King County released final 2019 election results data on Monday and precinct maps show people in multifamily areas and single-family zones have very different politics. Progressive candidates cleaned up in Seattle’s Urban Villages and renter-heavy areas. Conservative votes mostly tracked Lake Washington and Puget Sound, representing million-dollar view homes.
Now that the 2019 Washington State elections are mostly decided, I’ve been reflecting on who won and lost. A lot of candidates lost. Some would say that Big Business, transportation, and poor people lost. Affirmative Action lost. But to me, the biggest loser might have been the most important
On election night, we provided a rundown of the early ballot returns. The outcome of many of the races we were following did not change, but some tightened and flipped as late-arriving progressive votes were counted. As we predicted, Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant prevailed in her bid for reelection,
Update: Councilmember Kshama Sawant pulled ahead in Friday returns and is now leading by 3.6 points. She will be reelected. November 13th Update: Sawant now leads by 4 points. Councilmember Kshama Sawant was the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce’s number one target this election, and her reelection prospects
In response to the apparent passage of Initiative 976, Washington State’s political leaders have begun acting as if they are required to slash public spending, especially on transportation projects–even though the initiative requires no such thing. For example, Governor Jay Inslee announced a freeze on all Washington State
The early returns for the 2019 November General Election have been posted as of 8pm this evening. Counting will continue over the coming weeks, usually with daily counts being released after 4pm. Generally progressive candidates gain in late returns, so a small deficit (e.g., 5%) tonight, may actually signal
I was reading hot takes on what will happen tomorrow when polls close and early election results are announced. Very few pundits have predicted a favorable result in a race in which I’ve become invested: Seattle City Council District 4 (D4). It’s my home district and it also
Don’t stop there. Tell everyone you know to vote no on I-976 as well. Halloween might be over, but the most frightening day of 2019 has yet to come. On November 6th, Washingtonians could theoretically wake up and confront the nightmarish reality that office-chair-thieving Tim Eyman’s Initiative 976
Recently, while on the campaign trail, I had a conversation with a retired federal worker in the city of SeaTac who has become homeless because the rent on his apartment increased almost 25%. While I was heartbroken by the specifics of this man’s story, I was also disappointed because
Unlike its tech giant competitors in Facebook and Google, Amazon hasn’t pledged $1 billion to build housing in its hometown region. Amazon hasn’t even pledged $500 million like Microsoft did last year. What Amazon has done this year, though, is funnel $1.5 million into Seattle’s 2019
It’s that time of year. Amazon is cutting a million-dollar check to Seattle’s chamber of commerce political action committee. Their candidates are talking about accountability and responsibility, and we still don’t know what that means–but it seems to pay well. Milquetoast Moderates insist it’s their
After the Primary Election, 14 candidates remain for seven Seattle City Council contests. The race has shaped up to be a showdown between Seattle Times-endorsed candidates and those backed by The Stranger. Final Primary results didn’t include any reversals from the early Seattle City Council returns we reported on
Alex Pedersen won 40% of the primary vote in Seattle’s Fourth Council District, but some of his views are very out of step with the electorate. He has taken steps to conceal some of those issues. For example, Pedersen opposed the Move Seattle transportation levy in 2015 and the
As of 8pm this evening, the early returns for the 2019 August Primary have been posted. Counting will continue over the coming weeks, usually with daily counts being released after 4pm. The Urbanist Elections Board made endorsements in several Seattle and King County races last month, but some of our
Submitting answers to a questionnaire is a key part of our endorsement process and happens before meeting with us as The Urbanist Election Board. We recapped candidates’ responses on affordable housing strategies, Vision Zero, evictions/displacement, and the Center City streetcar. We’d also like to review candidates’ responses on
We asked Seattle City Council candidates to fill out a questionnaire before meeting with The Urbanist Election Board as we decided which candidate to endorse in each race. We have posted features on candidates’ responses on a few key questions: affordable housing strategies, Vision Zero, and evictions/displacement. As the
We asked Seattle City Council candidates to submit answers to a questionnaire before meeting with us as The Urbanist Election Board decided which candidate to endorse in each race. We recapped candidates’ responses on affordable housing strategies and on Vision Zero. Another issue near and dear to our hearts is
We asked Seattle City Council candidates to submit answers to a questionnaire before meeting with us as The Urbanist Election Board decided which candidate to endorse in each race. Yesterday, we recapped candidates’ affordable housing strategy responses. Another issue The Urbanist cares deeply about is protecting people moving through our
The ballots hitting Seattle mailboxes this week mark the first decision point in an election that will likely reverberate throughout the next decade of civic life in the Puget Sound region. The second round of district-based city council elections is being claimed by all sides as a moment when the
The Seattle City Council candidate forums hosted by the Move All Seattle Sustainably (MASS) coalition zeroed in on transportation and housing issues and revealed not all races were created equally. The District 4 (D4) forum displayed a considerable consensus around adding density in single family zones and making streets safer
It was standing room only at the District 3 Seattle City Council forum at the Washington Labor Council last Thursday. A growing pool of candidates hashed out their campaign platforms before a responsive crowd during the second debate sponsored by the MASS Coalition, of which The Urbanist is a member.
On Tuesday night ten of the twelve confirmed candidates for Seattle’s District 6 City Council race attended a two-hour-long debate focused on transportation, housing, and sustainability sponsored by the MASS coalition. (The Urbanist is a member of the MASS coalition.) Candidates John Lisbin, a vocal opponent of the Mandatory