-In particular, I just want to extend a warm welcome
to all of the elected officials who have joined us today
to celebrate again this very special moment.
On behalf of Erika, I want to thank you.
And I know she's so grateful,
and you will hear from her later,
but thank you for being here today.
Your presence reminds each one of us gathered
and the public at wide
that public service is never a solitary endeavor.
It's a partnership between those who lead and those who serve.
So your presence really makes a difference.
Today we celebrate not only a transition in leadership,
but also a reaffirmation of our shared commitment to justice,
to integrity, and to service to the people of Seattle.
With more than 66% of the electoral vote,
Erika Evans stepped into history as the first Black person,
the first African-American woman,
to hold this elected office.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Yeah.
[ Cheers and applause continue ]
As you have so acclaimed, this is not only noteworthy,
but it is a true cause for celebration and joy.
As each of you know, the role of City Attorney
is one that involves profound responsibility.
It requires a steady hand, intellectual rigor,
and an unwavering dedication to the rule of law.
Our City Attorney serves as a guardian
of fairness in criminal prosecutions,
a counselor to our city's elected leaders,
and an advocate for the public interest.
And while this position
is about interpreting statutes and ordinances,
it is also about ensuring
that the principles of justice and compassion
are woven into every decision that shapes our community.
And because I know Erika Evans well,
I can say with certainty
that there's no doubt in my mind that she possesses the qualities
to fulfill this important role in our city at this time,
in this moment when we all most need it.
Ever aware of the roots of her family and ancestors,
Erika is acutely mindful
of the significance and privilege
of what this all means.
She understands at a very deep level and with great humility
what justice and compassion is.
Erika is proud to look back,
to acknowledge her simple beginnings,
where she inherited a commitment to civil rights,
as well as a memory of injustice.
And with that memory ever present,
she nevertheless embodies a spirit of optimism.
She is one who understands that we must look back,
but we also must look forward.
Erika wisely knows the solutions to complex problems
involves collective wisdom and patience.
She truly believes in the future
and all the possibilities that it offers.
And I can say I know she is committed
to investing in the generation that will come after her
through mentoring others so that they, too,
can reach their full potential.
The evidence of these standards is visible
by looking at her professional credentials,
but it's also evident
by seeing where she has spent her personal time.
Erika Evans has served as the president
of the Loren Miller Bar Association,
which is the premier legal civil rights organization
of African-American lawyers in Washington state.
And for seven years, she led the bar studies program
that invests in assisting law students of color
to pass the bar exam.
She co-chaired and remains involved in
the Charles Johnson Youth & Law Forum,
an educational action day
that focuses on middle school and adolescent youth.
And she has served as a pro tem judge
in three different municipal courts
so that she could understand in a very practical way
the things that bring people into our courts.
And -- and I'm very proud of this --
she is currently the co-chair
of the Washington Leadership Institute,
which is a leadership development program
for underrepresented lawyers that is supported
by the Washington State Bar Association,
our three law schools, and is endorsed by the judiciary.
Recognized by the Puget Sound Business Journal
in 2024 as one of 40 under 40,
Erika has earned the respect from business leaders
across the region.
Each of these roles,
as well as her experience as a line-level trial attorney
in the office she will lead,
has informed and shaped the wisdom
and sound judgment that she will bring to the job.
Over the last couple of months,
I've had the fortunate opportunity
to talk to the public about trusting the next generation.
It involves the idea that each one of us
not only has the responsibility to succeed at what we're doing,
but we also have a responsibility to the future,
to those who come after us.
It involves a style of leadership.
My friends, I invite each one of us
to turn to the next generation and not be afraid,
to turn to the next generation
and trust the sincerity and the goodwill.
Erika Evans is that new generation
of leadership in our city.
And so I want to say
to my dear, dear Seattle City Attorney, Erika Evans,
you step into the role at a time
when the challenges facing our cities across the nation
are complex and ever-changing.
But with those challenges come opportunities,
opportunities to strengthen trust,
to uphold transparency,
and to ensure that every voice in our community
is heard and respected.
