centers
to address the addiction crisis,
pass eviction prevention laws to keep thousands housed,
create King County's gun violence prevention strategy,
and invest in thousands of new units of affordable homes
near public transit.
This is what urgent, effective leadership looks like.
That's why I'm proud to be endorsed
by Governor Bob Ferguson, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal,
Attorney General Nick Brown, the King County Democrats,
labor unions, and dozens of local leaders.
They believe in the future we're building together.
As executive, I'll tackle our biggest challenges head on,
fighting homelessness with urgency,
improving public safety, defending reproductive rights,
expanding addiction care, addressing climate change,
and helping small businesses thrive.
If you're ready for leadership that delivers,
I'd be honored to earn your vote.
-Metropolitan King County Council.
The King County Council is the legislative branch
of county government.
The County Council enacts laws and sets policy.
To further county policies,
they adopt the county's operating budget.
The operating budget includes spending
for areas such as public health and human services,
metro transit, wastewater treatment,
the criminal justice system, and regional parks and open space.
In 2022, voters amended the county charter
to move certain county offices to even-year elections.
Therefore, in 2025,
the election to county council member
will be for a three-year term instead of
the normal four-year term.
The King County Council has nine members,
each representing a different geographic district.
Voters select from the candidates representing
their voting district.
Positions 5 and 7
will appear on the primary election ballot this year.
The top two vote getters will advance
to the general election in November.
Metropolitan King County Council member
is a nonpartisan position.
♪
-I am running to represent District 5
on the King County Council.
I am Angela Henderson,
a resolute bricklayer building up our communities over 30 years
when there were very few women on job sites.
I uphold the duty of elected vice chair
of a nonprofit organization.
I advocate for all people
because I believe that when we lift each other up, we all rise.
Our elders, our seniors, and their families of King County
have been displaced for development.
We need better transition plans and resources
as King County develops.
I will champion for price control and housing.
We need affordable
and resilient housing options to maintain
our environmental quality.
Drawing people such as nurses, police officers,
firefighters, and teachers
will undoubtedly benefit the safety
and the well-being of the people already living
in this community.
We must address gun violence,
homelessness, and addiction with real solutions
that don't look the other way.
Let's invest in our programs
that give kids a path of economic stability
in ways that nurture the future technology.
Pre internships for high schoolers.
Paid internships and trade pathways to apprenticeships
will indeed decrease the impact of student debt,
improving on wraparound services with essential resources
for students' basic needs.
Upgrading our police and fire stations that offer
after-school spaces will support kids' mental health,
public safety while investing in our youth development
and educational growth.
So all individuals in our communities
are empowered to achieve their dreams.
Let's increase ways to
for us to support all small businesses in critical sectors,
weathering tough times
and help to anchor our local economy
against reckless tariffs and inflation.
We must foster an environment
where these businesses overcome challenges.
Elect Angela Henderson.
I know the value of hard work and a job well done,
and with an unwavering commitment to serving
the residents of District 5,
let's work together to build King County.
-Hi, I'm Ryan McIrvin, and I'm running for King County Council,
District 5.
South King County has always been home for me.
It's where I grew up, and it's where my wife and I are now,
raising our two daughters.
My dad was the one who first inspired me to give back,
and that value of service is something
I carry with me every day.
For the past 20 years,
I've worked in public service to help build stronger,
more connected communities,
and over my three terms on the Renton City Council,
I've focused on expanding opportunity, improving safety,
and investing in the future of our region.
Regionally, I've worked across city lines
with county partners on housing, transit,
and smart growth through committees
like the Affordable Housing Committee,
the Regional Transit Committee,
and the Growth Management Planning Council.
Because the challenges we face don't stop at city borders
and neither should our solutions.
Public safety is the issue I hear most about.
It's about more than enforcement.
It's about trust, compassion, and real solutions.
I led efforts to bring body-worn cameras to Renton
and serve on the Renton Regional Fire Authority Board,
where we support co-responder programs like FD Cares
to connect people in crisis with care,
not just handcuffs.
In my role at UW Bothell,
I worked to expand access to education
and strengthened workforce development,
especially for first-generation college students
and working families.
I believe in creating pathways to opportunity
that lift people up and strengthen our economy.
I'm also passionate about protecting our environment.
