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.
Ubax Gardheere is running for King County Council in District 9 against incumbent Reagan Dunn. Until resigning in protest this April, Gardheere led the Equitable Development Initiative for the City of Seattle; in her resignation letter she noted mistreatment and referred to Jenny Durkan as "a dictator posturing as...
Pete Holmes is running for his fourth term as Seattle City Attorney. He has been closely involved in issues like gun control, decriminalizing marijuana, and attempts to reform the Seattle Police Department via federal Consent Decree negotiations and related accountability measures. Before first being elected in 2009, Holmes worked...
Nicole Thomas-Kennedy is running for Seattle City Attorney against long-time incumbent Pete Holmes. She was a late entrant to the race but quickly collected $100,000 in Democracy Vouchers and picked up some campaign buzz. As an abolitionist public defender, she is proposing some big changes to how the City...
Dow Constantine is seeking his fourth term as King County Executive. Born and raised in West Seattle, Constantine first won elected office in 1996 as a State Representative. In early 2002, Constantine was appointed to the King County Council to the seat vacated after Greg Nickels was elected Seattle...
State Senator Joe Nguyen is running for King County Executive against three-term incumbent Dow Constantine. Nguyen's parents emigrated from Vietnam as war refugees and settled in White Center. Nguyen stepped up as a caretaker and breadwinner after his dad was seriously injured in a car crash and said transit...
From a rooftop in “Uptown” (née Lower Queen Anne, and ever thus in our hearts), this year’s endorsement process culminated in what felt like a quintessential Seattle experience — evening light on the space needle, multimillion dollar homes visible on a nearby slope, an errant dog loping about, and...
Teresa Mosqueda is seeking a second term on Seattle City Council. She burst onto the scene in 2017, earning The Urbanist's Primary endorsement (as well as many others) on the way to a decisive 60% win in the General. She was a key vote and champion for Mandatory Housing...
Brianna Thomas's impressive resume includes leading the successful campaign for a $15 wage in SeaTac, which kicked off the broader "Fight for 15" movement, and the Honest Election Initiative that won Seattle's Democracy Voucher program. The Urbanist endorsed Thomas in the 2015 primary for Council District 1, but she...