By Chris S. Nishiwaki
- Hong Chhuor. Courtesy of Hong Chhuor.
- Edward Lin. Courtesy of Edward Lin.
The Seattle City Council (SCC) narrowed down the field of District 2 seat contenders to six finalists, including two Asian Americans, at a special meeting on Friday, Jan. 17. Hong Chhuor and Edward Lin now move on to the next phase of the selection process, before the SCC votes to fill the currently vacant seat on Monday, Jan. 27. A third Asian American candidate, Takayo Minakami Ederer, did not make the cut. Tammy Morales resigned from the council effective Jan. 6, citing inter-council tensions.
Seattle CityClub will host a public forum on Tuesday, Jan. 21, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Columbia City Theater, at 4916 Rainier Avenue South. The forum will also be streamed live on the Seattle Channel. Candidates will field more questions from the SSC during a Thursday, Jan. 23 council meeting open to the public.
The other candidates to fill the remaining one-year balance of the term are Mark A. Solomon, Chukundi Salisbury, Adonis E. Ducksworth, and Thaddaeus James Gregory. The seat will be up for election for a regular, full four-year term next fall.
District 2 covers the southeast corner of Seattle, including the Chinatown-International District (CID), Beacon Hill, Mount Baker, Columbia City, Hillman City, Holly Park, Brighton, Dunlap, Yesler Terrace, and Rainier Beach.
Chhuor, who moved from Cambodia at age 2, is a nonprofit fundraising and communications executive. He is also the managing director and co-owner of King Donuts in the Rainier Valley and serves on the board of directors of Friends of Little Sài Gòn.
Lin is an Assistant City attorney for the City of Seattle, Contracts and Utilities Division. Previously, he was an attorney at Perkins Coie, one of the largest law firms in the Northwest. He has also clerked for U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Zilly and the Washington Education Association. Newly elected District 8 councilmember, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, nominated Lin.
There are currently no Asian American council members in a city where Asians make up the largest minority group. About 32% of the District 2 residents are Asian or Asian American, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. Asian and Asian Americans make up nearly a quarter of Seattle residents.
Tanya Woo, who lost the District 2 City Council Race in 2023 to incumbent Tammy Morales by only 403 votes, did not run to fill the current vacancy. The SCC later appointed Woo to fill the vacancy left by Teresa Mosqueda in District 8 of the Seattle City Council when Mosqueda was elected to the King County Council. Woo’s subsequent bid for a full term to represent the at-large District 8 seat fell short last fall in a campaign that saw Seattlites elect Rinck to fill that seat.
“We are certainly looking for a partner who can truly represent the critical needs,” Rinck said in her recommendation of Lin at Friday’s special meeting. “I know when I was thinking about my decision about who to put forward today, I was thinking about [how] the number one issue that I heard at the door was housing, but it was also the need for investments in our young people and education. So I want someone who has expertise and knowledge in those areas.”
Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson nominated Chhuor, acknowledging his experience in Little Sài Gòn and referencing the “problems in the CID and particularly in Little Sài Gòn.”
“I do believe there needs to be representation from Little Sài Gòn,” Nelson said. “We do have one person who serves on the board of Friends of Little Sài Gòn. I feel very strongly that there will be representation from that community going forward.”