City of Kent

Federal Way Councilmember Lydia Assefa-Dawson is running for King County Council in District 7. Assefa-Dawson is a family self sufficiency coordinator at King County Housing Authority and a financial educator at the YMCA for survivors of domestic violence. She was the first person of African descent to serve on the Federal Way City Council and is a strong community leader in roles such as the co-chair of the Regional Law, Safety and Justice Committee and the vice president of the Ethiopian Community Center.

Assefa-Dawson brings a strong record of progressive advocacy to this campaign. Her priorities include affordable housing, a living wage, criminal justice reform, and social equity and inclusivity work. Assefa-Dawson’s policy priorities are in the effort to bring economic stability and reliable government services to King County residents.

Also in this race is incumbent Republican Pete Von Reichbauer, who has held the District 7 seat on the council for 28 years. Reichbauer has remained a conservative voice on the council and mostly focuses on issues of public spaces such as the construction of the Federal Way Transit Center and the recent Hylebos Wetlands protection project.

There are two other candidates in this race. Dominique Torgerson is a brewery owner with a limited campaign platform. She is primarily criticizing business and zoning regulations and doesn't address most of the important issues faced by the communities in King County. Saudia Abdullah is the Community Corrections Division director for King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention. Her campaign priorities include economic recovery, education, and community safety, which for Abdullah, unfortunately, does not involve meaningful police reform.

Lydia Assefa-Dawson is the most progressive candidate in this race and is a good fit to represent District 7 on the King County Council.

Incumbent Brenda Fincher is running for re-election to Kent City Council, Position 6 to continue her work on economic recovery and affordable housing. Fincher has served on the council since 2014, and in that time has voted to approve funds for youth mental health and supported community discussion on providing a mental health co-response model to law enforcement. She states that if re-elected, she will build on current renter protections, advocate for businesses owned by people of color, and work to ensure that housing stays affordable for working families.

She is running against Larry Hussey and Bradley Cairnes. Hussey does not have a campaign website available as of mid-July, but his candidate announcement states that the city needs more motels and less 5G, and that he is anti-marijuana. Similarly, Cairnes is running a conspiracy-filled campaign and does not have a policy agenda.

Fincher is the best choice in this race.

Dustin Lambro, president of the King County Labor Council and political director for Teamsters Local 117, is running to be Public Hospital District No. 1, Commissioner 2. Lambro has extensive community leadership experience and is a staunch workers’ rights advocate. He is running to restore final decision authority to the hospital commissioners elected by voters instead of trustees selected by the University of Washington. Lambro wants to make sure that the community has a voice in the governance of its hospital system and health care.

Lambro is facing incumbent commissioner Jim Griggs, who currently serves as the president of the Board of Commissioners as well as the chair of the Finance & Audit Committee. Griggs formerly worked as an audit manager for the Washington State Auditor’s Office, and he is a certified public accountant. In this campaign, Griggs has pointed to his military background to demonstrate his ability to provide effective oversight as commissioner.

The third challenger in this race is Reyna Maria Kaut who provided no information in the King County Voters' Guide and has no campaign presence.

With his demonstrated progressive values and experience organizing for the public good, Dustin Lambro is the best choice for Public Hospital District 1, Commissioner District 2.

Monique Taylor-Swan is running for King County Hospital District 1, Commissioner Position 4. Taylor-Swan is a community leader who serves as a board member of the Caregivers Union SEIU 775 and a member of the Renton Inclusion Task Force. She currently works as a home care aid with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services.

Taylor-Swan is running for commissioner in order to work towards more accessible, quality care in Renton. She wants to focus on proper staffing and making pay more equitable between the highest-paid executives and underpaid nurses and staff. If elected, Taylor-Swan will use an inclusion and equity lens to make sure that everyone who needs it can access culturally competent care at Valley Medical Center.

Taylor-Swan faces several candidates in this race, including incumbent commissioner Lawton Montgomery, who first assumed the role after being elected in 2015. Montgomery also works as a captain with the Kent Regional Fire Authority. In this race, he has not shared any campaign priorities and does not have a notable presence.

There are four more candidates in this race. Winter Cashman is a software engineer and technology consultant who serves as the founder and president of the Renton LGBTQIA+ Community group. Cashman has progressive priorities in this race and has earned the endorsements of some local Democratic groups. Katie Bachand is a birth and postpartum doula who is also hoping to serve as a hospital commissioner. Like most of her challengers, Bachand is running to restore decision power to the elected commissioner seat, as opposed to this power sitting with University of Washington-appointed trustees. Max J. Heller III is a ramp service worker and Democratic precinct committee officer who wants to fix equity and staffing problems at the hospital but lacks clear policy recommendations or experience. Finally, real estate broker Parminder Bhatti is running with a vague platform to fix the health care industry.

In this crowded race, we recommend Monique Taylor-Swan because of her direct background in health care and her clear, progressive vision for the role.