Tanya Woo not ruling out another Seattle City Council run

Tanya Woo said her supporters wanted to know whether she'd run for a seat on the Seattle City Council less than 48 hours after Councilmember Tammy Morales announced she was resigning in January.

The inquires also came less than two weeks since Woo left office, after losing her November reelection bid for citywide Position 8 to Alexis Mercedes Rinck.

Speaking to KUOW Friday, Woo said she's not sure whether she'll pursue elected office again, but she didn't rule it out either.

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"It’s such a shock. I was not expecting this," she said. "I’ve only been out of Council for about a week and a half, and I’m still processing everything."

Woo said she knew Morales was unhappy on the Council. She didn't think Morales would step down, though, especially after having just won another term in 2023 — over Woo.

Woo challenged Morales that year in the race to represent District 2, which covers Yesler Terrace to Rainier Beach. Morales won. But Woo soon occupied a seat on the Council anyway. Former City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda left the Position 8 seat open when she left to join the King County Council this year. Woo was appointed to replace her. Those who had opposed her during her race against Morales were outraged.

Woo said "that appointment did set me back a bit" in her campaign to keep the seat.

"I think about that often, like if I had not been appointed and I had run," she said. "But [I] seized an opportunity to be able to help my community. And if this is the only opportunity that I was able to get, then I should go for it. And so, I don't think I would have done anything differently."

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She emphasized the need for Asian representation on the City Council, which it now lacks. The Chinatown-International District is part of District 2, and Woo said she's heard from people in the community who do not feel they are being heard by elected officials. She attributed that, in part, to disengagement with the political process.

"We have to engage our Seattle City Council, our King County Council, and it all starts with trust," Woo said. "And I think the only way to do that is to make sure that we have a community member whose voice is being heard, who can fight and really be an advocate for change here."

Whether that person will be her again remains to be seen.

The council has until late January to appoint Morales' replacement.