Your mail-back election ballot will arrive today or tomorrow, so here are my voting recommendations for your consideration.
Help set the future course of our city by returning your ballot no later than Tuesday, November 2.
Some candidates on the ballot have advocated extreme and destructively radical positions on homelessness, police services, and relations with our job-producing businesses. If you think our city is on the right track and you like and trust the current approaches at City Hall, then vote for these candidates.
On the other hand, if you believe the city is headed in the wrong direction, then vote for candidates who take more reasonable, pragmatic approaches. Leaders who want to govern effectively, who will recenter City government on implementing thoughtful solutions, not those hung up on ideological purity tests. Leaders who listen carefully, follow the evidence of what works to solve problems, welcome accountability, spend taxpayer dollars wisely, and exude a humility worthy of public servants. Leaders who aren’t afraid of compromise and focus on the vital services our city government is responsible for delivering every day.
With that in mind, here are my voting recommendations for some select positions, followed by additional comments.
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King County Executive: Dow Constantine
Seattle Mayor: Bruce Harrell
Seattle City Attorney: Ann Davison
Seattle City Council Position No. 9: Sara Nelson
Seattle School District No 4: Vivian Song Maritz
Seattle School District No 5: Michelle Sarju
Seattle School District No 7: Brandon Hersey
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The best choice for Seattle’s next Mayor is evident in the policy positions the two candidates have taken. I wrote about their differences a few weeks ago. Bruce Harrell is the best choice, in my opinion.
Bruce and his opponent, Lorena Gonzalez, are committed to public service. They are bright and engaged. They value our city and its people. But Bruce’s solutions for the challenges the city faces are more pragmatic, more data and research-based, and will address current and long-term problems more holistically. Bruce has a better chance of bringing people together to serve the common good and effectively govern, unifying city government employees (all 11,000+ of them), and making progress on the long-term inequities we see all around us. Vote for Bruce Harrell.
The Office of City Attorney is crucial to the effective operations of the city government. The City Attorney has a staff of about 200 and is responsible for prosecuting misdemeanor crimes in the city; these crimes include domestic violence assault, DUI, firearm violations, theft, menacing and harassment, and many others. The City Attorney also advises the Mayor, City Council, and city departments on legal matters and represents the city in court. As this article points out, the City Attorney plays a crucial role in coordinating the city government’s overall response to crime, everything from policing strategies to diversion programs and social services.
Here’s another piece that was written by three respected former Seattle police chiefs and published earlier today. These experienced police leaders make the case for electing a rational, pragmatic leader who can reform police services and keep our neighborhoods safe.
I will be very blunt, we dare not elect Nicole Thomas-Kennedy who has pledged to eliminate prosecution of most misdemeanor crimes and wants to abolish the police, both reckless and dangerous positions. The Seattle Times explained how unqualified Thomas-Kennedy is for this office because of her demeaning hostility and a rabid hatred of the police, her repeated encouragement of violence during protests, and her belief that property destruction is a “moral imperative.” In defending her position on dropping misdemeanor crimes, Thomas-Kennedy dismisses these crimes as minor and asserts that people are routinely being arrested and prosecuted for stealing a sandwich because they are hungry or a jacket because they are cold; those prosecutions rarely occur, and if they do, there is almost always other criminal behavior involved.
On her outrageous comments justifying violence, disparaging the police, or damaging property as a "moral imperative," Thomas-Kennedy now says she was joking or communicating sarcasm, and that she wasn't a candidate for public office when she made those statements. That's an interesting attempted makeover. Why doesn't she instead retract those comments and explain what she really meant? She refuses to do so.
Ann Davison is the other candidate for City Attorney. She describes herself as a moderate and has won the endorsement of The Seattle Times and former Seattle Mayors. She is supported by former Washington governors Gary Locke, Chris Gregoire, and Dan Evans, 30 retired judges, and a host of community leaders. Vote for Ann Davison.
Our public schools need our support and a firm commitment to eliminating the racial inequities existing for decades in Seattle. To do this, we need strong school board directors who will set specific goals and effective policies. We need board directors who understand their role to establish budgets, set policy, and ensure the day-to-day management of our schools is done effectively through the superintendent. As has been the case for far too long, we don’t need board members micro-managing district operations, leading to a revolving door of superintendents. Vote for three incredibly prepared, effective leaders: Vivian Song Maritz, Michelle Sarju, and Brandon Hersey.
Remember to return your ballot before Tuesday, November 2. You can mail it back postage-free or place it in a ballot dropbox. Click here for ballot box locations. You can also track your ballot to make sure it is received by King County Elections and counted.