Cascade PBS could lose federal funding. You can help

Hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid over the next decade would drastically reduce health care access in rural areas, several Eastern Washington medical providers and government officials warned at a press conference on Thursday.

Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray had invited medical providers, workers and government officials from Central and Eastern Washington, an area that is more dependent on Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income people and those with disabilities.

Upward of 70% of those under 19 in Central Washington’s 4th Congressional District in 2023 were enrolled in Apple Health, the state’s Medicaid program. More than half of those under 19 in the neighboring 5th Congressional District, which includes Spokane and nearby rural Eastern Washington counties, were also enrolled in Apple Health.

“[Medicaid] cuts would be devastating for a healthy next generation,” said state Sen. Marcus Riccelli, D-Spokane, during the press conference, held virtually.

Cuts to the program are in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which passed the House late last month and is expected to come up for a vote in the U.S. Senate in the coming weeks.

Alex Jackson, the CEO of MultiCare Inland Northwest, which operates several hospitals in Spokane and Yakima, noted that if hundreds of thousands of Washington residents lost health insurance through Medicaid, hospitals would have to absorb the increased cost.

Costs would likely go up as those without coverage due to Medicaid cuts may defer preventive care until they require more intensive — and expensive — health care, Jackson said.

“Less dollars coming in the door put clinics and hospitals in the position to make difficult decisions that will impact patients’ access to care,” he said.

Jackson did not state whether any of the clinics or hospitals MultiCare operates in Eastern Washington are in danger of closing, but said he believes there are hospitals and clinics in the region that are likely in that position.

Besides a reduction in healthcare access, there would also be economic losses. Hospitals are often the largest employer in many of these small rural communities, Jackson said.

Sen. Murray said that massive pressure from the public and other stakeholders, such as medical providers, could keep such massive cuts from happening. Murray noted that in 2017, public pressure led to a failed attempt by Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“Republicans in Congress are not immune to public pressure, and neither is this administration,” Murray said.

A longer version of this article first appeared in the Washington State Standard.

Federal appeals court judges in Seattle on Wednesday questioned a Trump administration lawyer and Washington’s solicitor general over the president’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship.

The three-judge panel in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals appeared more open to the Trump administration’s arguments than a federal judge in Seattle, who in January called the order “blatantly unconstitutional.” 

Perhaps the most pointed question came after a lengthy back-and-forth over what the writers of the 14th Amendment meant when they enshrined birthright citizenship into the U.S. Constitution. 

Hawkins asked Department of Justice attorney Eric McArthur, who clerked for conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, what the late Justice Antonin Scalia would think of his arguments. Scalia, an ardent originalist, anchored the Supreme Court’s conservative wing alongside Thomas.

“He was widely critical of looking at congressional history and statements of senators opposing or supporting a particular thing, and famously said ‘just the words,’” said Hawkins, a Clinton appointee. 

McArthur said he thought Scalia would have been “very open to looking at all of the historic evidence.”

After McArthur’s arguments, Hawkins told the Justice Department attorney he did a “terrific job.”

Trump’s executive action, signed on the first day of his second term, aims to end birthright citizenship for babies born to a mother and father who are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Since the aftermath of the Civil War, the country has automatically given citizenship to babies born on U.S. soil, no matter their immigration status.

Wednesday was the first time the merits of Trump’s order have come before a federal appeals court.

The arguments from Washington’s solicitor general, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and McArthur come a few weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court took up Washington’s case on birthright citizenship and others. 

The justices focused on whether preliminary injunctions, like the one from Judge John Coughenor in Seattle at the center of Wednesday’s hearing, should affect only the parties involved in a particular case or can be applied nationwide. The Trump administration contends such orders are judicial overreach.

The Supreme Court’s ruling-to-come could have implications far beyond the birthright citizenship case, potentially staunching the flow of temporary nationwide blocks that state attorneys general are relying on to stop what they see as the president’s unlawful actions.

In their May 15 hearing, the justices appeared wary of allowing different rules by state.

On Wednesday, state Solicitor General Noah Purcell called Trump’s executive order on birthright citizenship “unconstitutional and unAmerican.” 

“President Trump seeks to turn citizenship into a political football, denying that precious right to hundreds of thousands of babies born in this country simply because their parents are here to work, to study or to escape persecution or violence,” said Purcell, who argued successfully against the president’s travel ban in court in 2017.