I am confident that your leadership will help guide us
toward solutions that reflect the values that we hold dear.
Erika Evans, we wish you great success
as you accept your role in Seattle history.
And by the way, happy birthday, my dear love.
[ Cheers and applause ]
-Love you. I love you.
-I love you. I love you.
[ Cheers and applause continue ]
-Hi, everyone. Good afternoon.
I'm Towa.
I'm an undergraduate at the University of Washington,
and I've had the honor of being one of Erika's campaign interns
since this past April.
If you're wondering what I did
to be among this incredibly impressive list of speakers,
me too. [ Laughter ]
I'm sorry to tell you I've never sued the Trump administration,
and I've also never sat on a judicial bench.
But I'll say that I think the reason I'm here
has a lot more to do with Erika than it does with me
because her vision of leadership centers us,
the people who elected her.
Watching her fight and win on that vision
over the past 10 months has meant so much to me.
As you can see, I'm a young woman of color,
and I'm also the daughter of an immigrant single mother
who worked two jobs while raising my sister and I.
Round of applause for my mom.
[ Applause ]
A lot of well-meaning people
have told me that I can leave that behind,
that that's what success looks like.
But Erika's proof I don't have to.
-♪ More than a woman to me ♪
-She's talked about -- [ Laughs ]
I appreciate the soundtrack.
[ Laughter ]
She's talked about the legacy of strength
that she inherited from her incredible parents
and grandparents.
And it's so easy to see that strength in her.
She's made me feel my own strength so much more clearly.
And I know I'm not the only one.
These days, especially as a young person...
-♪ In love like you and me, and I can see... ♪
-...it feels like a lot of things are out of our control.
[ Laughter ] [ Music stops ]
[ Applause ]
-We'll find moments of joy.
-Yes, we will find moments of joy.
[ Laughs ]
Even among the threats to student aid, to free speech,
worrying about our community members facing deportation,
leaders like Erika are a reminder
that we can fight and we can win.
She's inspired me so much.
It's hard not to be.
I'm sure she's inspired many of you, as well.
We all know Erika is the first person-of-color City Attorney,
the first Black City Attorney,
the first woman-of-color City Attorney.
But I can say that, because of the way she leads
and the way I know she's going to fight for all of us,
I also know that she's gonna be the first of many.
[ Applause ]
I'm so grateful that I've gotten to work with her and for her.
And I'm so happy to be here with all of you
celebrating her today.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]
-Good afternoon. -Good afternoon.
-No, we're here to celebrate. Good afternoon.
-Good afternoon!
-Thank you, everyone. My name is Nick Brown.
I'm the Washington State Attorney General,
and it is my honor to be here,
to see everyone here this afternoon,
and to be here on behalf of Erika Evans.
I was asked to speak about a month ago
and eagerly accepted.
And then Erika stole
one of my best lawyers to be her Criminal Chief.
[ Laughter ]
So we're gonna talk about that later.
-Sorry!
-But I really could not be more proud
to be here this afternoon on Erika's behalf.
And I want to start with that pride
because each of us who are here today
have known Erika in various capacities,
but I like to think that I've seen Erika
grow up as a professional during our decade plus
of knowing each other in various capacities.
Just as you said, Erika was heavily involved as a fellow
and then leader of the Washington Leadership Institute.
And looking around the room this afternoon,
I see a number of people from the WLI community.
If you all could raise your hands.
[ Cheers and applause ]
For the past year, I've had the honor of being perhaps
the most recognizable alumni from the WLI program,
and then Erika got elected.
[ Laughter ]
But I just want to share a quick story.
I, too, was a proud member of the WLI family,
serving as a fellow in 2008, 2009,
and then on the board for many years.
And Erika was in the program when I was on the board.
And I used to always lead a part of the training
that was called Get on Your Feet and Convince Me,
where graduates and fellows would have to get up
and do an oral presentation
and I would judge them and give feedback.
