Dontae Derrell Payne is a US Army veteran and Olympia City Council member running for Mayor of Olympia. He has national experience as a staffer in the US House and currently works as a policy advisor for civil rights and racial justice in the office of the governor. He became the first Black man to serve on the Olympia City Council when he was elected in 2021.
Payne was first motivated to run for office because of the lack of representation of Black and brown people in city government. He says his experience as a gay, Black, former military member will bring the voice of marginalized people to the table. In his bid for mayor, his key concerns are housing affordability, reimagining public safety, a resilient economy, social equity and diverse representation, and climate mitigation.
In recent years, Payne has supported renters' rights legislation that capped move-in fees and required landlords to give more advanced notice of rent increases. He also advocated for community-based health care and sidewalk accessibility for people with disabilities. During his time, the city council additionally accepted the conclusions of the "Reimagining Public Safety" workgroup — a community-led effort to address the root causes of crime and make public safety truly equitable.
Payne has a nuanced opinion on defunding the police. Although he had a personal negative experience with a patrol officer and wants to get systemic racism out of policing, he sees the discussion of the budget as "a convenient distraction from white supremacy" when there is still a need for officers. He supports additional funding for body cameras, social services, and the city's crisis response unit.
Payne's challengers are Desiree Chantal Toliver and David Ross. Toliver is an aspiring nurse and self-identified Democratic Socialist who recently graduated with her associate's degree from Puget Sound Community College. She does not have any political experience and offers few specifics on her website as of mid-July. Ross is a typically conservative candidate whose platform is based on increasing policing and ineffective and harmful encampment sweeps.
Because of his extensive experience, proven track record, and dedication to racial justice, Payne is the best choice in this race.
Dontae Derrell Payne is a US Army veteran and Olympia City Council member running for Mayor of Olympia. He has national experience as a staffer in the US House and currently works as a policy advisor for civil rights and racial justice in the office of the governor. He became the first Black man to serve on the Olympia City Council when he was elected in 2021.
Payne was first motivated to run for office because of the lack of representation of Black and brown people in city government. He says his experience as a gay, Black, former military member will bring the voice of marginalized people to the table. In his bid for mayor, his key concerns are housing affordability, reimagining public safety, a resilient economy, social equity and diverse representation, and climate mitigation.
In recent years, Payne has supported renters' rights legislation that capped move-in fees and required landlords to give more advanced notice of rent increases. He also advocated for community-based health care and sidewalk accessibility for people with disabilities. During his time, the city council additionally accepted the conclusions of the "Reimagining Public Safety" workgroup — a community-led effort to address the root causes of crime and make public safety truly equitable.
Payne has a nuanced opinion on defunding the police. Although he had a personal negative experience with a patrol officer and wants to get systemic racism out of policing, he sees the discussion of the budget as "a convenient distraction from white supremacy" when there is still a need for officers. He supports additional funding for body cameras, social services, and the city's crisis response unit.
Payne's challengers are Desiree Chantal Toliver and David Ross. Toliver is an aspiring nurse and self-identified Democratic Socialist who recently graduated with her associate's degree from Puget Sound Community College. She does not have any political experience and offers few specifics on her website as of mid-July. Ross is a typically conservative candidate whose platform is based on increasing policing and ineffective and harmful encampment sweeps.
Because of his extensive experience, proven track record, and dedication to racial justice, Payne is the best choice in this race.