Your Association Remains Closely Engaged in Seattle’s 2015 City Council Elections
For REALTORS®, the move to district elections offers an opportunity to encourage and support candidates who will be positive for the real estate market and specifically the critical issue of housing supply.
Housing supply needs to be recognized as a foundation to housing affordability. For too many years the City Council’s principal focus has been on subsidized housing strategies that have failed to adequately meet demand for housing.
For the first time, Seattle will elect councilmembers from districts rather than the current citywide election for all council seats. In 2015, all nine Seattle City Council seats will be up for election. Seven districted councilmembers will be elected to four-year terms. The remaining two at-large councilmembers will be elected to two-year terms. (In 2017, the two at-large seats will be elected to four-year terms.)
District elections are shaping up to produce a major shift in the composition of the Seattle City Council. During the past six weeks, three long-serving councilmembers, Tom Rasmussen, Sally Clark and Nick Licata, have announced they will not seek reelection.
As many as 35 candidates have thrown their hats into the ring for 9 council seats. Additional candidates will likely enter the races in the weeks leading up to the May 15 candidate filing deadline.
The districts where it appears the most competitive races will be waged are District 1 (West Seattle), District 4 (University District and Northeast Seattle), and District 5 (North Seattle).
Seattle King County REALTORS® is closely monitoring the elections, reaching out to candidates and engaging in ongoing communications with the real estate and business community. This is an important opportunity to bring our messages to the public debate.
If you or someone you know is interested in getting involved in district elections as a candidate or on a REALTOR® task force, please contact David Crowell, Director of Governmental & Public Affairs.