As a runner, cyclist, and board member of
the Issaquah Alps Trails Club,
I've supported salmon habitat restoration,
floodplain protection,
and a regional network of parks and trails
that connect people to nature and to each other.
I'm running for county council
because I believe government should be rooted in community,
guided by equity, and focused on delivering real results.
I'm proud to be endorsed by the King County Democrats,
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs,
and many more local elected officials across the county.
I'm ready to keep showing up and doing the work.
If we stay committed and lead with heart,
there is no challenge we can't overcome together.
I'd be honored to earn your vote.
-The values we spent a lifetime defending
are more important than ever.
King County has made great strides.
Now we need to ensure we keep moving forward.
Hi, I'm Kim-Khanh Van,
your choice for King County Council District 5.
I believe King County must be rooted in safe,
healthy communities,
real opportunity for all, and transparency
that centers the people we serve.
I came to this country as a child refugee from Vietnam.
Through hard work,
I became a first-generation law school graduate,
immigration attorney, and a JAG lawyer
with the US Volunteer Services Joint Services Command.
I also founded the Renton Police Foundation,
run a small business
for which I'm a member of the Kent Chamber of Commerce,
served as a Rotarian
and president of the Kiwanis Club of Renton,
and am both a PTA and Scout's mom.
I've never forgotten where I came from.
For six years on the Renton City Council,
I've strengthened public safety
by investing in officer training,
funding mental health responders,
and launching the Downtown Patrol District unit
and Renton's first equity commission.
I've stood with Boeing machinists, healthcare workers,
firefighters, teamsters,
and grocery workers supporting Raise The Wage
and expanding economic opportunity.
Countywide, I've worked through
the King County Coalition Against Hate and Bias
and the Seattle/King County
African Americans Reparations Committee.
Nationally, I served on the National League of Cities
Rail Council and Economic Development Committee.
I've expanded apprenticeship
through the Renton Technical College Foundation
and supported immigrants, refugees, seniors,
LGBTQI+ communities,
and veterans through Riverton Park Church,
Northwest Immigrant Rights Projects,
and One America clinics.
These are serious times.
Our values and democracy are under attack.
With over 20 years of service and resilience,
I'm ready to stand firm on the principles
we've always believed in and will protect the progress
we've built together.
Join us at Elect Kim-Khanh Van
to ensure what matters most for our community.
I'm the only candidate so endorsed by the 33rd Democrats,
and I humbly ask for your vote.
-Hi, I'm Steffanie Fain,
and I'm running to be your next King County Council member
for District 5.
People across south King County are frustrated.
And I am too.
The system isn't working,
especially on issues around public safety,
homelessness, and affordability.
As an attorney, nonprofit leader, and parent,
I bring decades of experience building consensus
and achieving results by rising above divisions
and focusing on shared goals.
Since 2021,
I've served as the Harborview Medical Center Board President,
guiding King County's hospital
through overlapping public health and financial crises.
Our behavioral health system is broken,
and fixing it requires a regional approach
with experienced leadership and established partnerships.
Our community needs more than good intentions.
We need a strong advocate with the courage
and common sense to push for real change.
I'll improve public safety by supporting first responders
and reforming how we address mental health crises,
addiction, and youth violence.
I'll also bring urgency and accountability
to the homelessness and affordability crisis,
prioritizing measurable outcomes, compassion,
and smarter investments.
After years of spending with too few results,
it's time to ensure public dollars go to programs
that actually help people.
I've lived in south King County for nearly two decades,
raising my children in public schools,
coaching youth sports,
and supporting programs that serve our diverse community.
I've worked alongside leaders in healthcare,
business, labor, and government to get things done.
That's why more than 70 local leaders,
including U.S. Representatives Adam Smith
and Marilyn Strickland,
former Governor Chris Gregoire,
the majority of south King County mayors,
and a coalition of labor unions,
business and community leaders have endorsed my campaign.
My husband and I live here with our two sons
and extended family nearby.
This is our home and I care deeply about its future.
I'd be honored to earn your vote.
-I'm not running because this is the next step
in a political career.
I'm running because I've lived the same challenges
so many families in south King County
are still navigating: housing instability,
economic uncertainty,
and systems that too often ignore working people.
I left a career in tech to do the work
that mattered most to me: grassroots work,
building programs, mentoring young leaders,
helping others navigate the same barriers that I faced.