The  9th Circuit judges didn’t rule from the bench Wednesday. They’ll issue a written ruling in the coming weeks or months. Both sides told the judges it may be prudent to first wait for the Supreme Court to weigh in on the nationwide injunction question.

Several other cases are currently awaiting similar appellate hearings after lower courts awarded preliminary injunctions. The Supreme Court will likely have the final say on the merits of Trump’s order.

Speaking to reporters after the Wednesday morning hearing, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said “The judges had a lot of pointed and difficult questions for both sides to grapple with.” 

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution codified birthright citizenship in 1868.

Trump’s order, initially set to take effect Feb. 19, focused on the “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” phrase.

“The Fourteenth Amendment has never been interpreted to extend citizenship universally to everyone born within the United States,” Trump’s executive order reads. “The Fourteenth Amendment has always excluded from birthright citizenship persons who were born in the United States but not ‘subject to the jurisdiction thereof.’”

Legal precedent, including an 1898 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, has long upheld birthright citizenship. That case dealt with Wong Kim Ark, a man born in San Francisco to Chinese parents. The justices ruled he was a U.S. citizen.

The two sides interpret this case differently. Many of Wednesday’s arguments centered the Wong Kim Ark decision.

Washington’s case against Trump’s birthright citizenship order, filed alongside Oregon, Arizona and Illinois, led to the second Trump administration’s first judicial rebuke. 

The Reagan-appointed judge, Coughenour, later agreed to indefinitely block Trump’s order while the case played out in court. Trump’s Department of Justice appealed, leading to Wednesday’s hearing.

The Washington State Standard originally published a longer version of this story on June 4, 2025.

Cascade PBS won 10 of the 2024 Society of Professional Journalists’ Northwest Excellence in Journalism Awards. The editorial team won across a range of media types, including awards for audio, short-form video, documentary, photo and news writing. Cascade PBS competes against other “large” newsrooms in SPJ’s region 10, which encompasses Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska.  

Here is the list of winners from Cascade PBS, including judge’s comments when provided: 

• Audio Series - Large 

First Place: Sara Bernard, Maleeha Syed, “Northwest Reports: First Response,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: Impactful reporting on a crisis viewed from the people treating victims of gun violence and other trauma. First-person accounts of success and failure and the personal impact to those involved make this series compelling. 

• Audio - Investigative Reporting - Large 

First Place: Sara Bernard, Lauren Gallup, Lizz Giordano, Maleeha Syed, “Northwest Reports: How building maintenance affects veteran care in Seattle,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: Nice reporting on a problem affecting those who’ve given part of their lives to serve their country. Good focus on trying to hold people accountable and find solutions. Good work. 

• Writing - Feature (Hard News) - Large 

First Place: Lizz Giordano, “‘Beyond failure’: WA teen loses legs at school-based work program,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: Incredibly tragic story. A teenage man losing both legs from an accident that could have been prevented is cause for alarm and cause for reviewing the process of using teenage labor this way. Nice work tracking down the family of the young man and getting thorough responses from all sides involved.  

• Writing - Feature (Soft News) - Large 

First Place: Charles R. Cross, “Why Seattle lost its mind over the Wallingford Taco Time closure,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: This is a fun first-person account of the closing of just one restaurant. The breezy style makes for a true connection with reader. Nice work. 

• General News Photography - Large 

First Place: Genna Martin, “Dueling Israel/Palestine protests on UW campus remain peaceful,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: The first-place winner is a wonderfully composed protest photo. 

• Feature Photography – Large 

Second Place: Genna Martin, “Under God: How Christianity permeates Yakima city politics,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: Color and composition combined to make this a winner. 

• Video - Investigative Reporting - Large 

First Place: “Priced Out: Fear and Resistance in WA Mobile Parks,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: EXCELLENT WORK! This is the best investigative piece I’ve judged in years. The focus is on the people impacted and that's what resonates with viewers. Thorough reporting. Well-produced. Nice work. 

• Video Series - Large 

First Place: “Mossback’s Northwest,” Cascade PBS 

Judge’s comments: Absolutely, incredibly fascinating stories. Excellent use of stills, video and narration. Superb! 

