Centrist in Seattle? How this week's election could change City Council politics

November 06, 2023 / 12:29 pm

caption: King County ballot surrounded by the Seattle City Council candidates for the 2023 Nov. 7 general election. All photos courtesy of campaigns, including: Vote Maren Costa, Friends of Rob Saka, People for Tammy Morales, Friends of Tanya Woo, Joy for Seattle, Alex for Seattle, Ron for Seattle, Maritza for Seattle, Cathy Moore for Seattle City Council D5, Community for ChrisTiana, Anita Nowacka, Vote Pete For D6, Lewis for Seattle, Jason Ganwich for Kettle for Seattle.

Election Day is Tuesday, and some big changes are afoot, especially when it comes to the Seattle City Council.

Longtime Council firebrand Kshama Sawant is stepping aside, along with at least three other incumbents; Sawant's departure alone will shift the politics of the Council.

So, what will the shakeup mean for the Council and the future of Seattle?

"Mayor [Bruce] Harrell is big on cooling some of the fiery rhetoric in city politics and bringing lawmakers together to work on solutions," said KUOW politics editor Catharine Smith. "And in this election, Mayor Harrell has backed candidates who he thinks can do that. Most of these people that he's backing happen to be kind of center-left candidates."

Those candidates include: Joy Hollingsworth in District 3, which Sawant currently represents, Cathy Moore in District 5 and Maritza Rivera in District 4.

Smith said the mayor appears to be angling for candidates who agree with his policies and who won't have to fight with each other to get them passed. In theory, less division on the Council could mean more action.

caption: Map of Seattle City Council districts and candidates running in the Nov. 7 general election. Source: King County Elections. All photos courtesy of campaigns, including: Vote Maren Costa, Friends of Rob Saka, People for Tammy Morales, Friends of Tanya Woo, Joy for Seattle, Alex for Seattle, Ron for Seattle, Maritza for Seattle, Cathy Moore for Seattle City Council D5, Community for ChrisTiana, Anita Nowacka, Vote Pete For D6, Lewis for Seattle, Jason Ganwich for Kettle for Seattle.

Seven of the nine seats are up for grabs, and just three incumbents are running to keep their seats: Tammy Morales in District 2, Dan Strauss in District 6 and Andrew Lewis in District 7. That means the Council will get at least four new faces — and new personalities.

Plus, Teresa Mosqueda is running for a seat on the King County Council. She'll have to vacate her City Council seat if she wins, which would pave the way for another new member.

"No matter how that shakes out, we know the City Council will look very, very different next year," Smith said.

Ballots are due by 8 p.m. Tuesday night. Get your ballot postmarked or deposited in a secure ballot drop-box to make sure your vote is counted.

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Catharine Smith
Editor

Catharine Smith is an editor at KUOW focusing on politics, policing, environment and investigations.
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Angela King
Morning News Host

Angela King is the local host of Morning Edition. She’s been a part of the northwest news scene since the early 1990s. A proud University of Washington alumna, with degrees in broadcast journalism and American ethnic studies, she started her career as a news writer in Seattle, before becoming a reporter and anchor in Seattle, Portland and Albuquerque.
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