And there were varying degrees of success
in that oral advocacy
and how serious people treated it.
And at the time that Erika was in the program,
this was all via Zoom.
And I remember distinctly looking and observing
and giving feedback to some of her classmates who were going.
And then Erika came on camera in this Zoom,
and first and foremost, she had done an outfit change...
[ Laughter ]
...from the morning program,
put on something very similar to what she's wearing today.
And the degree of seriousness with which she approached
that small but important task
showed me that this was a woman who took herself seriously,
took me seriously, and took the work of becoming
a better professional very seriously.
And to see her growth in that program
really filled me with some awareness
of the next generation of talent
that this legal community was going to experience.
And there was a moment years later where Erika called me
and she was thinking about another job opportunity.
And I tried very hard to talk her out of that job opportunity.
And that's something --
As someone who's mentored people,
that's not always an easy thing to do.
But I knew that what she was considering
was not the right position for her,
that there was going to be a future opportunity
to lead and to shine and to see what she could become.
And I did not know it would be serving
as the City Attorney for the city of Seattle,
but I knew that she had the skill set
and the character to do something bold and visionary
that would have an impact on more people.
And then when I became the US Attorney,
Erika was a relatively new hire in the Department of Justice,
and I got to see her grow as a criminal AUSA in that office.
And to see her growth over the many, many years
really just fills me with a great deal of pride.
To go from a young lawyer
trying to get her skills and her confidence
to know what it takes to run for office
and to see the outstanding campaign that you ran,
being authentic to yourself,
I'm just really proud of you.
So, let me start there.
Second, I'm super excited for the city of Seattle.
And I'm super excited for all the people
that you are going to be serving as their lawyer.
I want to recognize our new mayor.
It's good to see you, Mayor, and our city council people.
You are in good hands with Erika Evans.
And I know that she will bring the character
and the expertise and the intellect
to serve the city well
because this is a city with enormous potential
that needs people of character and talent at all levels.
And the City Attorney's Office
is one of the most important roles that we have --
and to have an independently elected City Attorney
serving both the people and your elected representatives.
I'm just really excited to be a Seattleite in this moment.
And the last thing I want to say,
let me just offer a few pieces of wisdom to you.
And as someone who's constantly on the other side
of receiving wisdom, you can feel free to ignore any of this.
[ Laughter ]
But first and foremost,
let me just encourage you to be yourself.
You were chosen for this role
because people believed in you and believed in your vision
and believed in your words.
And you will get pressure to be someone other than yourself.
But being authentic to who you are
and reverting back to your training and your upbringing
is going to be one of the most important things that you can do
however long you serve
as the City Attorney for the city of Seattle.
Number two, put the people first.
Your job is to serve the people of the city of Seattle.
And we are a diverse community
with a lot of different perspectives
and a lot of different voices.
But I encourage you to put the people of this city first
and to center what is best for them
in every decision that you are making moving forward.
And lastly, I encourage you to listen
to the quiet voices in the room.
One of the best things that I have learned as a leader
is that there are a lot of people
who will be offering you opinions.
And this is Seattle.
There will be a lot of people offering you their opinions
with loud convictions.
And they're gonna be happening in this room.
And as leaders, we often gravitate
to sometimes the loudest voices in the room.
But there is so much wisdom in the quiet people.
There is so much wisdom in the people
that are disregarded and neglected and not called upon.
There is so much wisdom in the people
that do not raise their hands.
And so I encourage you to look for those people
to get their input, to seek their wisdom,
to seek their expertise,
to allow them to help you guide your office.
And lastly, I encourage you to be bold.
Your time in this position is short.
Whether it's one term or three terms, the years will fly by.
Your opportunity to make a mark on this office and this city
and the people of the state of Washington is fleeting.
So lean in, be authentic,
listen to the people and be bold.
Congratulations, Erika.
[ Cheers and applause ]
-Good afternoon. -Good afternoon!
-Boy, it works when you have somebody going before you.
[ Laughter ] Clears the air.
My name is Richard Jones.