Second Place: “Out & Back,” Cascade PBS 

• Video - General Assignment (Pre-Produced) - Large 

Second Place: “THE NEWSFEED: Phone restrictions paying off at one WA school,” Cascade PBS 

The winning filmmaker for the fourth season of the Cascade PBS Origins series will be Andrew Inaba, who will create a short-form docuseries telling the story of Japanese American imprisonment following the attack on Pearl Harbor through the unique lens of Pacific Northwest communities. Inaba was announced as the winner Saturday at the closing ceremony of the Seattle International Film Festival. 

Inaba was one of several dozen directors who applied to work with Cascade PBS to create a video series that reflects the makeup of our region told from an insider’s perspective. A key requirement for the Origins grant is that the filmmaker be part of the community they are documenting. 

The project will receive $40,000 in grant funding to cover production costs for the five-part series, as well as technical and editing support. Their work has the potential to be broadcast and streamed by Cascade PBS. 

As a second-generation Japanese American filmmaker with deep regional roots, Inaba will bring a unique depth of knowledge to the series, documenting the historical trauma that forever altered our regional identity. Through intimate stories, archival materials, animations inspired by survivor testimonies and explorations of historical sites across Washington and Oregon, “Our Thousand Days” will reveal how this history continues to resonate today — offering urgent lessons about systematic dehumanization and community resilience. 

The docuseries is intended for release on Cascade PBS platforms in March 2026. 

The most recent season of Origins, “The Last Reefnetters,” examined the Native practice of reefnet fishing, an innovative method developed by the Lummi Nation and other Northern Straits Salish tribes thousands of years ago. Following punitive legislation, environmental damage and devastation caused by a budding cannery industry, they were all but removed from the practice. 

The Cascade PBS Ideas Festival is Saturday, May 31 at the Amazon Meeting Center, 2031 Seventh Ave. The day-long festival hosts nationally recognized podcasts like The Wall Street Journal’s The Journal and true-crime podcast Criminal in conversation with featured speakers such as Jake Tapper, Amanda Knox and Rick Steves.  

This year, the Cascade PBS Ideas Festival is expanding – the fifth floor of the Amazon Meeting Center will host the Northwest Reports Stage, dedicated to Cascade PBS podcasts.  

The fifth floor will also host the Share Your Story space, where attendees can talk with a Cascade PBS journalist about their favorite sessions, coverage ideas or other areas of interest. With permission, conversations will also be recorded on audio to use for potential coverage of the Festival. 

The Northwest Reports Stage will focus on leaders and change-makers from the Seattle area. Here is a full list of the Northwest Reports Stage sessions:  

1. 11:30 a.m.: Washington State Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal joins host Rachel Belle for a special live edition of the James Beard Award-finalist podcast Your Last Meal. Each episode, Belle asks a luminary what they would choose to eat for their last meal. Then she consults experts from around the world to uncover the history, science and culture of these dishes.  

2. 12:30 p.m.: Vanishing Seattle founder Cynthia Brothers joins Northwest Reports hosts Sara Bernard and Maleeha Syed for a live podcast taping. Launched via social media in 2016, Vanishing Seattle documents the disappearing institutions, businesses and cultures of the Emerald City. Brothers discusses the places that made her hometown what it is and once was – and why they matter.      

3. 2:10 p.m.: Seattle writer, musician and director Mindie Lind joins the Northwest Reports team to discuss ableism. A longtime Seattle resident, she’s aware of the disconnect when it comes to accessibility and disability rights around the city, including our music venues and the new Waterfront Park.   

4. 3:40 p.m.: Northwest Reports talks with Kiesha B. Free, a speaker, comedian and the founder of Hey, Black Seattle! The online resource and movement grew out of frustration with the notion that there isn’t a large Black population in Seattle, and helps connect and nurture the local community. 

5. 5:15 p.m.: For the final live podcast taping on the Northwest Reports Stage, Bernard and Syed are joined by Lex Vaughn, founder and editor-in-chief of The Needling. The Onion-style satirical news site dubs itself “Seattle’s only real fake news.” 

Tickets are still available at cascadepbs.org/festival.   

Gov. Bob Ferguson promised to fight federal legislation that would bring “draconian cuts” to Medicaid, the government-funded insurance program, after it passed the U.S. House early Wednesday.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes a mix of tax cuts and cuts to several government programs. That includes a reduction of $700 billion in Medicaid payments over the next decade.

