By Aaron Allen
The Seattle Medium
It is election season in King County and several seats on the King County Council are up for grabs. This year, riding on the energy that was felt during last year’s election cycle, Black women continue to be at the forefront of politics across the nation and in the State of Washington.
Saudia J. Abdullah, Lydia Assefa-Dawson, Shukri Olow and Ubax Gardheere are four Black women looking to bring new and empowering energy to politics in the Pacific Northwest, as all four a vying for seats on the King County Council.
Assefa-Dawson and Abdullah are both running for the County’s District 7 council seat. Dawson, the first Black women of African descent to win a seat on the Federal Way City Council, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her candidacy. She is a Family Self Sufficiency Coordinator with the King County Housing Authority, and also chairs the Federal Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, serves on the committee overseeing public safety, parks and human services and sits on the Regional Law, Safety and Justice Committee.
“In order to make progress on our region’s toughest challenges, we need new perspectives and experience representing our region on the King County Council,” says Dawson. “I bring positive and equitable change, with a focus on healthy, strong communities that benefit every neighbor.”
Abdullah, a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and Leadership tomorrow, sits on the Federal Way Ethics Board and the King County Public Defenders Advisory Board.
The issues Abdullah has on her plate include the economy and infrastructure, education and youth services, community safety and healthcare, housing, diversity and inclusion. As a mother, community activist and a long-time employee of King County, Abdullah believes in doing the work to build the future.
“I am running for King County Council, District 7 because South King County has been overlooked for a long time,” says Abdullah. “While we do receive social services, we are severely lacking in the right economic opportunities. It is time to start making strategic investments in South King County, and I will work tirelessly for results and to see our ideas for the betterment of this community come to fruition.”
Shukri Olow is running for the King County Council seat currently held by Dave the Upthegrove in District 5.
Olow — who describes herself as a mother, a community organizer, a doctoral candidate and now a candidate for King County Council District 5 — currently works for King County, and previously worked for the Seattle Housing Authority and Seattle Public Schools. She serves on several boards including Kent Youth and Family Services, Kent YMCA, One America Votes and the Somali Health Board.
Olow’s priorities in her campaign are legal justice, human services and resilient businesses, climate, laborers and housing issues.
“In the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to hearing and actively listening,” says Olow. “Most importantly I am excited about the opportunity to co-create a platform with the community and center their voices and their valuable lived experiences.”
Challenging Reagan Dunn for his County Council seat in District 9 is Ubax Gardheere. Gardheere, a proud parent of three, is a political analyst, strategist, collective power builder, and donor, funder and organizer focused on policy and systemic healing.
Gardheere, who has been a King County resident for 25 years, is currently the Equitable Development Division Director for the City of Seattle Office of Planning and Community Development. She previously served as the Program Director for Puget Sound Sage, focusing on land use policy, affordable housing, racial justice and equitable transit-oriented development along with host of other policy making responsibilities.
Diversity is in Gardheere’s blood. As Black woman and as a descendant of Africa, she is her unapologetic for who she is, her leadership style and who/what she advocates for.
“My multi-complex, multi-dimensional, hyphenated identity makes unapologetic,” says Gardheere. “It makes me unapologetically Black, unapologetically Muslim, Unapologetically Somali and unapologetically American.”
“I plan to work on unlocking the full potential of our local economy by dismantling barriers and expanding opportunities for all King County regardless of race or social economic background,” added Gardheere. “I am uniquely positioned to advance solutions that are tailored to address today’s complex public challenges with my lived experience, organizing background and policy chops.”
Here are today’s Black women leaders for you to choose from for King County Council.
Just as in 2020 Black women are continuing to lead in this country and this state to bring about a more inclusive, healthy, economically vibrant and racially tolerant community, and depending on the outcomes in the upcoming election cycle they King County Council could look much different than it does today.
