By Carolyn Bick
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
In her farewell remarks to her colleagues and constituents at this week’s City Council briefing on Nov. 25, outgoing District 8 Councilmember Tanya Woo highlighted her Seattle roots and commitment to serving the city. Democratic challenger Alexis Mercedes Rinck ousted Woo in this year’s election.
“When I stepped into this role, it wasn’t for the title or the office or for the fame. It was for the people, for the families striving to create a better future,” Woo said in her remarks. “As an Asian American, I carry with me the stories of generations who came before me, stories of resilience, hard work, and hope. My family’s journey from running a laundromat in the first Chinatown in the 1870s to building a life in the city shaped my commitment to serve and uplift others. That legacy, woven with your voices, has really driven everything I’ve done on the council.”
Woo also thanked a number of city employees from different city offices, as well as her fellow council members, and her office staff.
“To my colleagues in the council, whether we stood in agreement or engaged in debate, I am grateful for your perspective and for your challenges,” Woo said. “This work was never easy, but it was always necessary. … I would go down the line and name every single thing, but we’d be here for hours.”
Woo labeled her departure as simply a “transition,” and said that the city, “with its diversity, its challenges, and its boundless potential is a part of who I am.”
“As I close this chapter, I do so with hope, hope that Seattle will continue to be a place where everyone, no matter where they come from or who they are, has the chance to succeed and to thrive,” she continued. “Thank you, Seattle, and let’s keep building our city together.”
Woo also received brief notes of thanks from most of her colleagues, including Sara Nelson, who highlighted Woo’s 2022 role in leading Chinatown-International District (CID) residents opposed to a proposed plan between King County and the Salvation Army to open a new CID-based shelter for people experiencing homelessness. She also said that Woo was responsible for filling the Chong Wa Benevolent Association’s building with a multi-generational crowd from the CID for a public safety meeting in 2023.
“You’re a true public servant and it’s not just the people in the CID, but you are clearly seen as a leader there. And I’ve learned a lot from you about leadership and being everywhere all the time, it seems like, and really listening to your constituents,” Nelson said. “I’ll miss you being also next door to me and seeing you pretty much every day.”
Tanya Woo = an impressive and effective leader who truly knows how to represent everyone in Seattle. Thank you for your brand of community leadership that demonstrated wise, bold and sensible problem solving. I stand in support of your future work.