The fight for 14: Who will emerge from the jungle?

This magical year, we hold the district-level City Council races. The first candidate to declare, student organizer and former House Our Neighbors! Field Organizer Matthew Mitnick, announced all the way back in 2022, portending what has turned out to be an incredibly crowded slate. While Mitnick has already dropped out after a scandal about non-payment of campaign staff, there are nearly 50 people vying for seven seats.

That might sound like an embarrassment of choice, but it can be a bit hard to tell the difference between them. We’re not going to go too deep here, but suffice to say we read their websites and platforms so you don't have to. You’re welcome.

In theory, candidates come up with their bold ideas about how to better the city and then take them to the public. In reality, serious candidates workshop them endlessly to be as appealing as possible to as many people as possible. As you read, keep track of the more common ideas and you’ll have a pretty good idea of where we’re headed, policywise. If it seems like pretty much the same direction as we’ve been going, well, your issue might be with electoral politics in general. But that's another article, isn't it?

Ah, yes, the hinterlands. District 1 is primarily composed of West Seattle, supplemented by a few neighborhoods to the north of White Center. Featuring single-family homes and stunning water views, the most isolated district in the city suffered mightily from the closure of the West Seattle bridge. Now that the bridge is back, what do they have to be mad about? Homeless people, of course. Fights persist over RV residents, and a new one is brewing over a big encampment on Myers Way. Incumbent Lisa Herbold is leaving her seat, she says, to avoid splitting the vote with a progressive candidate to the benefit of a more conservative one. Instead, she hopes to be succeeded by someone who will adopt the same "progressive" policies we’ve been running all along. What's that bit about the definition of insanity, again?

Preston Anderson Occupation: Social workerFunding: $31,280Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Preston Anderson comes to the race with experience as a direct service worker. He's done homelessness outreach and social work for the Downtown Emergency Service Center and the Department of Veterans Affairs, giving credibility to his claim that he is at the "forefront of the homeless and behavioral health crisis in Seattle." How has that direct experience informed his policy platform? He wants pretty much the same thing most of the other people in this race want: more affordable housing, a more accountable homelessness services sector, better pay for direct service workers, expanded mental health crisis care options and more cops but with some non-cop personnel mixed in. He also did two tours in the Army.

Vincent AugerOccupation: n/aFunding: $0Democracy vouchers: Did not participate

Vincent Auger is, according to the West Seattle Blog, a declared write-in candidate but not an official candidate. He does not have an active website.

Lucy BarefootOccupation: n/aFunding: $0Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Lucy Barefoot filed but does not have a campaign website yet. A Facebook post from 2019 shows her working as a voter education and outreach specialist for Washington State Elections.

Stephen Brown Occupation: Owner of Eltana BagelsFunding: $24,099Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Stephen Brown, owner of a local bagel chain, writes on his website, "I love Seattle and I want to see it thrive; that is why I am running." You and everyone else, my friend! How will he make it thrive? From some different angles than everyone else, actually. He wants to ramp up gun control, specifically around handguns and assault rifles. He is unabashedly pro-sweep but pairs that with the observation that the current crop of services being offered to unhoused people affected by sweeps are inadequate. From there it gets kind of vague and platitudinous, but generally he's on the center-right "revitalize this once fine city" tack.

Maren CostaOccupation: Former tech workerFunding: $41,508Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Maren Costa was a big-time Amazon employee until she rocked the boat a little too hard. While we’ve yet to see if the Climate Pledge is worth the paper (and the stadium and the thousands of tons of merchandise and so on) that it's printed on, her website claims she was integral in leading the internal group that agitated for it. More brazenly, she organized on behalf of warehouse workers at the beginning of the pandemic and got fired for her troubles. She sued Amazon over it and won, and it sounds like that informed a lot of her politics: pro-union, pro-green-business, affordable housing for the homeless "without preconditions."

