By Aneesa Grant, The Seattle Medium
Rob Saka, a community advocate, father, and attorney, has announced his bid for Seattle City Council District 1. Despite overcoming a traumatic childhood and poverty to become a successful lawyer and policy advocate, Saka remains committed to public service and working towards solutions for pressing issues like public safety, homelessness and affordable housing.
The son of a Nigerian immigrant and former warehouse worker, Saka, who rose through the ranks of the U.S. Air Force and earned his college and law degrees under the G.I. Bill, aims to prioritize the interests of District 1 residents and promote collaboration to achieve effective results. Saka’s credentials include serving on the once-per-decade King County Charter Commission and on the nonpartisan King County Council Districting Committee.
“I am running to serve the people of District 1 with their best interests in mind first,” said Saka. “I’m also running to work on real solutions to issues like public safety and homelessness, rather than play politics. At City Hall, I want to normalize collaborating across differences, finding common ground, and ultimately getting bold things accomplished that work for all of us.”
In 2018, King County Executive Dow Constantine appointed Saka to serve on the County’s Charter Commission where he helped champion and pass several voter-approved ballot measures to reform our justice system and protect workers. In 2021, the King County Council appointed Saka to the nonpartisan Districting Committee that was tasked with redrawing King County Council districts using Census data. In 2022, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell appointed Saka to serve on the Seattle Police Chief Search Committee, which was responsible for helping to select Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz as the permanent chief of police.
Councilmember Girmay Zahilay said, “I’ve known Rob for a long time and he has always impressed me with his commitment to justice and fighting for his community. Rob was integral to our efforts to reform the county charter to advance public safety reforms, and I know he will be an excellent representative for District 1. I am proud to endorse him, and look forward to supporting him and his campaign.”
Saka is endorsed by several community leaders, including Seattle Port Commissioner Ryan Calkins and former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice.
“I am fortunate to have exposure to many candidates for public service. Rob brings a combination of humility, authenticity, and passion that I have not seen often. His tendency to approach issues with a thoughtfulness layered with deep compassion for the community is something I applaud. He listens, digests and responds to concerns in a reflective way that will serve him well and I am excited to see his leadership on the council,” said Carla Rogers, immediate past Chair of the 34th District Democrats.
“The people of Seattle and District 1 are fed up with well-intended policy ideas that don’t actually make progress on the urgent issues we’re facing,” said Saka. “We need an accountable, responsive government willing to center equity, progressive values, and common sense. I bring 20+ years of experience collaborating across differences, finding common ground, and achieving results that work. We need this kind of collaborative, solutions-oriented approach in City Hall now more than ever, and I couldn’t be more energized at the opportunity we have to pave a better way forward for our city together.”
