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-Seattle City Council. The Seattle City Council is
the legislative branch of government.
Members set the city's direction by enacting ordinances
and passing resolutions.
The Council authorizes expenditures,
adopts regulations, levies taxes,
controls the finances and property of the city,
and performs many related legislative tasks.
Of the nine city council positions, two,
Position Eight and Position Nine are at large,
representing the entire city for a term of four years.
Positions One through Seven each
represent different districts of the city.
This year, the two at large council positions
are up for election.
There is also a special election
for Seattle City Council District Two,
which covers the southeast portion of Seattle.
The candidate elected to this position
will serve the remaining two years of the term,
and be on the ballot again in 2027.
All voters in Seattle
can vote in both of the at large city council races.
Only voters in District Two can vote in the special election
for Seattle City Council District Two.
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-What's up Seattle?
Today I stand before you
as a passionate advocate for our great city.
I am running for Seattle City Council
because I believe we can do better.
We must do better.
I am determined to bring forth policies
that improve our lives and strengthen our communities.
One of the first issues I will tackle
is the Democracy Voucher Program.
While well-intentioned,
this program has failed to meet its objective
of empowering grassroots candidates.
Instead, it has bolstered career politicians
and drained taxpayer resources.
It is time to redirect our efforts and funds
towards initiatives
that truly elevate diverse voices
in our political landscape.
Next, I pledge to end the sugar tax,
Seattle's disproportionately low income affecting
sweetened beverage tax.
It's time to alleviate this burden
and instead focus on innovative solutions
that encourage healthy living without punishing
consumers and businesses.
Another top priority is investing in our robust
public transit system.
I'll wholeheartedly support the expansion of light rail,
which will reduce traffic congestion,
cut greenhouse gas emissions,
and make our city more accessible for all.
Together, we can create a transportation network
that serves everyone efficiently and sustainably.
Public safety is another pressing concern.
People deserve security.
I will work tirelessly to implement effective,
common, unity orientated solutions
that enhance public safety
while respecting the rights and dignity of every citizen.
Over my half decade career,
I have fought for the issues of universal health care,
reproductive rights, and freedom of speech.
And as your City council-member,
I will fight just as hard for every single one of you.
In conclusion, I ask for your support in this election.
Together, we can create a more equitable,
safe and thriving Seattle for everyone.
♪
-I'm Alexis Mercedes Rinck.
I'm a renter and someone who takes the bus to work every day.
I went from waiting tables next to the Space Needle
to working on policy at the UW tower,
to now serving you on Seattle City Council,
fighting for a city that works for all of us,
not just the wealthy few.
And in my work across communities,
I've gained a reputation for bringing people together
around solutions and making things happen.
I got my master's degree at the UW,
and I've worked across 39 cities
and with over 100 different organizations
on housing and health of our communities.
And since joining council,
I've partnered with our state delegation
and pushing for new statewide progressive revenue options
and successfully restoring funding
for the Recovery Navigator program.
I was the only member of council
to campaign for and secure progressive revenue for union
built social housing,
and I've sponsored new legislation
to support more affordable housing development
in times of national strife,
Seattle must stand as a beacon of hope and resilience.
As we confront a MAGA regime determined to attack our rights
and protect the wealthy at the expense of working people,
I've spearheaded our city's fight
against this fascist power grab,
creating and sharing a new council committee
focused on combating these federal policy changes.
But I was brought to this work because of my upbringing.
I am proudly raised by my grandparents.
I was born to teenagers caught in cycles of gang violence,
substance use disorder, and homelessness.
But I was given the tools I needed to heal,
thanks to great teachers and afternoons at the Boys and Girls Club,
and I am here today as a living testament to
when we invest in young people,
regardless of their beginnings, we can change generations.
We had a record breaking win last year,
and we're continuing to unite Seattle
with nearly 70 endorsements.
This is the campaign Planned Parenthood trusts
will protect reproductive health care access.
This is the campaign King County Democrats trust
is going to uphold core Democratic values.
And this is the campaign that unionized healthcare workers,
maritime workers, bus drivers,
trust is going to work tirelessly
for our working families.
And now I'm asking for your support
so we can fight together against the politics of fascism
and build a Seattle that works for all of us.
-As a business owner,
I've had to live with the consequences caused
by politicians dismantling our criminal justice system,
allowing crime, addiction and mental illness to cause death,
the ruin of our businesses and beautiful downtown,
and the sense of safety of every citizen.
As a resident,
I have had to contend with ever increasing rent
and have experienced being priced out of buying a home.
As your City council-member,
my mission will be to serve you by passing practical policy
that closes the wage versus rent gap,
rebuilds our police department, secures our own city jail,
permits arrests and jail sentences,
and builds long term residential treatment centers
to solve the drug and mental illness epidemic.
In Seattle, we still live without fundamental safety.
Police are not allowed to arrest,
the county tells us there is no room at the jail.
Judges don't convict and sentence.
Cops are treated as criminals and criminals
are treated as victims.
Under these conditions,
our city's quality of life is being destroyed.
Businesses are failing and leaving.
Our working people have nothing left over
at the end of the month.
Worst of all,
we are in a city where the press and government
stifle critical thinking and diversity of opinion,
even in the face of total government failure.
We can do better.
Every citizen has the same wish --
to be treated fairly under the law,
and to live in a peaceful, stable, prosperous society.
Safety will bring business and prosperity back to our city.
We can do this together. With your vote,
I will represent the unheard voice,
the common sense voice,
the united voice against a status quo
that has failed us for too long.
-My name is Bishop Ray Rogers.
I am a lifelong resident of Seattle,
a former gang member who,
with the help of community officer Harry Bailey,
came through the Seattle crack epidemic of the '90s
and became an advocate for peace in Seattle Rainier Valley,
and throughout Seattle.
For 20 years,
I've embedded myself in the neglected areas of Seattle,
providing ground level service to at risk youth,
victims of sexual assault, and our homeless neighbors.
I have led marches
and provided mentoring to youth caught in the cycle of drugs, gangs, and violence.
I am an administrator leading the Circle of Love Outreach for over ten years.
But more than that, I'm a frontline service provider.
I am the candidate that has gone through the storm.
I've personally felt the loss of lives due to street violence,
to fentanyl, to homelessness, and to sex trafficking.
My voice on the City Council
will give a new needed perspective to the struggles of our inner city.
I'll prioritize public safety and fully staffing our police and first responders,
while also encouraging community policing and accountability.
I support alternative response models,
including restorative justice
and investing in community based programs
to reduce youth crime and gun violence,
as well as protect victims rights and recovery.
I understand public safety, accountability,
resources and rehabilitation
as only a person with lived experience can.
Recently, I was asked transportation issues, including busing.
It brought back so many memories of using Seattle's
robust transit system to escape the violence of my neighborhood.
Sadly, it's something that the youth in Rainier Valley still experience.
I know that Seattle is a diverse city,
and I know that there are many important topics
that are dear to your heart and to mine.
Small business support, fair taxes, incentives,
homeless resources and housing,
park trees, canopies and protecting the environment.
But we cannot forget that public safety is essential to our survival.
Don't give up on the gains
that we've made over the past few years,
and let's not return to the radical council of the past.
I am Ray Rogers and I'm asking for your vote.