City of Federal Way

John Wilson, the current King County Assessor, is running for King County Executive. During his campaign, Wilson stated that he would fight for "safe and thriving communities," citing his experience as King County Assessor.

In 2025, Wilson was accused of stalking and harassment by a former domestic partner. This was an alarming and serious allegation, which led to the current King County Council calling for Wilson's resignation. He continues to deny the allegations and has rejected calls for him to resign as Assessor. John Wilson is not fit to be King County Executive. Wilson withdrew from this race in mid-July but will still appear on the ballot.

Amiya Ingram is also running for King County Executive. Ingram has worn many hats professionally, from serving as a government military researcher to founding her own athleisure brand. While Ingram's campaign includes some progressive ideas, it also features other proposals that lean more moderate or conservative. She is a proponent of establishing more housing shelters that offer wrap-around services to address the housing crisis and help those struggling with addiction.

Rebecca Williamson is also running for King County Executive. Williamson's campaign website is linked to The Militant, which is a weekly socialist newsletter. As of early July, they do not have a detailed campaign website available, and their platform is unknown.

Bill Hirt is running for King County Executive. Hirt has run for various offices around Washington state, primarily to criticize light rail. Bill Hirt is not a serious candidate for King County Executive.

Don L. Rivers is the final candidate running for King County Executive. Rivers is prioritizing homelessness, safety, and small business support. He proposes some progressive solutions, such as housing-first programming and investments in affordable housing. His approach to public safety also includes public health measures and points to international models of community policing. Don L. Rivers is running a progressive campaign, however, there are other candidates in this race with more experience in public service.

Pahaliyah Brown is running for King County Council, District 7. According to his website, he is a graduate of the University of Washington and has experience in public service, environmental policy, and community leadership.

Brown is running a progressive campaign, with a primary focus on environmental issues. He is a proponent of clean policies, including reducing waste and protecting natural resources. Brown would also like to improve street safety through enhanced lighting, better sidewalks, and increased access to reliable transit options. Additionally, he would like to make King County friendlier to small and local businesses.

While we appreciate his progressive values, we would like to see more concrete policy proposals or suggestions from Brown. We lean towards voting for Maya Vengadasalam for King County Council, District 7, due to her relative experience.

Incumbent Pete Von Reichbauer is running for his ninth term on the King County Council in District 7, which covers South King County. Reichbauer is a conservative voice on the council and has not led community progress in his more than three decades of leadership. Before that, he served two decades in the state Senate, where he was also a proponent of right-leaning policy.

On the council, Reichbauer has focused on improving and expanding public space, including projects such as the Hylebos Wetlands, the South King County Baseball fields, and the 317th HOV ramps on Interstate 5. Last year, he and Republican Reagan Dunn were the only council members to vote against a commonsense effort to raise the regional minimum wage to better align with the higher cost of living and modern inflation. Reichbauer has not yet published his current campaign goals, but he is likely to continue implementing a conservative agenda if re-elected.

It’s time for new leadership in District 7. We recommend Maya Vengadasalam due to her experience in public service.

Three other candidates are running for Mayor of Federal Way: incumbent Jim Ferrell, Susan Honda, and Chris D. Chung.

Jim Ferrell is a three-time member of the Federal Way City Council and was a prosecutor in Renton before later becoming a King County senior deputy prosecutor. Ferrell has been a conservative figure in Federal Way for over a decade, with crime and heavy policing at the forefront of his work. Ferrell appeared at a press conference with Seattle Police Officer Guild leader Mike Solan, who is known for defending the Seattle officers who participated in the January 6th insurrection. During Ferrell's time as mayor, the Federal Way Police Department had multiple instances of officers using excessive force and behaving inappropriately, including a controversial video posted by an officer that made national news in 2022.

In response to a shooting that left a 2-year-old boy dead, Ferrell hired more police officers, rather than implement gun safety tactics. In 2024, Ferrell touted a 400% increase in drug arrests and said that "change in behavior starts with getting people into treatment via the justice system." While one of his priorities is improving "quality of life" in Federal Way, he boasted the efforts of the Special Operations Unit to "dismantle unlawful encampments" and has made no mention of addressing the affordable housing crisis.

Susan Honda was the Deputy Mayor of Federal Way before the position was eliminated in 2024. First elected in 2011, Honda has spent her time on the council focusing on criminalizing homelessness by banning the use of shopping carts on sidewalks, which will cost taxpayers $250,000 annually. It does not solve the underlying causes of homelessness and unnecessarily punishes the poor by subjecting them to a $50 fine. In 2023, the 30th LD Republicans endorsed Honda for Federal Way City Council, which is indicative of her voting record and priorities on the council.

Chris D. Chung previously ran in 2024 as a Democrat for Insurance Commissioner but lost in the primary. He has not released a campaign platform as of late June.

Saudia Abdullah is the clear progressive choice for Mayor of Federal Way.

Two other candidates running in this race: Martin Moore and Paul McDaniel.

Martin Moore is a conservative candidate who previously served on the Federal Way Council from 2013 to 2021 and ran to represent the 30th District in the State House of Representatives. Moore's current campaign is prioritizing public safety and homelessness. He strongly supports hiring more police officers as a response to public safety, while making no mention of harm reduction or accountability. Additionally, the language he uses around the unhoused population and public encampments insinuates that they are inherently dangerous and a threat to public safety. While he proposes permanent supportive and transitional housing options, he strongly opposes encampments in Federal Way.

A questionnaire that Moore filled out in 2020 indicated some problematic opinions of his. In the questionnaire, Moore shared his opposition to increased gun restrictions for public safety, and comprehensive sex education programs in schools that steer away from abstinence-only curricula. Moore is not a progressive choice in this race.

Also in this race is incumbent Paul McDaniel, who was first appointed to the position in June, 2023. He is a military veteran, wrestling coach, and a small business owner. McDaniel is running a conservative campaign and even sought the GOP nomination in his 2022 run for a South King County seat. His campaign includes being pro-school choice and advocates for parents to be more involved in the books their children read. He is also fighting for increased policing and "unhandcuffing our law enforcement."

Paul McDaniel is too conservative to represent Federal Way. We lean towards voting for Nathan Orth for Federal Way City Council, Position 2.