At our September Membership Meeting, TRU made endorsements in several state legislative races, as well as affirming our support for the Seattle transit ballot measure. Here are our recommendations as you fill out your ballot this fall:

Vote YES for Seattle Transit this November!

Yes for Transit ‌Proposition 1, on the November ballot in Seattle, renews and modifies an expiring measure to provide $39 million annually over six years for essential bus service, free or reduced fares for low-income riders, addressing the West Seattle transportation crisis, and ensuring our transit system is efficient and reliable. Vote YES for transit this November!

Kirsten Harris-Talley for Rep. Pos. 2, 37th District

‌TRU early-endorsed Kirsten Harris-Talley way back in February, because we know we need her representing the 37th district! Kirsten was a champion for progressive taxation as an interim Seattle City Councilmember in fall 2017, and we know she’ll carry that commitment with her to Olympia.

Nicole Macri for Rep. Pos. 1, 43rd District

Nicole Macri has been a tireless and effective champion for renters and people experiencing homelessness during her time in Olympia, and she has also pushed the needle on progressive taxation. She’s one of the people best placed to advance bold policies like rent control.

Sherae Lascelles for Rep. Pos. 2, 43rd District

Sherae Lascelles is running to empower the marginalized communities that don’t usually get a seat at the table in Olympia. An activist and an organizer, they’ve demonstrated their strong dedication to mutual aid and harm reduction, aiming at culture shift as well as policy change.

Liz Berry for Rep. Pos. 2, 36th District

‌Liz Berry showed up at a rally to save transit service and bus driver jobs this summer, and we believe her commitment to public transit and to workers is real. We also love Berry’s uncompromising stance against austerity and commitment to reforming our tax system.

T’wina Nobles for State Senate, 28th District

T’wina Nobles is the champion for public transit and affordable housing that Pierce County urgently needs! If elected, Nobles would also be the only Black senator in Olympia. She is running to unseat a Republican who has been no friend of public transit or the poor.

David Hackney for Rep. Pos. 1, 11th District

David Hackney promises to be a champion for renters, workers, and low-income families. We believe Hackney will be an effective voice and vote to tackle racial inequities, support public transit and multi-modal infrastructure, and reform our state’s upside-down tax system.

Ingrid Anderson for State Senate, 5th District

Ingrid Anderson is a nurse who we believe will step up for workers, public health and access to healthcare for all, and more urgent action on the climate crisis. We are hopeful that she will be a strong voice for ordinary people and stand up to corporate interests in Olympia.

First of all: Whatever else you do in this election, VOTE NO ON I-976! We can’t let Tim Eyman gut transit funding around the state. On October 7, TRU’s lead organizer Matthew Lang testified in support of a city resolution opposing I-976, with Eyman there speaking against. Learn more and sign up to volunteer: https://www.no976.org

At our September Membership Meeting, TRU made the following endorsements for Seattle City Council, King County Council, and SeaTac City Council. By the way, all of these Seattle and King County candidates (and many of their opponents) have endorsed ORCA for All!

Lisa Herbold for Seattle District 1

Councilmember Lisa Herbold has been a champion for progressive citywide policies as well as for her district. She led on bold efforts to reform our upside-down tax system, leading to an unanimous vote for the first income tax to pass in our state in over 80 years — which is looking promising as it moves toward the State Supreme Court! Lisa is a dedicated public servant, a smart and effective leader, and a strong ally to grassroots movements and groups like TRU. Vote for Herbold for District 1!

Tammy Morales for Seattle District 2

‌Ever since Tammy Morales came within a few hundred votes of representing District 2 in 2015, she has been doing the work. From organizing with Southeast Seattle community groups to serving on the Seattle Human Rights Commission, Tammy has demonstrated that she will show up and represent marginalized communities in District 2 and throughout the city. We know she’ll be a strong voice for workers’ rights, racial equity, and environmental justice. Tammy has also been a strong ally to TRU and the Trump-Proof Seattle and Housing For All Coalitions, and we are proud to endorse her campaign for District 2!

Kshama Sawant for Seattle District 3

Since she was first elected in 2013, Kshama Sawant has been a steadfast champion for working and poor people, and for fare-free mass transit. An unapologetic voice for socialism, she has used her council seat to open up new political possibilities not just in Seattle but across the country. Amazon and the Chamber of Commerce would love for this to be Kshama’s last term on the council. Let’s make sure they don’t get their wish.

Shaun Scott for Seattle District 4

Shaun Scott is a Democratic Socialist running on a platform including a Seattle Green New Deal, public housing, and a fair tax code. If elected, we believe Shaun will be an effective driver of progressive policies, including expanding mass transit and making fares affordable or free for all. We know he’ll be a strong ally to grassroots organizations like TRU. This could be one of the most consequential races this election. Vote Shaun Scott for District 4!

Debora Juarez for Seattle District 5

Councilmember Debora Juarez has been a strong advocate for expanding public transit and multimodal transportation, and we appreciate that — even if TRU hasn’t always seen eye to eye with her on all issues. Her opponent in this race is a Speak Out Seattle candidate who wants to step up the sweeps, round up homeless people and store them in massive warehouses. It’s a very, vey bad idea. If you live in District 5, please help make sure Debora Juarez wins another term!

Dan Strauss for Seattle District 6

‌Dan Strauss is a lifelong Ballard resident with deep connections in District 6, as well as knowledge of how City Hall works gained through his position as a legislative aide for Councilmember Bagshaw. We think Dan has progressive values and a strong understanding of the homelessness and housing crisis. As a council member we think he can push back against harmful narratives and policies that are hurting people and only making the problem worse. Vote Dan Strauss for District 6!

