Compiled by Andrew Kim
Northwest Asian Weekly
Incumbent Bruce Harrell is running for Seattle City Council Position #2 and is opposed by Josh Farris and Tammy Morales. Bruce has been a Seattle councilmember for eight years and is supported by current Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and Congressman Adam Smith. He supports public safety, transportation, jobs/education, and housing issues. While in office, Bruce has sponsored transportation improvements and increased the number of police officers.
Kshama Sawant is the current incumbent for Seattle City Council Position #3 and has helped pass the $15/hour minimum wage, prevented rent hikes, and raised funding for a women’s shelter. She continues to be focused on making housing affordable, expanding public transit, and implementing a municipal broadband. She is endorsed by former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, current King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, and numerous community organizations.
Pamela Banks is opposing Kshama for Seattle City Council Position #3. Pamela has spent her career uniting people to address complex problems, making progress on racial and economic justice, fair wages for women, and safe, affordable housing for all. She is committed to addressing the affordable housing crisis, is a vocal advocate for police reform, and fights for strong neighborhood schools. Pamela is endorsed by King County Young Democrats, Bruce Harrell, and former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels.
Debadutta Dash is running for Seattle City Council Position #5. Debadutta immigrated to Seattle in 1996 and since then he has served the community in multiple board positions and as an advisor to the UW Foster School of Business. He has been on the state commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs and is running on a platform to improve the infrastructure, increase educational opportunities, and help foster growth by encouraging economic development.
John Lee is running for Council Position #6 in Bothell. He grew up in Bothell, is a former UW Husky, and obtained his MBA from Seattle University. According to his campaign website, John is concerned with the issues that come with growth in Bothell and supports building infrastructure to keep up with growing needs. He is currently a general manager at Whelan Security.
Hira Singh is running for Council Position #1 in Kent. He is currently a senior software developer at Starbucks and he is running on a platform to support programs and policies that build strong communities such as after-school programs, summer teen job opportunities, apprenticeship programs, and making early education accessible/affordable. Hira is also a volunteer teacher at the local Punjabi School which helps to teach children computer literacy, music, education, and leadership development.
Peter Kwon is a former UW Husky alum and current works as a systems engineer. He is running for SeaTac Council Position #3 and wishes to improve safety, community involvement, and the education system. He has worked in SeaTac to clean up abandoned homes, created yard work parties to help those in need and currently is leading efforts to design a website to resolve neighborhood conflicts.
Mia Su-Ling Gregerson graduated from the University of Washington and is currently a State Representative, Mayor of SeaTac, and the incumbent City Council member for Position #7. Mia has worked to extend the light rail and advocated for healthy, clean, and safe neighborhoods. She has also brought to SeaTac a Smart Growth America grant that provides technical assistance for communities around the light rail stations.
Leonard Luna is running for Council Position #7, City of SeaTac. He is advocating for a city code of ethics. He believes senior citizens and younger generations are being impoverished by taxation and and spending. He was a former Monitor/Auditor, San Francisco Supervisors, Federal/Local Programs. Luna has worked with the Filipino Community Center, IDIC, and Senior Services in several Asian Health Senior programs. (end)
Yoshie Wong is running for re-election at Position #4 in the Steilacoom School district. She is the current vice chair and has numerous board positions including treasurer/secretary of El Jadida-Tacoma Sister Cities and treasurer of the Puget Sound Pet Food Bank. She has twenty years of experience as a therapist and has experience getting people to talk to one another to develop mutual respect. She continues to inspire teachers, motivate students, and engage the community in the public schools.
Max Chen is running for Mukilteo Council Position #6. Max is focused on the Japanese Gulch Master Plan, Paine Field commercial expansion, and waterfront development. He wants to bring a fresh perspective to the council and act as a bridge to the Asian American community. He also wants to spend time with the Mukilteo Youth Advisory Committee to help the youth thrive in Mukilteo.
Andrew Kim can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.