And when existing systems didn't open their doors,
I built new ones.
That work turned into something bigger,
a national nonprofit platform
that's helped thousands of people access opportunity.
And now I use that same experience to advise
companies and nonprofits on how to build with equity in mind.
In this race, the two central issues are clear --
affordability and safety.
From housing to childcare,
the cost of living has made it nearly impossible
for working families to stay rooted here.
I'll fight for workforce housing that supports the people
who keep our region running:
teachers, first responders, grocery clerks, tradespeople,
and push for equitable development
that delivers affordable homes, not just market-rate units.
We also need to expand access to high-quality childcare
so families can actually afford to work and raise kids here.
As a father of two young children,
I feel the urgency around rising crime and violence.
But real safety means more than just law enforcement.
It means faster emergency response.
It means better coordination between police,
social workers, and mental health professionals.
And it means investing in community organizations
that are already doing the work to support youth and family
before crisis hits.
South King County has been overlooked for too long.
I'm not here to manage the status quo.
I'm here to change it.
Because I don't just understand these struggles,
I've lived them.
I'm not backed by political legacy or big donors.
I'm backed by working people, teachers, nurses,
bus drivers, small-business owners,
the people who keep this region running
but are rarely at the table when decisions are made.
This campaign is not about chasing power.
It's about putting people first
and making sure government finally works for those
who have been left behind.
♪
-Hello, I'm Maya Vengadasalam,
and I'm running for King County Council
to bring responsible leadership and a future-focused vision
to District 7.
For over two decades,
I worked alongside individuals and organizations
across the region always focused on making a positive impact.
And as an accountant,
I understand the importance
of fiscal responsibility and transparency
in managing budgets, optimizing processes,
and ensuring taxpayer dollars are used efficiently.
These practices are the foundations
of a healthy government.
Serving as a school board director,
president, and legislative representative
for eight years taught me that real change happens
when we work together.
Government should be about accountability,
accessibility, and genuinely serving the people.
That's why I'm focusing on four key priorities.
First, let's talk about transparency and accountability.
Tax dollars need to be spent wisely,
and decisions must be clear
and accessible to everyone they impact.
Second, economic growth is essential
to strengthen communities,
providing support for local businesses,
workforce development, and fair opportunities for all.
Third, affordable housing is crucial.
We need effective solutions to reduce homelessness
and ensure everyone has access to safe, stable homes.
And finally, public safety and education.
It's all about building partnerships
to make our neighborhoods safer
and to strengthen lifelong learning
so that our communities can grow stronger together.
My past service in these areas
has earned me multiple recognition and support
from community organizations and leaders
because leadership isn't about promises, it's about results.
And I'm ready to roll up my sleeves,
work across differences, and deliver meaningful progress.
I would be honored to earn your vote.
Thank you.
♪
-You have just seen the video statements
submitted by candidates running for King County Executive
and Metropolitan King County Council Districts 5 and 7.
Ballots will be mailed
to all registered voters on July 16.
For questions regarding voter registration, your ballot,
or answers to other election-related questions,
visit the King County Elections website
at kingcounty.gov/elections.
Or call (206) 296-VOTE.
All ballots must be returned on or before August 5.
You can return your ballot to a ballot drop box,
no stamp required.
Ballots returned to a drop box must be delivered by 8p.m.,
Election Day, August 5.
Or you can return your ballot by mail.
You do not need a stamp to return your ballot by mail.
Just drop your completed signed ballot in a USPS mailbox.
It must be postmarked by Election Day, August 5.
We recommend mailing your ballot by August 1
to make sure it gets postmarked in time.
Or you can go to a vote center.
King County vote centers are available to voters
who need assistance completing their ballot.
Trained staff and specialized equipment
are available to help voters with disabilities
cast a private, independent ballot.
To find a vote center or a drop box in King County,
visit the King County Elections website
at www.kingcounty.gov/elections.
Or call (206) 296-VOTE.
That's (206) 296-8683.
Thanks for joining us.
This program is a collaboration
of the Seattle Ethics & Elections Commission,
the Seattle Channel, and King County TV.
We'd like to hear from you about the Video Voter's Guide.
To comment on this guide, please call (206) 684-8500
or e-mail ethicsandelections@seattle.gov.
♪