Tanya Woo announces campaign for Seattle Council District 2

A new city council candidate is running in South Seattle — Tanya Woo, a community organizer and business owner in the Chinatown-International District.

Woo grew up on Beacon Hill and currently resides in Rainier Beach. She traces her family's Seattle roots to 1887 and says her family operated the first Chinese bakery in Seattle.

She's running to represent District 2, challenging incumbent Tammy Morales. The district is Seattle's only majority-minority district. It covers a range of South Seattle neighborhoods, including the CID, Beacon Hill, Columbia City, Seward Park, and Rainier Valley.

Woo tells KUOW that community members in the district don't feel like their voices are being heard.

"I've seen the unintended consequences of these policies and I think there needs to be a stronger stance, especially on issues like public safety, housing, and homelessness," she says.

Woo's name became more widely known in the district, and Seattle, last year. She led a successful effort to stop the expansion of a homeless shelter in the Chinatown-International District and surrounding neighborhoods. She is also part of the CID's community watch, which provides food and clothing to the neighborhood's homeless residents.

The issues she is pointing out as she launches her campaign are primarily about homelessness, workforce housing, and public safety.

Three other candidates have already announced plans to run for District 2, including incumbent Morales, Dawn Lucas, and Isaiah Willoughby.

KUOW's Dyer Oxley contributed to this report.