Democratic politicians, including Ferguson, are ringing the alarm bell on the House vote, stating the negative impact on health care that would ensue if the U.S. Senate passes the bill.

“In the middle of the night, Congress took an action that would be described as cruel and one that will harm hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians,” Ferguson said during a news conference Wednesday at Harborview Medical Center.

Joined by health care officials and workers, Ferguson said he anticipates the state losing $2 billion in federal Medicaid payments over the next four years, which would lead to an estimated 200,000 residents losing Medicaid insurance access by the end of next year.

"I’m not just throwing that word around. I want to be clear, I want to be crystal clear: It’s dire,” Ferguson said. “Hospitals will close; nursing homes will close. That will impact… not just folks on Medicaid, but Washingtonians across the state.”

Ferguson, without mentioning them by name, called out Republican U.S. Reps. Dan Newhouse, WA-4, and Michael Baumgartner, WA-5, for their votes in support of the bill. All the Washington state Democratic House members voted against it.

Republicans maintain they are cutting waste in government programs that will translate to cost savings and a reduction in the federal deficit.

In a news release Wednesday, Newhouse promises the bill would reduce “reckless federal spending” and cut the federal deficit by $1.5 trillion, bringing it to the lowest level in nearly 30 years. The news release also says tax cuts would bring relief to U.S. families and small businesses.

Specifically with Medicaid, Newhouse said that by implementing work requirements and blocking Medicaid for undocumented people, "we are protecting Medicaid for those who truly need it most.” 

Gov. Bob Ferguson filed a brief Tuesday in support of a lawsuit against the Trump administration’s tariffs, which the Democratic governor argued are “unlawful, arbitrary” and disproportionately harmful to Washington.

Ferguson and two dozen politicians, labor unions, economic development organizations and local governments signed onto an amicus brief in support of a multistate lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade against four of President Donald Trump’s executive orders.

The coalition argues that the tariffs would “wreak havoc on Washington-based interests” by disrupting supply chains and making goods and services more expensive. Washington is one of the most trade-dependent states in the country with nearly $120 billion in exports and imports moving through ports last year, according to the governor’s office.  

“The impacts could be profound for our state,” Ferguson said Wednesday. “They are profound for our state now.”

The coalition that signed onto the brief includes 10 Democratic state lawmakers, the mayors of Spokane and Seattle, Washington State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti, the Teamsters 117 labor union and business owners like North Cascades Builders Supply in Okanogan County.

“We are now facing very real and very deep economic impacts, serious interruptions to supply chains, job layoffs and potential revenue losses in the billions of dollars,” said Suzanne Dale Estey, executive director of the Washington Economic Development Association.

The multistate lawsuit argued that Trump’s executive orders are unconstitutional because Congress is the only branch with the power to impose tariffs.

Ferguson argued that the uncertainty was already causing disruptions for Washington businesses by pausing hiring and expansion plans and raising prices.

“The illegal tariffs imposed by President Trump will affect all Washingtonians through higher prices and disruption of businesses,” Ferguson said.

The brief also argued that the tariffs have interfered with Ferguson’s ability to shape and implement a state budget amid “significant uncertainty, chaos and adverse economic conditions.” On Tuesday, while signing a nearly $78 billion state spending plan, Ferguson pointed toward looming federal funding cuts and Trump’s economic policies as a reason to have a sustainable state budget with hefty reserves.

Following weeks of questions about how the new executive might respond to legislative Democrats’ approved tax increases, Gov. Bob Ferguson on Tuesday signed a two-year almost $78 billion spending plan with new taxes and program cuts.

The plan, approved last month by the Legislature, includes $4 billion in new taxes on businesses, wealthy residents and some services; about $3 billion in cuts; and more than $7 billion in new spending on education, wage increases for state employees and long-term care.

After months of push-back on Democrats’ tax proposals, Ferguson signed off on what he called “a balanced approach.” In the end, he made only minor changes, vetoing about $25 million more in spending and promising to look more closely at approved taxes before the next legislative session begins in January 2026.  

“I understand very clearly that this will be a challenging budget for Washingtonians,” Ferguson said. “But I believe it’s a balanced approach that sets us up on a trajectory for a more sustainable future.”

Lawmakers came into the legislative session this year with a nearly $16 billion budget shortfall to fill over the next four years. Democrats’ initial funding plans relied on a suite of hefty new taxes, including a tax on the wealthiest residents, which Ferguson quickly nixed.