I'm a federal judge in Seattle.
Unlike Justice Yu, I have not retired.
[ Laughter ]
I will tell you, I get questions all the time.
"Jones, you've been doing this a long time.
When are you gonna retire?"
And my quick response is,
"Right now, you can't afford for me to retire."
[ Cheers and applause ]
And unlike my good friend Nick Brown --
his advice is to be encouraged to follow --
I expect you to follow the advice that I share with you.
I'm not gonna order it. I'm not gonna do that.
But what I want to do is let everyone know
that I've known Erika for many years.
And when I first met Erika, she was a young law student.
And one of the remarkable things about young law students
is they try and get in your face so that they can convince you
that you should be hiring them as your next external law clerk.
Erika wasn't like that. Erika was reserved.
She was quiet, and she was well spoken,
but she paid attention.
And most importantly, Erika always listened.
And she followed that old adage
that I always tell younger lawyers and law students --
"God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason."
[ Laughter ]
"To listen twice as much as you talk."
And Erika has always had the ability to pay attention,
to listen, and to take advice wholeheartedly and follow it.
Now, as one of your mentors, I've had the chance
many times to see you grow in so many different ways.
Some of the positions that were referenced by Justice Yu
were positions I had a chance to talk to you about,
to consult with you about, to make sure that you knew
that that was an important opportunity for you
and for you to take full advantage of the opportunity.
And you always did that.
Now, I've served as a federal prosecutor.
Nick Brown served as a federal prosecutor.
So we know what the rigors and demands and expectations
are of federal prosecutors.
Erika appeared before me numerous times.
She appeared before me,
and she was always well prepared, well spoken.
She took directions from the court,
and she was always at the top of her game
when she walked into court.
Now we, as federal judges, expect that
of every lawyer that comes into court.
But the reality is that's not what the outcome is.
But I can tell you without question or hesitation,
when Erika walked in the door,
you knew that was a federal prosecutor
who was well prepared.
Seattle, you are so fortunate to have her as your top lawyer.
You can go ahead and applaud.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Next thing I want to share is, Erika,
as we administer the oath and take the oath today,
I'm confident of one thing --
this will not be the last time
that an oath is administered to you,
as you take the opportunity
to do different things in your life.
[ Cheers and applause ]
And, Erika, I've been a public servant for most of my career,
as a judge and different positions I've held in the past.
And I know the demands that'll be placed upon you,
and you'll face many challenges,
some known and some unknown and some daunting.
But I want you to know, if you follow the following advice,
you'll always succeed, just as you always have.
Look at Erika right now. Is she paying attention?
[ Laughter ]
She's paying the hell out of attention.
[ Laughter ]
First, always be true to yourself in making a decision.
Always be true to yourself.
Make your decisions so when you get up in the morning
and you look in that mirror
and there's no one standing behind you saying,
"Go on, girl, you did a great job," and slapping five,
when you're by yourself and look in the mirror,
you have to be able to say,
"I made the right decision. I did my homework.
I consulted with the people I needed to consult with.
I chose the right path. This is the correct decision."
Never fear making a tough decision.
The adage that goes with that is,
"You can't get an A if you're afraid to get an F."
And that's a statement that you don't have to be
afraid of making a mistake
'cause sometimes positions of power
comes with making a mistake.
But you learn from those mistakes.
Surround yourself with the best and brightest people
because those are the people that you turn to
and look for, for advice,
not just to tell you, "That's the right thing to do."
I don't hire "yes" people in my office,
and I don't expect that you will.
And I've met some of the folks that you've hired.
They're smart, they're industrious,
and they will help you succeed as a team.
One of the noblest statements that you can make
as a City Attorney is,
"I stand corrected.
"I need to make a revision on that determination."
Now, don't get in the habit of doing that.
[ Laughter ]
But I'm just saying people respect you
when you acknowledge that, "I've made a mistake.
I need to change course of action."
But it always has to be done with wisdom.
Be patient in resolving conflict,
but not afraid to challenge those
seeking to compromise the rule of law.
