SPEAK OUT SEATTLE is a diverse, non-partisan group of concerned residents and voters united by one goal: We all want a more compassionate, accountable, transparent government that uses evidence-based solutions and gets better outcomes for everyone in Seattle. We are volunteers who want Seattle to remain a livable big city that respects its greenspaces and is safe and welcoming to everyone. Our focus is on the interconnected issues of homelessness, addiction, and public safety.
Elections 2021
There are real opportunities for change at the ballot box. Two at-large council seats, the mayor and city attorney positions are all on the upcoming ballot. Our city has been experiencing a dramatic increase in crime including homicides, shootings, assaults, robbery, property crime. We have suffered the closures and sales of heritage Seattle businesses such as Bartell’s, Macy’s, Columbia Sportswear, and over 450 other businesses downtown due to the destruction of property, out-of-control shoplifting, and repeated assaults on employees. Yet, there are incumbents and candidates who are crying to defund our police. Is Seattle ready to vote for candidates who better represent our community’s public safety interests?
We have seen an increase in homeless persons camping on our sidewalks, parks, and open spaces despite ever-increasing amounts of tax dollars given to homeless service agencies. Are Seattle voters ready to vote for candidates who will require accountability from social service providers receiving tax dollars?
Sadly, we have also seen the number of overdose deaths in our city skyrocket along with soaring rates of addiction to heroin, methamphetamines, and other drugs. This has been both fueled and enabled by harm-increasing policies of our elected officials and tax-funded community agencies. The level of harm and chaos in our city due to drugs is unprecedented. Yet, despite so many lives being lost our elected leaders still have not fought to create adequate options for detox, treatment, and recovery support for those in need. Just the opposite. Numerous elected persons have called for opening taxpayer-funded drug consumption sites which have been proven to have low rates of referral to recovery and increased rates of addiction, drug dealing, and chaos in the surrounding community. Is Seattle ready to vote in leaders who will promote a recovery model for those struggling with addiction?
In this election cycle, there are even candidates who are proposing to decriminalize all drugs, stop prosecution for many crimes, and defund our police. It is shocking to many, but the reality is these candidates want to increase chaos in our city and “smash the system” in order to further their agendas. Will Seattle residents educate themselves on the actions and policies of each candidate and vote for those who want to make Seattle a better, safer, and more welcoming place for all residents?
This guide is a tool Speak Out Seattle (SOS) developed to help voters choose candidates that we expect to effectively lead the City to improve public safety, address addiction, and reduce homelessness in a compassionate yet socially responsible manner. We strongly encourage voters to remain engaged in the civic process, to gather additional information about each candidate in order to inform and guide their voting choices.
A useful aid for additional information on each candidate is the outstanding new website, www.purplely.org, which was created by a community member.
We encourage you to share the SOS Voters’ guide with your family, friends, and neighbors. We also encourage you to consider inviting them to join our SOS community so that our combined voices can positively influence our city’s elected leaders.
Note that the following paragraphs are meant to serve as brief intros to the candidates, not to reflect the depth and breadth of our rating criteria. We hope our carefully considered rankings provide a strong jumpstart in distinguishing the best possibilities for Seattle. Look for your ballot in the mail and vote by August 3rd.
Our Cheat Sheet
Our Candidate Ratings
Seattle Mayor
The SOS Election Committee Rated the following four candidates as Qualified for Mayor (alphabetically by first name)
Art Langlie is SOS Members’ Choice for Mayor
Art has demonstrated the most consistent history of committed positive civic leadership in Seattle among current candidates. He has provided effective and compassionate leadership addressing homelessness with direct service on the board of the Salvation Army. He provides a concise and realistic plan to address our homeless crisis as the emergency it is with a purposeful concentration on addiction and mental health service needs. He has demonstrated experience as a lifelong Seattle resident, business owner, and employer, recognizing the importance of public safety in keeping Seattle a vibrant and safe city for all residents. Read more about Art Langlie in the Seattle Times: Art Langlie, grandson of former Seattle mayor and governor, announces mayoral run | The Seattle Times
Bruce Harrell – Endorsed by the Seattle Times, a lifelong Seattle resident with a solid history of positive community service. Advocate for police reform before it became popular. Criticized for tepid leadership during tenure with city council but vowing to be a bolder stronger leader if elected mayor. Harrell has a vast knowledge of Seattle politics.
Casey Sixkiller is an experienced leader, having served as chief operating officer of King County and currently as deputy mayor of Seattle. Has demonstrated courage rarely seen in Seattle by directing city resources to clear and clean up parks, neighborhoods, and sidewalks which had become obstructed. Has a plan to support police along with increased accountability.
Lance Randall received the second-most number of votes from Speak Out Seattle members. Demonstrated leadership in strengthening the South Seattle community economically and socially with improvements to public safety. Voices strong commitment to addressing homelessness using a cooperative approach involving partnerships of the city, faith, and community-based organizations.
Seattle City Attorney
Ann Davison is SOS Members’ Choice and has been Endorsed by the Seattle Times
Ann has demonstrated a commitment to integrity and a lifetime of community service. She rates far superior to the other candidates in her proposed plans to prioritize public safety using the resources of the City Attorney role and working to provide representation for all of Seattle’s residents.