Jean Iannelli Craciun Occupation: Diversity, equity and inclusion consultantFunding: $5,558Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

She's here to "shake things up" by building more affordable housing, doing measured upzones, improving access to mental health services and revitalizing Pioneer Square, which is now part of District 1. A major need for Pioneer Square is for people to feel safe going there, according to her website, which is becoming something of a refrain among people who don't spend much time down here.

Mia Jacobson Occupation: Longshoreman Funding: $0Democracy vouchers: Did not participate

Mia Jacobson's website "celebrated1.com" shows up as private. She answered "maybe" to every single one of the Seattle Times’ questionnaire questions and said her main focus is increasing citizen access to the workings of government. She also said that running for council is often the only way to get a word in edgewise and, to be fair, she's got a point.

Rob SakaOccupation: AttorneyFunding: $71,045Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Our second veteran in contention, Saka has an extremely similar platform to other "progressive" Democrats running in this district. He was in the Air Force, by way of distinguishing him from Anderson, but as far as policies toward public safety, housing and homelessness go, they’re effectively interchangeable. Saka's angle in the race is very obviously his friendship with the mayor, who features prominently in Saka's current social media photos.

Philip TavelOccupation: Attorney, administrative law judgeFunding: $12,320Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Public defender Philip Tavel hits some real high notes in his list of priorities — "Most crime is committed by people in crisis," for example. He's very pro-diversion, pro-"amplifying BIPOC voices" in police oversight, pro-unarmed-response and, along with all that, pro-cop. More of them, please. On homelessness, he again hits several nails on the head, like the fact that it is linked to housing supply and the fact that we have had approximately 17 different plans to end homelessness that we have little to show for. His solutions are a mixed bag. Better tenant protections is one, but pointing out that the King County Regional Homelessness Authority's price tag for ending homelessness is high and saying he’ll "identify deficiencies" is what every centrist politician in the region has said for years about such services.

District 2 is Seattle's (and was at one point the country's) most diverse area. Formerly represented by none other than Mayor Bruce Harrell, it is now in the hands of the woman who once tried unsuccessfully to unseat him: Tammy Morales. With Bruce gone, the seat was all hers. Given that there are only two challengers so far, she's got a good chance to keep it, but she's also the leftmost member of the council at present, besides her departing colleague Kshama Sawant. A strong challenge from a "public safety" candidate, as people who want to spend more on cops and less on services like to call themselves, could make Tammy sweat. There is, of course, one of those in the race, because heaven forbid we fund social housing.

Margaret ElisabethOccupation: Unknown Funding: $0Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Margaret Elisabeth is the chair of the Green Party of Washington. She is all about the Green Party, in fact, having been a devotee of it since the 2000 election in which everyone blamed Ralph Nader for giving us the George W. Bush presidency. Elisabeth wants to up the timeline on ranked-choice voting, enact citywide universal health care, make Seattle a "right to shelter" city and unlink public school funding from property taxes.

Tammy MoralesOccupation: IncumbentFunding: $59,986Democracy vouchers: May redeem

If it's progressive policy, Tammy Morales is all about it. She's the only one who has actively advocated for funding for the social housing developer created by Initiative 135. She pushed a "Tenant Bill of Rights," successfully passing two of its provisions into law. Her idea of public safety is economic revitalization, better community spaces and actually implementing Vision Zero, not more cops. Her district includes the Chinatown-International District (CID), where her most formidable opponent hails from, and she's tried to tackle the area's public safety issues with increased street outreach instead of increased enforcement. However, while that seems from our vantage point to be the more scientific approach, it could be a bit of political liability for her. More on that below.

Tanya WooOccupation: LandlordFunding: $84,553Democracy vouchers: Maxed out

Tanya Woo is a scion of the CID. Her family owns the Louisa, a low-income apartment building, and she wants more of that. She's willing to get rid of the opt-out affordable housing fee for developers to do it, too. She also is, like everyone else in this city, against homelessness. The concept, not the people experiencing it. Either way, she writes on her website, "It is inhumane to allow this crisis to continue the way it has," and we think any reasonable person would agree. More interestingly, she writes, "Sweeps don't work." While this all sounds pretty much in line with what Morales is already pushing at the council, they may differ on police funding. Woo wants to make sure our first responders have more resources and training, which usually translates to more money for cops.

