As Seattle voters prepare to cast their ballots in the upcoming primary election, The Seattle Medium is highlighting several candidates we believe deserve serious consideration. These individuals bring a mix of experience, community-centered leadership, and bold ideas to address the city and region’s most pressing challenges.
Ericka Evans for Seattle City Attorney
Ericka Evans brings unmatched legal expertise and a lifelong commitment to justice to her campaign for Seattle City Attorney. She most recently served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Seattle, prosecuting cases involving violent crime, narcotics and firearms trafficking, wage theft, and hate crimes. Her career began in the Seattle City Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted misdemeanor crimes and represented the city in complex civil litigation. Evans has also served as a municipal court pro tempore judge, presiding over criminal cases and gaining a firsthand understanding of how courtroom decisions impact lives.
Evans has pledged to strengthen the City Attorney’s role in public safety while rebuilding community trust. Her plan includes addressing misdemeanor-level crimes more effectively, collaborating with regional and federal partners to tackle serious offenses, and embracing harm reduction strategies to address the fentanyl crisis. She sees the office not just as a prosecutorial body, but as an essential partner in crime prevention and community health.
Her dedication to service and equity runs deep. Raised in Tacoma by a family steeped in civil rights activism, Evans grew up influenced by her grandmother, a human rights organizer, and her grandfather, Olympic gold medalist Lee Evans, who famously raised his fist at the 1968 Games in a call for racial justice. “Those values—learning how to stand up for people—taught me how critical it is to protect underserved and historically excluded communities,” she has said.
This legacy has guided every step of her career, from volunteering in legal aid clinics during college to representing victims of wage theft and prosecuting hate crimes. Her vision for the City Attorney’s Office blends accountability with fairness, aiming to create safer neighborhoods while safeguarding civil rights and democratic values. In a moment when Seattle is grappling with concerns about safety and governance, Evans offers both the experience and the perspective needed to restore confidence in city leadership.
Girmay Zahilay for King County Executive
Girmay Zahilay has proven himself as a results-driven leader who can deliver on critical issues like public safety, housing, and healthcare. On the King County Council, he spearheaded the creation of five Crisis Care Centers, launched a $2 million community-based gun violence prevention program, and passed reforms to strengthen oversight and accountability in law enforcement.
He has also tackled the region’s affordability crisis head-on. Zahilay championed the Regional Workforce Housing Initiative, securing $1 billion for publicly owned, rent-restricted housing for essential workers, and launched a Guaranteed Basic Income pilot providing $1,000 per month to low-income families. His focus on housing, tenant protections, and economic stability reflects his commitment to making King County livable for everyone.
Zahilay’s track record shows that he is both visionary and pragmatic, able to unite diverse coalitions and advance policies that deliver tangible results. His leadership on public health, gun violence prevention, and housing positions him as a strong candidate to lead King County through its most urgent challenges.
Adonis Ducksworth for Seattle City Council
Adonis Ducksworth offers deep ties to Southeast Seattle, professional expertise in transportation policy, and a record of community advocacy. He has worked on citywide initiatives such as the transportation levy while mentoring youth and championing local projects like the Rainier Beach skatepark.
Ducksworth’s priorities include reducing gun violence through prevention programs, expanding affordable housing, addressing homelessness with urgency, and improving transit and street safety in neighborhoods like Rainier Avenue and MLK. With roots in Beacon Hill and a young family in Rainier Beach, he brings both lived experience and policy know-how to his campaign.
Ray Rogers for Seattle City Council
Ray Rogers’ candidacy is defined by resilience and grassroots leadership. Having overcome homelessness, addiction, and incarceration, Rogers has spent two decades helping others through his nonprofit, Circle of Love Outreach, which supports people facing addiction, violence, and homelessness.
Rogers emphasizes practical solutions: fully staffing a community-centered police department, moving people from tents into housing with urgency and compassion, and investing in youth programs, mental health services, and small business support. His lived experience and hands-on leadership offer a grounded, people-first approach to governance.
Dionne Foster for Seattle City Council
Dionne Foster combines personal experience with policy expertise. Raised by a single mother and working multiple jobs through high school and college, she went on to earn a master’s in social work, later serving as a city policy analyst, nonprofit leader, and educator.
Her priorities focus on affordable housing, equitable development, behavioral health, and accountable public safety. Foster’s career demonstrates her ability to navigate complex policy issues while staying rooted in the real-life challenges faced by working families. Her mix of lived experience and professional skill makes her a compelling candidate for City Council.
