City of Auburn

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 Commissioner Dick Marzano is running to retain Port of Tacoma, Position 2. Marzano was first elected commissioner in 1995 and serves on the executive committee for the Puget Sound Regional Council. Before his career in public service, Marzano spent 52 years working in Tacoma as a longshoreman and was also the president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 23.

If re-elected, Marzano wants to continue prioritizing environmental protection and job creation. With his background as a longshoreman, Marzano knows that the two issues are connected and that those who live and work near the port are directly affected by its environmental impact. However, Marzano has not been supportive of protecting our communities from pollution from the proposed LNG facility. 

Also in this race is Jeannette Twitty. Twitty has a strong social justice focus, articulating her approach to port responsibilities through the lenses of workers’ rights, equity, and environmental stewardship. If elected, Twitty wants to promote living wage job creation, economic development, environmental health, marine trade through land acquisition, and partnerships with local organizations.

Firefighter and veteran Brian Duthie is running for Port of Tacoma, Position 4. Duthie is a community leader who also serves on the board of Washington State Council of Firefighters Burn Foundation. He is a solid Democrat who has opposed Republican candidates in prior races with the support of progressive organizations.

Duthie is running to bring progressive values like workers’ rights, environmental stewardship, and community-focused economic investments to the port. Specifically, he wants to advance sustainable infrastructure, care for the local ecosystem and curtail pollution, expand living-wage union jobs, and make the port a destination. If elected, Duthie will make sure that the decisions made by the port will be in the best interest of everyone who lives and works nearby.

In this crowded race, Duthie is the best choice to bring a strong, progressive voice to the port, and he deserves your vote for Port of Tacoma, Position 4.

Running for Auburn City Council, Position 4 is Hanan Amer, a chemist for an aerospace company. Amer has been volunteering locally for years, including at food banks, the White River Valley Museum, the Auburn and Muckleshoot libraries, and with the police department. She has also volunteered as a tax preparer for United Way of King County in the Auburn and Kent areas. Amer is endorsed by Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus and the 47th Legislative District Democrats and is running to make sure everyone can feel empowered and engaged in their communities. 

Her opponents in this race are incumbent Councilmember Yolanda Trout and Andrea Niemeyer. Trout has been on the city council for seven years and previously served as the vice-chair of the local Domestic Violence Initiative Regional Task Force from 2014 to 2016 and on Auburn’s Planning Commission from 2010 to 2013. She does not have a campaign website as of mid-July but her re-election platform includes supporting Auburn’s businesses, affordable housing, social justice, and economic growth. Unfortunately, Trout has taken a couple of bad votes including opposing the B&O tax, which would help the city avoid a revenue crisis by 2023, and opposing hazard pay for grocery store workers in the pandemic.

The last candidate, Niemeyer, has not submitted an official voters' guide statement and does not have any campaign information available as of mid-July.

Hanan Amer is the best choice for Position 4 on the Auburn City Council.