That's the job of the City Attorney
is the rule of law, and it's supposed to be followed
and enforced with you as the head and the leader.
Be open to criticism and do it without being defensive.
And every challenge is an opportunity to learn.
It comes as no surprise
that Erika had a tough race for City Attorney.
There were several people that jumped in the race
at the beginning, and I remember talking to Erika
at the very beginning of that.
And after she walked away, I sent her a follow-up text,
and I said, "Erika, there will be people
that may tell you, 'It's not your turn,
it's not your time,
you need to hold off and wait,
give somebody else an opportunity,
but it's just not your turn.'"
And my advice to Erika was I said,
"Erika, people will tell you
that you're about to enter a storm.
And when they tell you that,
your response can be quite simply,
"I am the storm."
[ Applause ]
So, I have just a couple questions,
not for Erika, but for all of you in this room.
And it's not a loyalty oath by any means.
It's not a loyalty oath by any means.
I repeat that.
But I want to ask a question of all of you,
and the answer is very simple.
We do, and I want to hear from everybody
when I ask the question.
Do you commit, every single person in this room,
that you will put your energy to assisting Erika Evans
to be the absolutely best City Attorney we've ever had?
And if so, say, "We do."
-We do!
-All right. See? You all learned well.
[ Laughter ]
Wish I could have a courtroom of jurors like this.
[ Laughter ]
And do each of you commit
that the issues of homelessness and community safety
are not just Erika's responsibility,
but the responsibility of this entire community
in the city of Seattle?
If you agree, please say, "We do."
-We do!
-Y'all passing the test. Two out of three so far.
And the last, if you wish for Erika Evans
to step up to the lectern and be sworn in
as your next City Attorney, please say, "We do."
-We do!
[ Cheers and applause ]
-You ready? -Yes, I'm ready.
-"I," please state your full name...
-I, Erika Joyce Evans...
-"...swear that I possess all the qualifications..."
-...swear that I possess all of the qualifications...
-"...prescribed in the City of Seattle charter..."
-...prescribed in the City of Seattle charter...
-"...and the Seattle Municipal Code..."
-...and the Seattle Municipal Code...
-"...for the position of City Attorney..."
-...for the position of City Attorney...
[ Cheers and applause ]
-"...that I will support the Constitution
of the United States..."
-...that I will support the Constitution
of the United States...
-"...the Constitution of the State of Washington..."
-...the Constitution of the State of Washington...
-"...and the Charter and Ordinance
of the City of Seattle..."
-...and the Charter and Ordinance
of the City of Seattle...
-"...and that I will faithfully conduct myself
as the City Attorney."
-...and that I will faithfully conduct myself
as the City Attorney.
-I present to you our new Seattle City Attorney.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Congratulations.
[ Cheers and applause continue ]
-Let's go, Erika! [ Laughter ]
-Thank you.
Seattle, we did this.
[ Cheers and applause ]
We made history together. -That's right.
-And is this mic loud enough? Can you all hear me?
-Yes! -Okay. We're good?
We're good? Great.
We made history together.
We believed in what this office can be
when it is led with compassion,
accountability, and the right laser focus.
You all made this possible.
I want to thank the leaders that you all just heard from.
Judge Jones, who has been a mentor and guidance to me
in every step in my career transition,
thank you for always believing and guiding me.
Thank you.
To Justice Mary Yu,
who has kicked down doors so that I, too,
can walk through those doors, thank you.
And to our Attorney General, Nick Brown,
who makes history time and time again,
thank you for everything you're doing
to protect us here in Washington.
I'm grateful for all three of you.
Another round of applause.
[ Cheers and applause ]
I'm asked quite often, you know, what is my North Star?
And the answer is really simple.
My purpose and North Star is serving others.
Service to others is something that has always guided me.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said
that life's most urgent and persistent question is,
"What are you doing for others?"
This has guided me in my life
and in my career in public service.
It's something that guided me in this campaign trail.
I would think, "What am I doing for others?