The race for District 3 is probably one of the most closely watched in the city because of the near-certain shift in ideology and style of any newcomer after the departure of Councilmember Kshama Sawant. The Trotskyite is off to organize workers, leaving a vacuum in a district that spans Capitol Hill, Seattle's Gayborhood; the pricey neighborhoods of Montlake; and the rapidly gentrifying Central District. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this race has attracted a broad range of candidates who talk about the same issues, but often in very different ways. The voters of District 3 — who made Sawant the longest-serving councilmember despite multiple recall attempts — will have to figure out how big a political swing they’re ready for.

Shobhit AgarwalOccupation: Retail workerFunding: $4,963Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Shobhit Agarwal touts his experience as a board member for groups such as his condo association and Trikone NW, a South Asian LGBTQ+ group. Although his website is light on details, the language is more centrist, focusing on security — including in retail establishments, where he currently works — and preventing people from investing in Seattle real estate who do not live here. There is little here regarding homelessness ("compartmentalize and target homelessness in a compassionate manner") compared to reproductive rights ("encourage Vasectomies to reduce the onus of family planning on women").

Ry ArmstrongOccupation: Artist, activistFunding: $20,637Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Ry Armstrong has engaged in advocacy in New York, where they pursued a career in theater, and in Seattle. Perhaps it's their experience in New York that inspired them to call for a "right to shelter," which is unique to that city (and is currently under threat from the Adams administration). Armstrong proposes some of that shelter coming from repurposed ships. They also propose expanding the city's JumpStart tax to pay for alternatives to policing and support universal health care through the Whole Washington campaign.

Andrew AshiofuOccupation: Clinical program manager at HealthPointFunding: $29,893Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Andrew Ashiofu works in the health care industry and is a former candidate for the 37th Legislative District. He touts his lived experience as a formerly homeless person and member of the LGBTQ+ community. He was involved with the I-135 campaign that established a social housing developer in Seattle and believes in "ethical zoning," financial incentives and outreach to marginalized communities. His approach to public safety involves focusing on root causes of poverty and deprivation.

Alex CooleyOccupation: TeacherFunding: $23,140Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Alex Cooley is an educator and cannabis entrepreneur who started Solstice Cannabis. He promises progressive policies, including opening 1 million square feet of space "that allow the unhoused to begin to create a home," shifting to unarmed responses to crime and ending single-family zoning. At a time where the state has re-criminalized drug use and possession, Cooley wants to legalize, regulate and tax drugs.

Robert Goodwin Occupation: Attorney with Pierce County Office of Assigned CounselFunding: $3,438Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Robert Goodwin is a public defender in Pierce County. He chose to highlight very specific goals, such as taxing short-term rentals by 50 percent, cracking down on ticket scalpers and increasing access to mental health care. Goodwin also writes passionately about his desire to fight graffiti in the city, a priority shared by Mayor Bruce Harrell. He touts his career as a public defender but stresses a desire to see people who commit property crimes appear in court, if not necessarily incarcerated.

Joy HollingsworthOccupation: Food Access Network team member at Northwest HarvestFunding: $88,065Democracy vouchers: Maxed out

Joy Hollingsworth announced her candidacy early and has raised the most money among District 3 candidates so far. The platform planks on her website speak to many Seattle priorities such as housing, crime reduction and the environment, but the policy explanations are fairly general. Where she gets slightly more detailed is her desire to support youth and families through investments in child care as well as pathways to give young people more opportunities.

Efrain HudnellOccupation: Deputy prosecutor for King County's Mental Health Court Funding: $10,405Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Efrain Hudnell is a former Army intelligence officer turned prosecutor. His platform involves promoting the creation of new housing while taxing vacant properties; expanding transit actions through investment in buses and a revision of the city's transit master plan; and increasing safe routes for pedestrians and bicyclists. His public safety proposal includes little mention of police per se, instead focusing on shifting the Seattle Municipal Court to a therapeutic court model. That may be complicated by the current trajectory of the City Attorney's Office, but only time will tell.

