Tanya Woo appointed to position 8 on city council — Called “the people’s choice”

By Mahlon Meyer
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY

When Tanya Woo’s father died, struggling to save the family’s building, which had flooded, she was on a flight back from Indonesia. Her uncle got there first, but it was too late. The man who had driven the school bus for the Seattle Chinese Community Girls Drill Team and acted as an attorney for the whole community, even from the back of his family bakery, had already passed.

I often wondered, over the past years, why Woo would repeatedly go into homeless encampments and perform CPR or administer Narcan to those who were dying—or were already dead.

Today, I figured it out.

If her father were watching, he would have seen his beloved daughter, cheered not only by her own community but by people across the city she had inspired and served, celebrating her appointment to position 8 on the Seattle City Council.

Tanya Woo accepting her appointment to position 8. (Photo by Assunta Ng)

Dolores Sibonga, the first Asian American female Seattle City Councilmember told the Northwest Asian Weekly, “I am elated at Tanya’s appointment. It means the community will have a strong voice on the council, and the entire city will benefit from her compassionate and effective leadership. We can all be proud of this daughter of the (Chinatown-International District).”

A demonstrated track record

It had been a grueling process that she stuck with, starting perhaps from the moment she found she could no longer save her father and must, instead, seek to save everyone else.

A former mayor once described her as a “saint.”

But Councilmember Cathy Moore, who voted for her during a special city council meeting earlier today, seemed to speak for the other four members who also voted for her—and perhaps even for several who had not, but voted out of political necessity, not wanting to appear to be too much part of the crowd.

Moore said her criteria were simple. The candidate she chose must have a “demonstrated track record across the issues” that voters put them on the council to address, namely, public safety, homelessness, truly affordable housing, and the climate crisis.

Also, the candidate must come from “a community that has not been historically represented.”

In the end, Councilmembers Bob Kettle, Maritza Rivera, Rob Saka, Moore, and council president Sara Nelson voted for Woo.

From left: Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson, Councilmember Tanya Woo, and Tanya’s mom, Anita Woo. (Photo by Assunta Ng)

Councilmember Dan Strauss voted for Vivian Song, Tammy Morales for Mari Sugiyama, and Joy Hollingsworth for Linh Thai.

An open door

Now, if her father had been looking down and listening, today, he would have seen her take her oath of office, ascend to the podium, hug some council members, and shake hands with others. And he would have heard her say that she had not prepared a speech, but was “grateful and honored.”

Tanya Woo taking her oath of office. (Photo by Assunta Ng)

That she would pursue “unity and collaboration and communication” on the council. And finally, simply add, “My door is open—let me know how I can help,” the kind of thing she had been saying to tens of thousands of people for years, both housed and unhoused— except before she had no door, since her office was essentially the street.

Finally, with the tender and perhaps longing eye of a father, he might have seen her, finally, seat herself in the final chair at the end of the council row, and seen, for a moment, her cheeks puff out, as if she were going to cry. But she didn’t.

Challenges

And she had challenges enough to destroy anyone with less persistence. Days before the final selection process, no less than the “shark,” Tim Ceis, consultant to Mayor Bruce Harrell, had an email leaked that associated Woo with big business.

Opponents capitalized on it massively.

Chris Sinderman, another leading political consultant who helped turn Patty Murray from a relatively unknown candidate into a U.S. senator, reportedly helped gather forces on the political left to support Vivian Song.

In an email to the Northwest Asian Weekly, Sinderman said he had informally advised Song, but apparently had not been paid for his work, at least not by her.

“I am not formally working for Vivian or any candidate seeking the appointment during this process,” he wrote. “I’ve gotten to know Vivian in her work with the School Board and as a supporter of Mayor Harrell, and I have been happy to offer her (and others) advice when asked– as I have done many times over the years in similar appointment settings.” 

Personal knowledge versus outrage

Such assistance (maneuvering?), behind the scenes, would have been evident to Woo’s father, if he had been watching.

