City of Des Moines

Sen. Joe Nguyen was elected to the Washington state Senate in 2018 and has worked as a senior program manager at Microsoft since 2013. His parents were refugees from Vietnam who came to White Center, where Nguyen was born and raised.

During Nguyen's time in the Legislature, he has been an advocate for Washington's families and equality, including playing a leadership role in fully funding the Working Families Tax Credit. In addition, he co-sponsored legislation to require anti-racism and equity training in public schools.

Nguyen is running for county executive to implement sweeping actions on the affordable housing crisis, to reform the criminal justice system with deep changes and accountability, and to make the state's economy work for everyone, not just the wealthiest people. In particular, Nguyen has proposed to make all transit services free to improve access and increase ridership. He also wants to leverage the new Regional Homelessness Authority to significantly scale up the building of affordable housing.

Nguyen has the support of elected leaders including state Reps. Kirsten Harris-Talley and David Hackney as well as state Sen. Bob Hasegawa and Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti. Nguyen is a progressive choice if you're looking for new leadership in the executive's office who will prioritize racial justice and systemic change.

Incumbent Dave Upthegrove is running to bring his tri-part vision of King County to reality: health, jobs, and justice. He was the first openly gay state representative from outside Seattle in Washington history, and he went on to serve five terms in the Legislature before being elected to the King County Council in 2013.

Upthegrove has been a good council member and a solid advocate on several fronts in the county. He has been a leading voice on the council for environmental protections and climate action. As the chair of the King County Flood Control District Board of Supervisors, Upthegrove has worked to repair estuaries and has increased funding for repairing salmon habitats. 

If re-elected, Upthegrove hopes to continue making progress on police accountability by strengthening civilian oversight of the sheriff's office. Overall, Upthegrove has been a reliable vote on many issues but has not been as ambitious on some priorities as Olow plans to be. In particular, he frustrated housing and human service advocates with his opposition to a more ambitious Vets, Seniors, and Human Services Levy in 2017. During our interview, he said he has learned in recent years the value of year-round public engagement, instead of just before a major vote, and this community input has made him more willing to support tax increases if they fund valuable services. He has earned support from both labor and environmental groups in this race.

Harry Steinmetz is running unopposed for Des Moines City Council, Position 1. Steinmetz has worked in the King County Prosecutor’s office, as a city prosecutor for the city of Olympia, and as a staff attorney for the Washington state Senate Judiciary Committee, among other positions. He also directed government relations for the Washington Association for Housing and Services for the Aging, advocating for not-for-profit senior housing. Steinmetz's campaign platform includes bringing more parking to the area and developing downtown and the marina.

Incumbent Traci Buxton is running for re-election to Des Moines City Council, Position 5. Buxton has been a council member since 2018 and has worked on several committees including the Economic Development Committee, the Municipal Facilities Committee, and as the chair of the Environment Committee. Outside of the city council, she works in property management.

Buxton’s campaign priorities include the environment, community safety, and making Des Moines a destination city. She has proven her commitment to environmental issues through promoting the Green Cities Partnership and Urban Forestry Fund in her role on the council. If re-elected, Buxton wants to create more public green spaces and continue building partnerships on environmental issues. She is also an advocate for police reform through policies like de-escalation training, mandatory body cameras, and adopting the 8-Can’t-Wait reform steps.

Also running for Position 5 is Tad Doviak, a Des Moines resident who works in IT. Doviak is involved in the community through his positions as a block watch captain and a member of the Des Moines Police Foundation board of directors. He claims to have a strong interest in the issue of public safety but doesn't elaborate on potential policies or accountability measures. Doviak does not have a campaign website as of late September.

Buxton's support for investments in affordable housing and growing the state's transit system make her a better choice for Des Moines City Council, Position 5. If re-elected, we hope to see her use her position to prioritize fighting the climate crisis and make Des Moines a member of King County Cities Climate Collaboration.

Soleil Lewis is a special education teacher and community leader running for Des Moines City Council, Position 7. Her campaign priorities include increasing government transparency, promoting civic engagement and education, expanding employment opportunities for youth, and improving neighborhood infrastructure. She wants to see the city expand online access to public meetings and improve language resources, alongside greater participation by the city in regional government.

If elected, Lewis also wants to create an airport committee, which would evaluate the impact of the Sea-Tac Airport on Des Moines residents. Additionally, Lewis works with Seattle King County and Vancouver NAACP on issues of diversity and inclusion and is excited to represent new voices on the city council as an African- and Haitian-American woman.

Lewis is challenging incumbent council member and deputy mayor Matt Mahoney. First elected in 2017, Mahoney has worked on a number of council committees including Municipal Facilities, Public Safety/Emergency Management, and Transportation. He is running for re-election on a more conservative platform of increased development and funding for law enforcement.

We recommend Lewis for Position 7 because of her progressive values and strong support from our partners and local leaders.