Alex Hudson Occupation: Executive director of Transportation Choices Coalition Funding: $52,662Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Alex Hudson is a longtime transportation advocate and self-styled progressive urbanist. She supports increasing affordable housing by supporting existing programs as well as the new social housing developer but wants to increase housing stock overall through zoning reforms. Transit-wise, Hudson wants that Center City Connector Streetcar and promises to "aggressively pursue" Vision Zero, the plan to reduce traffic fatalities in the city. One priority on delivering public safety is setting up a non-armed response to 911 calls.

Asukaa JaxxOccupation: Unknown Funding: $0Democracy vouchers: Did not participate

Asukaa Jaxx was a regular at City Council's public comment and has run for office several times. Jaxx has no website and is running as a write-in.

In District 4, another incumbent is stepping down. Not because he's afraid of being replaced by someone too far left or too far right, but seemingly just because he's over it. Alex Pedersen, one of the council's more reliably reactionary members, has had a rough go of trying to re-fund the police and restart the War on Drugs. His district includes the University of Washington, a large swath of single-family north Seattle neighborhoods and, weirdly, a chunk of Eastlake.

George ArtemOccupation: Tech entrepreneurFunding: $1,490Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

If you’ve ever dreamed of paying your parking tickets in Dogecoin, George Artem just might be your guy. While he does some classic "guy who is planning to run for office" stuff, like working with veterans, his big project is "building payment gateway and drop-shipping applications which incorporate the dogecoin crypto-currency for large e-commerce ecosystems like Shopify," via a company called DogeDealz. What does his "master level understanding and years of experience rooted in on-the-ground technical knowledge and proven leadership in programs focused on delivering strategic solutions" lead him to, in terms of policy? Trimming the fat from homelessness service providers, reintroducing the D.A.R.E. program to schools, recriminalizing drug possession and de-defunding the police.

Ron DavisOccupation: Startup guy, activistFunding: $65,461Democracy vouchers: May redeem

We’ve always wondered what those north Seattle dads you encounter in line at Top Pot do for a living, besides purchasing the entire REI catalog every time it comes out and putting in seven-drink, customized-to-all-hell coffee orders any time a tired journalist stops anywhere north of the Cut for a tall drip. Now we know: social justice startups. Ron Davis grew up somewhat poor but graduated from Harvard Law School and then started a company at MIT, landing him, as he puts it, "into the comfortable professional class." Davis brings to the table the most progressive policy suite in District 4. His idea of public safety is increasing support for homelessness services, and his ideas about ending homelessness involve actual housing.

Maritza RiveraOccupation: Deputy director of the Department of Arts & Culture, City of SeattleFunding: $18,086Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Maritza Rivera is also a big fan of cops and believes that a lack of them "harms low-income and underserved communities the most." She does not have a separate page for policy but sums it up neatly by saying that she "won't rest until we get to 5-minute response times for priority 911 calls, take home and car break-ins seriously, get guns off our streets and out of our schools and shut down open-air drug markets."

Kenneth Wilson Occupation: Civil engineerFunding: $76,380Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Ken Wilson also wants to restore public safety, which means more money for cops. Wilson differs from Artem in his assertion that a lack of public safety harms poor and unhoused people the most. Besides that, he aims to bring his experience literally building bridges to bear on the bureaucratic tangle of Christmas lights that is city government.

District 5 is another piece of the city that will end up with new leadership, one way or another. Outgoing Councilmember Debora Juarez represented the district for eight years. In that time, Northgate got its new light rail station and Juarez advocated strongly for another at Northeast 130th Street. The northernmost district has its own issues, such as a dearth of sidewalks, lack of affordable housing and the deadliest stretch of road in the city — Aurora Avenue. Juarez is considered one of the more conservative members of the City Council, although she has also voted for progressive policies such as the JumpStart tax and its spending plan. November will tell us if the voters of District 5 want to stay the course or try a new kind of politician.