“In Pete Holmes’ three terms as city attorney, he has failed Seattle on multiple fronts. Voters should replace him with Ann Davison, the only candidate who understands that the office should take a stronger role in helping restore Seattle’s safety for all.” The Seattle Times Editorial Board
The following two candidates are rated as Not Qualified for City Attorney
Pete Holmes – The incumbent city attorney has demonstrated a dereliction of duty in his role. Has failed to appropriately direct city resources and programs under his control to preserve public safety. He has failed his duty to prosecute crimes and has undermined attempts to hold dangerous criminals accountable to our city’s laws. His actions have resulted in an alarming increase in crime and harm to our city’s residents. Assaults, homicides, shoplifting, property crimes, rates of addiction, open-air drug use, deaths by overdose, destruction, and vandalizing of public spaces have all increased in our city due to the failure of this candidate to honor the Seattle City Charter to place public safety as the number one priority of city government.
Nicole Thomas-Kennedy is a candidate who is publicly proposing to defund the police, decriminalize all drugs, decriminalize prostitution, and stop the prosecution of many crimes the lack of awareness of social responsibility is appalling. If such virtue signaling was enacted into policy the resulting harm to city residents would be disastrous. This candidate is rated at the lowest possible level.
Seattle City Council city-wide position 8
Kate Martin is SOS Members’ Choice for Seattle City Council Position 8
Kate is by far the most intelligent and articulate candidate running for District 8. She exhibits a firm grasp of the problems currently challenging our city as well as their contributing causes. She voices well-reasoned options for positive and effective change by meeting the individualized needs of homeless persons, addressing root causes, advocating for expanded access to addiction and mental health treatment while also calling for the much-needed increase in accountability of taxpayer-funded service providers. Kate walks the talk and has been active on a personal level working directly to improve the lives of Seattle residents struggling with addiction, mental illness, and homelessness. Kate is a true leader.
The following four candidates are rated as Not Qualified for City Seattle City Council
Teresa Mosqueda – The incumbent has demonstrated very poor leadership during her time in office with Seattle. As a result, our city is experiencing increased rates of homelessness, increased rates of addiction with associated deaths by overdose at unparalleled levels. City policies promulgated by this incumbent have resulted in a dramatic increase in crimes causing harm to far too many Seattle residents. Rather than defunding city police, SOS recommends defunding this failed councilmember.
Jordan Elizabeth Fisher – Candidate scores very high for motivation, engagement with a wide range of voters, and savvy about technology and modern economics. Yet, fails in key areas of effective proposals for improving public safety and homelessness.
Paul Glumaz – Candidate scores well in the role as a self-described average unheard citizen. Raises concerns of current city leadership failure, but does not articulate clear solutions or demonstrated history of providing community leadership.
Jesse James – Candidate presents as an eager and informative stage of engagement with city politics with multiple innovative ideas. Possible future growth, but not currently scoring rate to be qualified candidate.
Seattle City Council city-wide position 9
Sara Nelson is SOS Members’ Choice and has been Endorsed by the Seattle Times
Sara’s responses to the SOS candidate questionnaire and interactions during campaign events demonstrate her solid commitment to working to improve public safety in Seattle, to respond to the homeless crisis in a compassionate and effective manner, and work to improve access and coordination of addiction support services. She has previous experience working as a staffer for a well-respected city council member. She is a role model for us as actively engaged Seattleites working to improve our community.
“In the field of seven candidates for the open council seat being vacated by M. Lorena González, Nelson has the ideal combination of experience and approach, to restore Seattle’s prosperity — and to make sure the rebuild happens equitably, with effective governance. She knows how to craft municipal policy from nearly a decade working on the staff of former City Councilmember Richard Conlin. And she proved during the pandemic how strongly she values workers at her business, Fremont Brewing.” The Seattle Times Editorial Board
The following three candidates are rated as Not Qualified for City Seattle City Council
Corey Eichner – Highly engaged candidate in areas of homelessness and positive civic activism. Appears motivated to do what he can to improve livability in Seattle for all residents, especially the most vulnerable. A promising candidate but did not return the candidate questionnaire. Highly likely to be a qualified candidate but did not provide enough information to be rated.
Xtian Gunther – Candidate’s platform includes some of the more innovative ideas for transforming Seattle of the numerous candidates, including police reorganization to improve and public safety, developing green utility programs. A lack of information on the candidate stalls the rating process.
Nikkita Oliver has been known to engage in high-profile acts of civic protest contributing to division in our city. Concern exists about candidate’s ability to work cooperatively with city residents who have other viewpoints. Endorsed by Councilmember Kshama Sawant, currently the subject of a recall from office.
Brianna Thomas radiates positive energy and concern for others, including the city’s most vulnerable residents. Current experience as city council staffer has provided her with knowledge of the working process of city government. Yet, lack of other work experience, civic leadership, platform specifics to address addiction, and public safety issues combined with her ethically questionable conflicts of interest earn her an overall rating of not qualified.
