In a historic and unanimous vote, the King County Council on Monday appointed Rhonda Lewis to represent District 2, making her the first Black woman to ever serve on the Council. The appointment also marks the first time in county history that women make up the majority of the nine-member legislative body.
Lewis, a longtime public servant with extensive experience in local government, was nominated by newly sworn-in King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, who previously held the District 2 seat. The council voted 7-0 to approve her appointment. Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda was absent.
“I am filled with gratitude and excitement as Rhonda Lewis becomes a member of the King County Council. She makes history today as the first Black woman to ever serve on the Council, but the true victory here is that she will bring a career of deep experience in county operations and service delivery to represent District 2 residents over the next year,” Zahilay said. “District 2 is in incredibly capable hands, and I have full confidence that Rhonda and her team will ensure no gap in constituent services between now and when the next permanent Councilmember takes office in November 2026. She will be an essential partner over the next year as our administration continues the first Executive office transition since 2009.”
From the beginning of the appointment process, Zahilay committed to selecting a nominee who would serve only in an interim capacity and not run for the seat in the 2026 election. All three finalists, including Lewis, agreed not to seek a full term, ensuring a level playing field for future candidates.
Lewis brings decades of public sector leadership. As City Administrator of Tukwila, she expanded services for children, families and seniors and established the city’s Office of Human Services. At the county level, she served as Chief of Operations under former Executive Dow Constantine and later led Public Health — Seattle & King County’s Equity and Social Justice Division. Most recently, she was Chief of Staff to Zahilay in the District 2 office.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in business education and an MBA from the University of Central Oklahoma and completed the Harvard Kennedy School’s Women in Power Intensive program.
“I am honored to have been selected by the King County Council to join them over the next year and finish out Executive Zahilay’s term representing District 2,” Lewis said. “We have many challenges and opportunities over the next year as the King County Council works to address important issues that District 2 residents care about, like affordability and housing and homelessness. I look forward to partnering with my new colleagues and Executive Zahilay to meet these problems head on and do everything we can for District 2 and everyone else across the region.”
Lewis was one of three Black women nominated for the position, all highly qualified. The other candidates included Nimco Bulale, a policy advocate and coalition builder with more than 15 years of experience. Bulale, born in Somalia and raised in Seattle and South King County, currently serves as a senior program officer at the Seattle Foundation. She previously founded South Sound Strategies, a consulting firm supporting grassroots organizations. She earned her bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of Washington and a master’s in public administration from Seattle University.
Also nominated was Cherryl Jackson-Williams, a community leader with over 30 years of experience in behavioral health, social services, and family and community engagement. Focused on unincorporated areas of the county, she has worked to build partnerships among youth, families, governments, nonprofits and the private sector. Jackson-Williams holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Tulsa and a master’s in counseling psychology from the New College of California.