Boegart Boardman BibbyOccupation: IT SupervisorFunding: $0Democracy vouchers: Did not participate

Boegart Boardman Bibby wants to bring business practices to City Hall. The IT supervisor says he will make the city's spending accountable to the public through quarterly budget analysis reports. He agrees with increasing the number of police officers and believes that there should be "consequences for bad behavior." People can be put to work through litter abatement, he says, and calls out needles, in specific. Regarding homelessness, he wants to see people get a smart phone and internet access; increase the number of RV lots and tiny homes; and create a network of municipal restrooms.

Lucca HowardOccupation: StudentFunding: $2,005Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Lucca Howard — a 19-year-old North Seattle College student — is the youngest person in the race and characterizes that fact as a strength and opportunity. He promises to increase Metro bus access and light rail frequency and supports social housing and a vacancy tax, in addition to upzones to improve housing access and affordability. Howard also wants to see more community spaces and amenities in North Seattle and improvements on Aurora Avenue.

Nilu JenksOccupation: Community advocateFunding: $29,306Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Nilu Jenks has invested her time working in the local school system in various capacities focused on racial equity and advocacy in addition to serving as a learning coach for English language learners. Her plan for public safety involves police reform and alternatives to policing, among other policies, and her housing plan aims to expand the supply of housing through zoning reform, tax credits and other traditional policies. She stresses the need for road safety and more sidewalks.

Shane MacomberOccupation: Payee coordinator at Compass HealthFunding: $15,865Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Shane Macomber helps vulnerable people with their finances and is also a realtor focused on first-time homebuyers. He wants to support the social housing developer created by I-135, ensure infrastructure keeps up with population growth and bring small businesses to District 5.

Cathy Moore Occupation: Former King County Superior Court JudgeFunding: $11,165Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Cathy Moore leans on her experience in the criminal justice system, calling for hiring more officers to improve response times, creating a civilian responder program and continuing therapeutic courts at a time when the City Attorney's Office is pulling out of alternatives such as community court. She cites the Comprehensive Plan as a way to increase housing opportunities — but does not get behind a specific alternative — and promises to represent small businesses in City Hall.

ChrisTiana ObeySumnerOccupation: Founder, principal of social equity consulting firmFunding: $6,061Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

ChrisTiana ObeySumner's resume includes work in permanent supportive housing and a multiplicity of boards and commissions at the city, county and state levels. Their housing platform involves increased density, a vacancy tax and including affordable units in market-rate developments, while their homelessness policy focuses on treatment for substance use disorders and job training programs as well as supporting encampments with hygiene services. Their website doesn't discuss traditional policing beyond adding alternatives to address mental health crises, restorative justice programs and violence prevention programs.

Tye ReedOccupation: Operations director at Real ChangeFunding: $0Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Tye Reed is a homeless advocate and mutual aid supporter who emphasizes her experience in Seattle's housing justice movements, including serving as co-chair of House Our Neighbors!, which campaigned successfully for social housing in Seattle. A late entry to the race, Reed has a detailed platform that includes many priorities, including improvements to pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, increased transit access and more public bathrooms. Regarding housing, she wants to invest in the social housing developer, end or overhaul design review and protect renters from uncertain rent increases. She wants to pay for these and other policies by taxing Seattle's rich and expanding the JumpStart tax on big businesses.

Justin SimmonsOccupation: Civic volunteer and activistFunding: $1,477Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Justin Simmons touts a long history of volunteer service in District 5, including with the Metropolitan Democratic Club of Seattle and Church Council of Greater Seattle and 14 years as an elected precinct officer. He was the first to jump into this district's race, and while his website doesn't include specific policy proposals, his concerns include: public safety; homelessness and transitional housing; affordable housing; discrimination and injustice; education and transportation; and protecting aspects of the community including local businesses, public spaces and "the unique character of Seattle and its neighborhoods."