How can we make this city better?
How can we make this a city
where people feel safe and supported?"
This guided me.
This guided me to this role for this office.
Many of you know my story.
My grandfather, at just 21 years old --
two-time gold medalist -- after winning gold,
took to a world stage with a black beret and raising his fist
to protest against the hate and division in our country.
You see, what my grandfather knew at the time,
that it wasn't about the medals.
It wasn't about the applause.
It was about sacrifice.
It was about sacrifice and making a risk
to risk it all just so that things
might be better for other people.
It is that same legacy that I carry forward
and why I am standing here today.
My career has been grounded in public service,
from serving as a city prosecutor,
a defense lawyer in this very office,
serving as a pro tem judge,
and most recently serving
as an Assistant United States Attorney,
which was a dream job,
a dream job that shifted with the new Trump administration
and when we were seeing clear rollbacks in civil rights.
I knew I needed to make a decision,
just like my grandfather did, to stand up
and fight back what was happening.
That is the vision I'm bringing towards this office.
In this new administration,
we are gonna be centering real results and accountability.
We are gonna be centering victims and community
because public safety requires both.
What I've learned in nearly a decade
of working in public safety is that there is not
one-size-fits-all approach to each case.
And as lawyers and prosecutors,
we are to use our judgment and discretion
to make the right decision on the right case
and to be stewards of justice.
This is the lens that I'm bringing in perspective.
We're gonna be laser-focused on domestic violence and DUI cases.
We're gonna ensure that the right cases get diverted.
We've already started the process of setting up
a new, reimagined community court,
a community court in models we see in like Tacoma,
Bellevue, and even in New York.
A community court is a place for folks to get the services
so they don't get out and reoffend.
Let's break the cycle.
[ Cheers and applause ]
We've also set up the process to have a dedicated prosecutor
that's gonna focus on bias crimes
to make clear that hate and discrimination
will have no place here in our city.
[ Cheers and applause ]
We are excited to get started, and I want to acknowledge
that nothing meaningful is ever accomplished alone.
I want to thank our 34-person transition team
that helped us get action items in place
so we hit the ground running on day one.
Thank you. Some of you are in this room.
Will you please stand?
[ Applause ] Thank you.
I want to also thank our campaign team,
many of you that are here,
elected officials, so many mentors --
you know who you are -- that have made this moment possible.
I want to thank my husband, Christopher Sanders.
Give it up for Chris!
[ Cheers and applause ]
Thank you.
Thank you for always believing and guiding me.
This is your moment, too, right now, right?
Thank you.
[ Applause ]
I want to thank my family, who's here in the front row.
Thank you for reminding me why this work matters.
[ Applause ]
I also want to thank the Seattle
City Attorney's Office, our employees.
Thank you for showing up for this city every single day.
[ Applause ]
I want to be clear that we will not be measured
by numbers alone in this office.
We will be measured by safer neighborhoods,
thriving communities, and accountability.
We are gonna deliver on that.
Okay?
I also want to thank the people of Seattle.
You all made this possible because this election mattered.
It mattered to our city.
It mattered to our democracy.
It mattered to the young Black and brown people
that now know that they, too,
can and will be future Seattle City Attorneys.
[ Cheers and applause ]
I'm approaching this with eyes wide open
that the road ahead will not be easy.
I think about what my grandfather did
at the Olympic Games,
how it was met with outrage.
But it stood the test of time,
and it was on the right side of history.
And now we are in a moment
where young leaders like Towa will look back
and ask what the leaders in this moment
were doing to be on the right side of history.
And we are gonna do that work right now.
We're gonna do that work for our city and for our county.
[ Cheers and applause ]
Because I am committed to a Seattle
where we all can feel safe and where we all thrive,
a city where dignity is non-negotiable,
a city where we always fight back with urgency
and with courage to protect our rights and values
here in Seattle.
My name is Erika Evans,
and I'm honored to serve as your Seattle City Attorney.
Let's get to work!
Thank you!
[ Cheers and applause ]