City of Federal Way

King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci has served District 6 (Bellevue and East King County) since 2015. She began her career as a public interest lawyer fighting for women and LGBTQ+ people. She was a neighborhood organizer who went on to serve on the Bellevue City Council, including for a term as mayor. Balducci has served as chair of the county council and serves as vice chair of the Sound Transit Board of Directors, where she successfully advocated for an early opening of the "starter line" in East King County.

In her nearly two decades of public service, Balducci has prioritized progressive solutions to the issues facing our region, including improving transportation options, promoting affordable housing, enhancing community safety, addressing climate action, and supporting arts and culture. Her track record is strong in all of these areas, including an arts levy to invest in science, heritage, arts, and cultural organizations, as well as legislation to keep “forever chemicals” out of our local environment. She was a tenacious advocate for the East Link light rail and the 10-station, 14-mile expansion plan slated for completion in early 2026.

Balducci is running for the executive position with a vision of an inclusive, vibrant, and climate-friendly county where all residents can thrive. She emphasizes her track record of effective leadership at the city and county levels that has delivered results for her communities. As a bus and bike commuter, Balducci is an avid supporter of expanding transit options, particularly light rail and bus routes. Additionally, she is an advocate for transit-oriented housing as a means of improving affordability, as well as cutting red tape to expedite the construction of badly needed housing in our region. Furthermore, she has outlined thoughtful plans to reduce gun violence, expand mental health and addiction treatment services, and youth prevention programs.

Maya Vengadasalam is running for King County Council, District 7. She served on the Kent School Board for 8 years and worked as a consultant in government finance training. She also identifies as a housing advocate who worked to improve the effectiveness of housing programs and reduce homelessness.

Vengadasalam is running a relatively progressive campaign, with a focus on transparency, housing, and education. Vengadasalam offers her vision through the lens of equity and uplifting communities of color. However, her solutions come across as vague, particularly in expanding affordable housing and advancing education and safety. We would like to see her approach expanded upon further to include more specific progressive solutions, such as increased density, transitional housing with wrap-around services on-site, and educational protections.

Due to her experience and professional background, we recommend voting for Maya Vengadasalam for King County Council, District 7.

Incumbent Commissioner Ryan Calkins is running unopposed for re-election for Port of Seattle, Commissioner Position 1, where he has served since 2017. He works for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory as an advisor on offshore wind and maritime infrastructure. Previously, Calkins also ran a successful import and distribution company and started a local nonprofit focused on supporting small business entrepreneurship. His background in business, maritime infrastructure, and public service makes him a highly qualified voice on the commission.

The Port of Seattle oversees public assets in travel, trade, and commerce for the region. Over the last eight years, Calkins has helped push the commission in a more progressive direction. He advocates for equity, sustainability, and prosperity to port leadership, and he has supported measures to protect our port’s local ecosystem, fight for workers’ rights, and improve local immigration policy. Calkins is campaigning on a platform that emphasizes environmental justice, sustainable economic development, and creating living-wage jobs

Ryan Calkins deserves your vote for another term in Position 1 on the Seattle Port Commission.

Incumbent Hamdi Mohamed is running unopposed for re-election for Commissioner Position 3 on the Port of Seattle. Mohamed was first elected to the position in 2021 on a visionary progressive platform, making her the first Black woman to serve on the commission. Mohamed’s mother worked for the airport when her family first settled in SeaTac as Somali refugees – an upbringing that has deepened her knowledge of the port’s community importance. She is the department director for Seattle’s Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs and previously worked as a policy advisor for the King County Office of Equity and Social Justice. She is currently the only commissioner who resides in South King County.

Mohamed is a leader in people-focused policy, taking seriously the real impact of port commission decisions on the local community, ecosystem, and economy. On the commission, she has prioritized economic development to create good-paying local jobs, support workers’ rights, and help small businesses flourish. She has also been a strong voice for addressing airport noise disruptions, reducing port pollution that impacts the South King County communities, and promoting renewable energy solutions.

We recommend Hamdi Mohamed for another term as Port of Seattle Commissioner, Position 3, to continue bringing strong, progressive leadership to the to the region.

Commission president Toshiko Grace Hasegawa is running unopposed for re-election to Commissioner Position 4 on the Port of Seattle. Hasegawa was first elected to the position in 2021, becoming one of the first women of color to serve on the commission, alongside her colleague Hamdi Mohamed. Hasegawa is the former executive director of the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA), an advocacy organization that advises government agencies on issues affecting Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. She currently serves on the boards of Densho and the Seattle chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League, both organizations that uplift the city’s Japanese American community.

On the commission, Hasegawa has been a voice for community empowerment, equitable prosperity, and regional sustainability. She was a critical advocate protecting North SeaTac Park, led efforts to increase childcare and health care for airport employees, helped set ambitious goals to decarbonize the cruise industry, and expanded the South King County Community Impact Fund. If re–elected, Hasegawa will continue her tireless work to fight for clean water and air, strong workers' protections, and economic development that benefits local communities first in her progressive vision for the commission.

We recommend Hasegawa for a second term on the Seattle Port Commission.

Nathan Orth is running for Federal Way City Council, Position 2. According to his website, Orth worked at a logistics company for over 20 years and currently lives in Federal Way with his family.

Orth is running a relatively progressive campaign focused on the economy, cannabis, public safety, housing, and transportation. While some of his issue areas lack focus, he does propose some progressive solutions, such as transit-oriented housing, increasing density, and re-evaluating the root causes of crime to help deter it from the community.

While we would like to see his campaign a bit more focused and detailed, Nathan Orth seems to be on the right track to implement more progressive solutions than his conservative-leaning opponent. In this low-information race, we recommend voting for Nathan Orth for Federal Way City Council, Position 2.

Tammy Dziak is running for Federal Way City Council, Position 4. Dziak is a community advocate with over 40 years of experience in health care and senior services. She is the CEO of Affinity Senior Transitions, which helps "seniors navigate life transitions with dignity and respect."

Dziak outlines a series of priorities she wishes to address, if elected. Her focus on public safety includes better training for police officers to implement de-escalation techniques and for crisis response teams to assist in complex situations. Dziak also wants to mirror proven programs from around the country to address homelessness. However, she does not identify any specific programs. With her background in health and senior services, Dziak also outlined plans for youth development and senior support, including the development of youth and senior centers.

While we would like to see Tammy Dziak's platform include more specifics, she is the clear progressive choice in the race for Federal Way City Council, Position 4.

Les Sessoms is challenging incumbent Jack Dovey for Federal Way City Council, Position 6. Sessoms is a higher education professional with experience in recruitment and retention for diverse college-bound youth. He is a graduate of the University of Washington and Chapman University, with degrees in Political Science and Organizational Leadership.

From his professional experience, it is clear that Sessoms leads with a lens of compassion and equity. He is a champion for diversity initiatives, especially for students. He helped create programming for college-bound youth and proposed youth engagement initiatives for career development. As a regular transit user, he advocates for improving public transportation options, particularly for the city's most vulnerable residents. Additionally, he acknowledges the housing shortage facing the city, proposing sustainable solutions to address the issue and improve the supply. He is a proponent of increasing a diverse supply of houses, such as duplexes and triplexes, through zoning reforms that can streamline the process and allow developers to build more efficiently. Throughout his campaign, Sessoms approaches the issues facing Federal Way holistically, advocating for transit-oriented housing, supporting minority-owned businesses, and mitigating the effects of climate change.

Les Sessoms is by far the most progressive candidate in this race and would bring a fresh, compassionate, and inclusive perspective. He deserves your vote to serve on the Federal Way City Council, Position 6.