Bobby TuckerOccupation: Unknown Funding: $0Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Bobby Tucker does not appear to have a website. Tucker previously ran for mayor in 2017 and 2021 but did not raise any money in those contests. His candidate statement from the 2021 primary focuses on housing people experiencing homelessness and systemic issues such as racism and unfairness in criminal justice.

Rebecca Leigh Williamson Occupation: Railyard switchman (Seattle Times questionnaire)Funding: $0Democracy vouchers: Did not participate

Rebecca Leigh Williamson does not appear to have a website, although she linked to The Militant — a Socialist newsweekly — in her candidate statement for the August 2021 primary, in which she competed for the citywide council seat occupied by City Councilmember Sara Nelson. In that statement, she attributed systemic ills to capitalism and emphasized the need to establish a labor party to empower workers.

This is Ballard, basically. Of course there are some other areas, but unless you can tell me exactly where Crown Heights begins, it's all about Ballard. And Ballard is all about homelessness. Hating it, mostly, but also trying to help those suffering from it. Incumbent Dan Strauss has tried to make it his signature issue in some ways, as with the "slow" — and, theoretically, more humane — sweep of the Ballard Commons. People must smell blood, though, as he faces the most challengers of any incumbent besides Andrew Lewis.

Pete HanningOccupation: Executive director of Fremont Chamber of CommerceFunding: $23,950Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Pete Hanning is running as a pro-business candidate, which is unsurprising given his line of work. He proposes an expansion of shelter space, wraparound service models like JustCARE, emergency hotel shelters and mental health and drug treatment programs to help people experiencing homelessness. He calls for working with the police and other responders to increase public safety for neighborhoods and small businesses. His stance on housing is that Seattle needs more of it and that the City Council should reduce the regulatory burden on developers, which mirrors his call to cut red tape for small businesses.

Dale KutzeraOccupation: WriterFunding: $10Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Dale Kutzera is a screenwriter and author. He takes a hard stance on homelessness, saying that chronic homelessness has addiction and mental illness at its root and people should be placed involuntarily into treatment facilities that will be run by a new Social Services Department. He wants to prioritize affordable housing and "encourage job and population growth in other parts of the state." Suffice to say, Kutzera's campaign platform tacks rightward and is an outlier in the race.

Jon Lisbin Occupation: President of Seattle Fair GrowthFunding: $0Democracy vouchers: Did not participate

Jon Lisbin founded a digital marketing business before selling it and joining the race for District 6. He emphasizes that growth should pay for growth, naming policies like using developer impact fees to fund public goods, some of the real estate excise tax for affordable housing and bonding capacity to increase the impact of those dollars. Managing growth would also help prevent displacement, which falls disproportionately on vulnerable communities. His thoughts on tax reform do not include policies over which the City Council has direct control, but he supports a statewide income tax.

Victoria PalmerOccupation: Personal organizerFunding: $0Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Victoria Palmer wants to save Seattle, according to her website. While she doesn't include any specifics regarding policies or priorities, she does believe that state mandates during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — masking, lockdowns and mandatory vaccination — damaged Washingtonians. She also denounced "identity politics."

Dan StraussOccupation: IncumbentFunding: $58,162Democracy vouchers: May redeem

Dan Strauss joined the Seattle City Council in January 2020, succeeding Mike O’Brien. He wants another four years to continue efforts that the council is working on, such as fully funding the police and creating alternatives to traditional policing. With regards to homelessness, Strauss wants to expand the Vehicle Outreach Team and move forward with building/buying new housing as the city funds emergency shelter, as well as putting pressure on a beleaguered King County Regional Homelessness Authority. He also stresses that increased density needs to be met with design guidelines and codes to match Seattle's character.