Despite his reservations, Ferguson ultimately approved $4 billion in taxes, including on businesses, financial assets and technology services. The budget also includes new fees on state parks’ passes, hunting and fishing licenses, and liquor permits.

Ferguson did veto one tax increase, choosing to keep a tax exemption for interest collected by community banks, which he said is important to keeping housing affordable.

The governor said he will be having more conversations with his team, lawmakers and the business community on the taxes to make sure there aren’t “unintended impacts.”

He said he may want to make changes to the budget in the next legislative session in January, which could upend the revenue lawmakers relied on when balancing the current spending plan. If that happens, lawmakers may need to make deeper cuts next year during a supplemental budget process, Ferguson said.

Already, the budget includes $2.7 billion in cuts to higher education, health care and the Department of Children, Youth and Families.

On Tuesday, Ferguson vetoed another $25 million in spending. Programs that support counseling and case management for teens, language services for low-income Afghan women and girls, supports for Spanish speakers accessing HIV treatment, stipends for sexual assault nurse examiner training and outdoor recreation access for underrepresented communities were all among the cuts.

Ferguson said he plans to look more closely at the approved spending cuts over the next few months in preparation for the next legislative session and his supplemental budget proposal, due in December.

The governor’s approval of the budget was welcome news to Democratic budget leaders but was met with harsh criticism from their Republican counterparts.

"Ultimately, the governor folded to his party and signed off on an irresponsible and unsustainable plan,” said House Republican Budget Leader Rep. Travis Couture, R-Allyn. “Washington taxpayers will pay the price."

This article was originally published by the Washington State Standard.

Gov. Bob Ferguson signed three bills to protect immigrant rights this week. 

These included measures to strengthen state power to inspect private detention facilities, prevent coercion in the workplace, and prohibit bail bond agents from enforcing immigration laws. 

Lawmakers put forward the legislation at a time when President Donald Trump is trying to crack down on people crossing into the country illegally and as his administration presses to deport immigrants already in the U.S. without legal authorization. 

Here’s a look at what the new state laws would do. 

Detention centers 

State lawmakers have been pushing for greater transparency at the Northwest ICE Processing Center, a for-profit immigrant detention center in Tacoma. Previous efforts on this front have landed the state in court battles with the company that operates the facility, The GEO Group.

House Bill 1232 is the latest attempt to pave the way for the state’s Department of Health to inspect the Center and enforce compliance with state and federal laws there. 

It establishes additional standards for such facilities in areas like sanitation, ventilation and medical care, along with new safeguards against abuse. 

The bill also expands the definition of private detention facilities to include those run by nonprofit organizations after The GEO Group claimed to be singled out under existing law. The nonprofit Martin Hall Juvenile Detention Facility near Spokane will now join the list of these facilities. 

Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, sponsor of the bill, said she hopes this legislation demonstrates that the state is not targeting a single facility. 

The law is effective immediately. 

Workplace coercion

There is often limited recourse for immigrant workers facing threats or being exploited by their employer. Senate Bill 5104, sponsored by Sen. Bob Hasegawa, D-Seattle, intends to give immigrant workers better tools when facing coercion in the workplace. 

The bill would require the state’s Department of Labor and Industries to investigate complaints of coercion and would allow the agency to impose civil penalties when violations occur.

Coercion differs from retaliation because it happens before an employee raises an issue. Retaliation happens after the employee does so. 

During the complaint process, when a worker files a complaint, the department will notify the employer, but language in the bill was added to make a worker’s personal information confidential to anyone other than the department and the employee. 

“Every Washington worker can and should feel safe to report workplace injustices without fear of coercion or retaliation of any kind,” Ferguson said at the bill signing.

The bill would take effect on July 1. 

Bail bond agents

Following an incident in January during a public meeting in Sunnyside, Wash., a person claiming to be a “bounty hunter” said that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would soon use bail bond agents to arrest people in the U.S. without legal authorization and pay them $1,000 for every arrest. ICE had detained two people in Sunnyside around this time.

Senate Bill 5714 would expand the list of unprofessional conduct for bail bond agents to include enforcement of a civil immigration warrant. The Department of Licensing could take disciplinary action against agents found to be in violation.

