-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.