By The Seattle Medium
Adonis Ducksworth, a lifelong South Seattle resident, community leader, and advocate for youth, has officially announced his campaign for Seattle’s District 2 City Council seat. With endorsements from Councilmembers Joy Hollingsworth and Dan Strauss, Ducksworth is entering the race to ensure that Southend community voices are heard in addressing public safety, affordability, housing, and transportation challenges.
Ducksworth currently works for the City of Seattle, where he has played a key role in bringing together residents, businesses, and organizations to develop and implement complex transportation policy. As one of the key architects of the 2024 Transportation Levy, he has firsthand experience in shaping policy that directly impacts District 2 residents.
“I was raised by a single mom in a triplex home just off Beacon Ave and have fond memories of riding my bike and skateboard with my friends through the neighborhood,” Ducksworth said. “For our family, a safe and affordable place to rent near schools and services was critical to our stability. But today, there are too many Southend neighbors having to worry about real threats of gun violence, too many of our families and elders are at risk of being priced out of their homes, and there need to be more opportunities for kids to choose different paths in life. That’s why I am standing up—because I know we can do better, and I’m committed to delivering for our kids, culture, and community.”
With the District 2 seat open following Councilmember Mark Solomon’s decision not to run in the 2025 special election, Ducksworth is centering his campaign on improving affordable housing, public safety, and transportation. He believes that the city must create better housing solutions for families, working-class residents, and those struggling with homelessness, ensuring that all Seattleites can find housing that meets their needs.
“We need better housing solutions for people wanting to get off the streets, families with kids, and working-class and low-income people throughout Seattle—to help anyone who wants to live in Seattle find housing options that meet their needs,” Ducksworth said. “That includes South Seattle, where exclusionary and racist zoning practices in the past created inequities in homeownership, predatory development, displacement, and inferior infrastructure. I’ll bring a commitment to housing policies informed by past harms—but driven by future opportunity—to build the communities we all deserve.”
Living just one block off Rainier Avenue S, Ducksworth experiences firsthand the effects of gun violence, car collisions, and public safety concerns. He believes that improving safety requires a balanced approach that includes investing in more well-trained police officers, expanding alternative emergency response teams like the CARE Team, and strengthening community-based violence prevention programs.
“We need more and better-trained police officers, we need to continue the expansion of the CARE Team responders, and we need to invest in upstream solutions that reduce violence and protect kids, small businesses, and vulnerable people from all types of harm,” Ducksworth said. “In my first year, I want to work with SPD to enhance local recruitment efforts, redouble support for small businesses too often impacted by crime, and apply my lifelong commitment to kids to help reduce gun violence and other threats to their safety.”
Transportation is another issue at the forefront of Ducksworth’s campaign. He notes that Rainier Avenue S and Martin Luther King Jr Way S are two of the most dangerous roads in Seattle, serving as vital connections that residents rely on daily. With experience developing transportation policy at the city level, Ducksworth wants to build upon the success of the Transportation Levy to make streets safer, improve transit reliability, and create better infrastructure for all users of the road.
“We need to build off the success of the Transportation Levy and put in measures to slow down cars, help transit be more reliable, and provide all users of the road with predictable and efficient options,” he said.
According to Duckworth, his lived experience has shaped his approach to leadership and public service. Growing up, he worked his way through high school and college by delivering newspapers, working in restaurants, and DJing events. He understands firsthand the struggles of young workers and artists trying to make a living in Seattle and believes the city must do more to ensure fair wages and create pathways to success for young and transitional workers.
“I am an example of how local government can help people achieve their goals,” Ducksworth said. He took advantage of a worker retraining program to return to school at Seattle Central College, later earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Washington. “On Council, I’ll be a strong and thoughtful voice for better visibility and investment in helping people get into colleges and careers, creating apprenticeships in skilled trades, and encouraging employers to build career ladders.”
With nearly 70% of District 2’s population being people of color, Ducksworth is also deeply committed to ensuring the city stands up against racist and discriminatory policies that threaten Seattle residents. He believes that recent federal actions targeting immigrants, people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized groups require strong local leadership willing to fight for impacted communities.
“District 2 is home to neighbors of diverse backgrounds, who deserve a champion to stand up for our rights against national attacks,” Ducksworth said. “I will be a fearless advocate for targeted communities, especially immigrants, women, and AAPI, Black, Brown, LGBTQ+, and Native populations. We must also acknowledge that we may need to explore new local funding streams as federal dollars are illegally halted.”
Ducksworth’s campaign is already receiving strong support from elected officials, community leaders, and residents. Seattle Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth praised Ducksworth’s deep roots in the community and his ability to bring people together.
“Adonis will bring important perspectives to Council—from a lifetime living and working in South Seattle,” Hollingsworth said. “He’s a good listener with a record of bringing diverse voices to the table to shape positive solutions. He deserves our vote.”
Councilmember Dan Strauss echoed similar sentiments, emphasizing Ducksworth’s strong leadership qualities and commitment to public service.
“We need more leaders on the City Council who understand their neighborhoods, fight for our values, and care about the safety and affordability of our city,” Strauss said. “Adonis will be that leader for District 2. We share not only a passion for public service, but first jobs delivering newspapers in our neighborhoods! I’m excited to endorse his candidacy, and look forward to working with him on Council.”
A lifelong skateboarder, Ducksworth is also active in Seattle’s skateboarding community, where he teaches kids how to skateboard and works to build safe spaces for young people to gather and recreate. Completing construction of the Rainier Beach Skatepark will be among his priorities if elected to City Council.
Ducksworth met his wife, Alena, at Mercer Middle School on Beacon Hill in the late 1980s. Today, they live one block off Rainier Ave S in Rainier Beach with their daughters and their chocolate lab, Juna.