Bail bond agents already largely lacked the authority to get involved in immigration issues. But Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, D-Tacoma, said she introduced the bill because “people can operate right on the boundaries.” The law, she said, will provide clarification about those boundaries and the penalties for crossing them. 

It would also prevent agents from sharing a defendant’s immigration status with anyone outside their business. 

The bill would take effect on July 27. 

Other legislation

In addition to the laws the governor signed Monday, the Legislature approved a bill to allow immigrants to use paid sick time for immigration proceedings, which Ferguson signed in April, and a bill to have an expedited pardon process for those facing deportation, which is awaiting the governor’s signature.

Lawmakers also maintained approved funding in the budget for a state program that provides health care coverage that mirrors Medicaid to a limited number of immigrants without legal status. Ferguson has still not signed off on the budget legislation.

Jacqueline Jimenez-Romero is a WSU News Fellow who writes for the Washington State Standard, which originally published this story on May 14, 2025.

Eight people, including two current King County Council members, are vying to become the next King County Executive. The seat is open for the first time in more than a decade after former King County Executive Dow Constantine’s announcement last year that he would not run for reelection.

Earlier this year, Constantine vacated his position before the end of his term to become the new head of Sound Transit. The remainder of his term is being carried out by current King County Executive Shannon Braddock, whom the Council appointed temporarily to fill the seat. At the time of her appointment, Braddock told reporters she would not seek election.

The position is nonpartisan. Top fundraisers in the race so far are Girmay Zahilay ($698,379.27), Claudia Balducci ($552,720.29), John Wilson ($65,214.50) and Amiya Ingram ($6,028.51). Here’s what else to know about the slate of candidates who’ve filed to run.

Claudia Balducci

Balducci sits on the King County Council and has represented District 6 since she was elected in 2015. District 6 includes Bellevue, Kirkland, Mercer Island, the Points Communities and Redmond. Balducci announced her candidacy shortly after Constantine announced he would not run for reelection. Balducci formerly served on the Bellevue City Council and is one of two vice chairs of the Sound Transit board.

Derek Chartrand

Derek Chartrand is a Redmond resident who has worked for Rentar Environmental Solutions, a Florida company that develops technology to help companies save fuel costs and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Chartrand has challenged U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene twice, in 2024 and 2022, running as a Republican.

Bill Hirt

Bill Hirt is a familiar name on area ballots. The Bellevue resident has run for office at least a dozen times, including for governor in 2024, U.S. Senator in 2022, county executive in 2017 and more. This year, he says he will use his statement in the voter guide to bring attention to his criticisms of Sound Transit.

Amiya Ingram

Amiya Ingram is an AI policy strategist at Microsoft. Billing herself as a member of the next generation of leadership, Ingram lists housing, safety, education and small businesses as her campaign priorities.

Don L. Rivers

Don Rivers ran for governor as a Democrat in 2020 and 2024. Rivers has said he has advised elected officials, law enforcement agencies and others and has been a union worker for 50 years.

Rebecca Williamson

Rebecca Williamson is a previous candidate for Seattle City Council. Williamson lists Socialist newspaper The Militant as her campaign website.

John Wilson

Wilson is the King County assessor. He was first elected to that position in 2015. A former journalist who also served as chief of staff under former King County Executive Ron Sims, Wilson said he is prioritizing crime and public safety in his campaign.

Girmay Zahilay

Zahilay, a business attorney who also worked in President Barack Obama’s administration, has served on the County Council since 2020, after defeating longtime Councilmember Larry Gossett. Zahilay ran to the left of Gossett, an influential Seattle civil rights leader. Zahilay, who was born in a refugee settlement in Sudan and grew up in Seattle, represents District 2, which includes much of the eastern portion of Seattle south of the University District as well as Skyway.

The primary this year is Aug. 5.

Also up for election this year are five of the nine King County Councilmember positions, including the seat vacated by newly elected Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove.

Those who have filed to run for County Council are:

District No. 1

• Rod Dembowski

District No. 3

• Sarah Perry
• Rob Wotton

District No. 5

• Ahmad Corner
• Steffanie Fain
• Angela Henderson
• Peter Kwon
• Ryan McIrvin
• Kim-Khanh Van

District No. 7

• Pahaliyah Brown
• Maya Vengadasalam
• Pete von Reichbauer

District No. 9

• Jude Anthony
• Reagan Dunn