Speaking to boisterous supporters after the results were announced, Scott said, “We got this done for the essential workers, the grocery store workers, nurses and teachers who have held society together over the last four years. We got it done for students, for parents and teachers that need to see action on taxing the ultra-wealthy to keep our schools open and make college not more affordable but free.”
Suarez called Scott shortly after the results dropped to concede the race.
Scott is a Democratic Socialist who works as policy lead for the Statewide Poverty Action Network. He campaigned on promises to push for rent control, affordable housing, closing corporate loopholes and revamping funding for public education. In 2019, Scott made a bid for Seattle City Council against Alex Pedersen.
Suarez is the founder of We Heart Seattle, a controversial nonprofit that leads volunteer homeless encampment cleanups. Suarez also previously worked in enterprise sales for DHL, the delivery company. In an interview this fall, she told Cascade PBS she wants to increase treatment options for people with substance-use disorder and reform how the state spends money.
Seattle’s 43rd includes Capitol Hill, the U District, Wallingford, Fremont and Laurelhurst. Rep. Frank Chopp has held the seat for 30 years and is retiring at the end of this year. The liberal Democrat served as Speaker of the House from 1999-2019 and has been a staunch supporter of investing in affordable-housing construction and other housing reforms.
Chopp endorsed Scott in the race to fill his seat.
Buoyed by voters on Capitol Hill and in the U District, the 43rd is one of the state’s most left-leaning districts. Though both Scott and Suarez ran as Democrats, the two offer a stark political contrast.
Scott campaigned on using progressive taxation to narrow the wealth gap and bolster the social safety net. In addition, he wants to pursue alternatives to policing and prison and increase worker protections and wages.
Suarez has criticized Scott’s positions as fringe and told Cascade PBS that Democrats are unfair and “if not more or equally corrupt and evil as the right-wingers, as the MAGA party, because of the extremism that has taken hold, especially in the 43rd and across the state.”
The state Democratic Party said that in its view Scott was the only Democrat in the race.
Ballot counting for Washington’s vote-by-mail system can take several weeks to complete. The next round of results is expected around 4 p.m. Wednesday.