Shea Wilson Occupation: LawyerFunding: $7,576Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Shea Wilson is a Ballard resident whose opening salvo on his platform page is "Dan Strauss is the problem." He wants to hire more police officers and train them in de-escalation while improving relationships between police and marginalized communities. Regarding homelessness, Wilson believes that the city should identify people based on need, although that is largely the work of the county's Coordinated Entry for All system. He also wants to expand transit and calls for action on improving infrastructure, such as local bridges and sewers.

Given the number of challengers in this race, people seem to see District 7's incumbent, Andrew Lewis, as a bit weak. He doesn't agree, having said as much over beers recently, but that was also before piroshki purveyor and pro-cop rabble-rouser Olga Sagan jumped in. Lewis is no leftist, although he is a supporter of social housing and seems to want to help homeless people (even if it's in the most convoluted and technocratic way possible), but Sagan's rhetoric so far has attacked him from the right.

Isabelle KernerOccupation: Former Maria Cantwell staffer, various art-related rolesFunding: $260Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Isabelle Kerner is a now-frequent candidate for office, running in 2019, for two different positions in 2021 and now in 2023. She is convinced that homelessness isn't just a housing crisis, but rather twin mental health and drug crises. She wants to clean up trash around the city and give more money to cops and firefighters.

Bob KettleOccupation: Stay-at-home dadFunding: $15,030Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

As Erica Barnett recently reported in PubliCola, Lewis’ colleague Sara Nelson donated $100 to Robert Kettle, which is exactly the type of messy move that we’ve come to expect from her. Kettle is a tough-on-crime crusader who wants to "fully fund" the cops and crack down on drugs. He does acknowledge that the people most at risk from the proliferation of tent encampments are the people living in them but genuinely believes that Seattle has "finally built up shelter capacity to offer a humane temporary housing solution for anyone willing to accept it."

Andrew LewisOccupation: Incumbent Funding: $93,769Democracy vouchers: Maxed out

Andrew Lewis is the incumbent. Before that, he was an assistant city attorney. He lists his accomplishments as expanding the JustCARE program, cutting red tape for affordable housing and improving some community centers, among other things. Given another term, he’d like to increase supportive, transitional and affordable housing, including social housing. Like so many other candidates, he’d like to set up a civilian alternative to commissioned first responders, hit our Vision Zero targets and make Seattle a more walkable city.

Aaron MarshallOccupation: Seattle police officerFunding: $0Democracy vouchers: Did not participate

Aaron Marshall is a cop, so that kind of tells you where he stands on police funding. He's also a Marine Corps veteran and, as even more evidence of his bravery, a veteran of the service industry, having won Seattle's Best Bartender twice. He is very alarmed by our fentanyl and meth crises, and while he's all about that shelter, he believes housing should be earned. He's explicitly anti-harm reduction and opposes safe injection sites, warning, "There is not a first responder that I have ever met that is not permanently scarred by the things we have seen in what has been called homelessness encampments."

Olga Sagan Occupation: Owner of Piroshky PiroshkyFunding: $20,430Democracy vouchers: Signed pledge

Olga Sagan made a name for herself by being very publicly upset about the "open-air" drug market on Third Avenue between Pine Street and Pike Street. Her theory was that the confluence of unhoused people, drug activity and real, messy humanity was killing business at the second location of her restaurant, Piroshky Piroshky. Could it have been the pandemic? I guess we’ll never know. She's a public safety advocate now, and despite Lewis going along with the mayor's tough-on-crime tactics, she's guaranteeing us that she’ll be tougher on crime than he is.

Wade SowdersOccupation: Software engineerFunding: $0Democracy vouchers: Did not participate

Wade Sowders is a software engineer at Amazon whose website photo screams "sweet, well-meaning nerd." And while people outside the tech bubble tend to assume the beneficiaries of it are in full support of the dystopian policies that spawned it, Sowders provides a counterexample. He wants to build more housing posthaste, get as many homeless people inside as possible in as little time as possible and move away from our regressive taxation model. He does think harm reduction shouldn't be tried with fentanyl, despite admitting it's worked well on heroin, and he also loves cops.

Read more of the June 7-13, 2023 issue.