Elections Committee
The Urbanist was founded in 2014 to examine and influence urban policies. We believe cities provide unique opportunities for addressing many of the most challenging social, environmental, and economic problems. We serve as a resource for promoting urbanism, increasing political participation, and improving the places we live. The Elections Committee consists of community volunteers and staff members of The Urbanist and is a standing body representing the political values of our organization.
The special election to determine whether Seattle will embrace a new social housing model starts this week. Ballots for Initiative 135 will be mailed Wednesday. Ballot boxes open on Thursday. The deadline to vote is 8pm February 14th, so fill in your oval, sign your envelope, and get it...
A month of wildfires and smoky, polluted skies have set a somber mood this election season, but perhaps that’s apropos. It really is time to get serious and get down to business electing climate-focused, urbanist leaders ready to decarbonize our economy and better steward our natural resources while making...
As of 8pm this evening, the early returns for the 2022 August Primary have been posted. Counting will continue over the coming weeks, usually with daily counts being released after 4pm. The Urbanist Elections Committee made endorsements in a long list of state legislative races and one congressional race.
Below is...
The Urbanist Elections Committee invited candidates throughout the Puget Sound Region to submit a questionnaire response. This post will go through the remaining responses, which include King County Prosecutor, Washington Congressional District 9, and the Legislative Districts (LDs) in the Eastside and North Sound. We’ve already gone through responses...
Seattle voters may have a unique opportunity this November to support a new model of providing affordable housing, and they should take it. Initiative 135 was crafted by the House Our Neighbors Coalition as a progressive alternative to the Compassion Seattle ballot measure, which sought to codify homeless encampment...
The Urbanist Elections Committee invited candidates throughout the Puget Sound Region to submit a questionnaire response. This post will go through responses from Legislative Districts (LDs) in the South Sound. We've already gone through responses in LD34, LD36, LD37, and LD46, the Seattle districts where it's imperative progressive urbanists...
Saying the stakes are high might be more of an understatement than an exaggeration this year. A renegade Supreme Court is goose-stepping toward fascism, enabling racists and misogynists, stripping civil rights, and strip-mining the planet with glee. It really is time for states to step up and elect people...
The 46th Legislative District saw the retirement of longtime Sen. David Frockt, and Rep. Javier Valdez quickly announced his bid to replace him. That opened up Valdez's House seat and brought five contenders to fill it. The Urbanist Elections Committee received questionnaires from four and interviewed three, with Lelach...