For throughout public comment, on the last day of the selection process, today, one thing became clear. Those who were there to support Woo—and there were many, in fact, they constituted the majority of commenters—were those who knew Woo personally, who attested to her work helping them with a personal or family problem in a moment of crisis, or to her years on the streets helping the unhoused, or to her personal compassion and willingness to listen and inspire trust.

Many of those opposed are often quoted from the email circulated by the media, written by Ceis, that was used to brand her as somehow owned by big business.

“Working people are watching this appointment process,” said one commenter, demanding that the council address not only “the interests of the wealthy few” and “not just the largest donors.”

Another read directly from the email saying the appointment should not go to those who have “earned the right” to own the seat.

“Tanya is my friend”

But at the moment her appointment was announced, again, if her father had been able to see many of the faces, even of the other candidates who had not been selected, he would have seen expressions of respect and even joy that, perhaps, give some indication of why, truly, she was selected.

As Woo sat, profoundly moved, Capt. Steve Strand, another of the candidates, but someone she had worked with frequently, clapped heartily and smiled proudly at the council.

Mark Solomon, another candidate, a crime prevention coordinator for the police department, stuck his head out in apparent surprise and delight to look at Woo and, it seemed, to celebrate with her.

Solomon, along with Thai, later said they would not run against her in the upcoming election for the seat next year.

“Tanya is my friend,” they both said.

Empathy

Moore and others spoke about Woo’s empathy—another quality that appeared to have won over not only her supporters but other candidates.

Her father would have recalled, at one tense moment, during one of the candidate forums when Strand essentially positioned himself as perhaps the only true force for public safety—the number one priority of voters.

But after his grave remarks, and when the candidates moved down the line, Woo not only took up his theme but gave it a human focus.

Other candidates react to remarks made by Tanya Woo, thanking each one of them. (Photo by Assunta Ng)

“Yes,” she said, “we’ve got to improve the morale of the police department.”

Strand bowed his head slightly. He had been understood, it appeared.

Coalition building

One veteran politician, who asked not to be named for fear of compromising his impartiality, said her performance during the candidate forum organized by CityClub had been less than stellar. But, conversely, Woo went on to win the straw poll of the audience by a wide margin.

All along, her father would have been proud to know, she was often described as the “people’s candidate,” not chosen by pundits and politicians, but by ordinary and impoverished people of all ages, including many senior citizens.

“Tanya Woo has spent a lot more time assisting the unhoused than anyone listening to this call,” said one remote commenter. “I don’t always agree with her, but I know that she will listen.”

Said another speaker, “I’ve seen her endanger her life to serve homeless people of all backgrounds.”

One speaker told of her 70-year-old mother being assaulted, and Woo providing assistance and urging her to report it.

Another commenter, an attorney and small business owner who had experienced a home invasion, said Woo’s compassion and “dedicated leadership” had helped him and his family get the assistance they needed.

Even Seattle firefighters and paramedics expressed a sense of slight disenfranchisement. 

“We want leaders who will listen to the community, including firefighters,” said a representative, endorsing Woo.

Diverse support

She had multi-ethnic backing. 

Reverend Harriett Walden, in public comments, praised Woo for her “courage.” The self-described leader of the East African community endorsed Woo for showing her commitment to tackling public safety and gun violence through meetings with them.

Renton City Council member Kim-Khanh Van said Woo had fought against the ongoing legacy of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 during the pandemic by building coalitions against anti-Asian hate that were “multi-racial, multicultural, and multi-generational” and included students “from the University of Washington to high schools.”

Multiple senior citizens described her care for their interests.

Predictions and outcomes

Before the outcome of today’s meeting was known, the veteran politician who had downplayed Woo’s performance at one of the forums said the scuttlebutt among some political consultants was that even if she were to be appointed, she would lose the election for the seat next year.

It was this same politician, however, who had earlier assured me, with absolute confidence, that Woo’s chances were totally ruined by the email leaked from Tim Ceis.

And, look, she had pulled it off.

Mahlon can be reached at info@nwasianweekly.com.