Andrew Lewis for Seattle District 7

District 7 spans the income spectrum, from well-off homeowners in Magnolia and Upper Queen Anne to low-income renters (and many people living without homes) in Downtown, Belltown and Uptown. It also includes powerful downtown business and developer interests as well as thousands of low-wage workers. We think Andrew Lewis will be able to manage these competing demands and serve as a strong advocate for low-income residents and workers in his district and citywide. Vote for Andrew Lewis for District 7!

Girmay Zahilay for King County District 2

‌As a child of refugees who grew up in South Seattle, Zahilay has deep roots in the community and personal experience of the challenges many District 2 residents are facing. As an attorney and the founder of a non-profit that mentors at-risk youth, he’s demonstrated his abilities and dedication. He has also taken a stronger position against youth incarceration than any of the sitting councilmembers. TRU has worked closely with Councilmember Larry Gossett over the years and we have deep respect and appreciation for his long public service. But this year, we think District 2 will be best served by electing Girmay Zahilay!

Abigail Doerr for King County District 4

We don’t need to take Abigail Doerr’s word for it that she will fight hard for public transit and environmental justice; she’s already proved it by running vital ballot measures to fund transit service and infrastructure, as well as the hard-fought carbon fee Initiative 1631 last year. Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles has been strong on transit issues, and she did a courageous thing when she flipped her position on the lodging tax last year. But we believe Abigail has the much-needed energy and initiative to make big waves on the King County Council, and we love her transit platform. Vote Abigail Doerr for King County District 4!

Takele Gobena for SeaTac Position 5

‌Takele Gobena is a Ethiopian-American immigrant, a former airport worker, a union representative and community organizer in SeaTac. He cofounded the SeaTac Community Coalition to fight against gentrification and displacement of immigrant-owned small businesses. Now he’s running for SeaTac City Council to give immigrants, working families and low-income residents a voice in City Hall. Vote Takele Gobena for SeaTac Position 5!

Liza Rankin for Seattle School Board Director District 1

Liza Rankin is a strong advocate for public education who is running to make Seattle Public Schools more equitable. She recognizes the transportation challenges that students, parents, and educators face every day in getting to school and work, and she is committed to making sure that everyone has transportation options that are as sustainable and reliable as possible. Vote Lisa Rankin for Seattle School Board!

Chanan Suarez for Bellingham City Council Ward 5

Chanan Suarez is a Democratic Socialist running for Bellingham City Council on a platform that includes free, accessible, expanded public transit for all! We love the idea of free transit and are proud to support this candidate who is furthering the cause in Bellingham. Suarez also has a strong housing and homelessness platform, and understands how affordable housing and transit must go hand in hand. Vote Chanan Suarez!

At our July Membership Meeting, TRU members voted to make three additional endorsements for the 2019 Primary Elections. (In June we endorsed Lisa Herbold for Seattle City Council District 1; Tammy Morales for Seattle City Council District 2; Kshama Sawant for Seattle City Council District 3; and Shaun Scott and Emily Myers for Seattle City Council District 4.) Here are our additional endorsements:

Yes on Seattle Prop 1: Levy Renewal for the Seattle Public Library

Seattle has an excellent library system and we need to keep it that way. We don’t usually love property taxes, but we do love libraries, so this one is well worth it. Vote Yes!

Dan Strauss for Seattle City Council District 6

Here at the Transit Riders Union, we will miss Councilmember Mike O’Brien. We’ll miss his leadership on public transit and sustainability. We’ll miss his compassionate and courageous approach to the homelessness crisis in the face of ugly opposition. And we’ll miss his willingness to work closely with grassroots groups and communities to get stuff done. But he’s not running for re-election, so you can’t vote for him.

There are many candidates running to represent District 6, more than in any other district, though only six of them filled out our candidate questionnaire. We decided to endorse a candidate who we think shares many of TRU’s values and also (we hope) is within striking distance of making it through the Primary: Dan Strauss, who now works as an aide to Councilmember Sally Bagshaw. Dan’s answers to our questionnaire stood out, notably his idea of indexing city fees, fines, and permits to income, like Finland does. We also like that he hasn’t been endorsed by Speak Out Seattle or the Chamber of Commerce, something we can’t say of the other front-runners in this race. If you live in District 6, we hope you’ll vote for Dan!

Girmay Zahilay for King County Council District 2

Councilmember Larry Gossett and the Transit Riders Union go way back, back to early 2012 when TRU was still just a small crew of volunteers, and he was the first county councilmember we met with to discuss our idea of a low-income reduced fare. We appreciate the many things Councilmember Gossett and his dedicated staff have done over the years to advance the cause of affordable and accessible public transit, from championing the ORCA LIFT program to pushing to improve Access Paratransit service.

And yet… TRU is endorsing Gossett’s opponent, Girmay Zahilay. The King County Council is often a sleepy body, with rarely-contested elections. That’s not healthy for democracy. In today’s rapidly-changing world, this council needs members who are there on a mission, willing to shake things up, coming with bold ideas, prepared to challenge their colleagues and fight hard for their consituents. When a candidate like Girmay Zahilay comes along, it’s really hard to say no.

As a child of refugees who grew up in South Seattle, Zahilay has deep roots in the community and personal experience of the challenges many District 2 residents are facing. As an attorney and the founder of a non-profit that mentors at-risk youth, he has demonstrated his abilities and dedication. He has also taken a stronger position against youth incarceration than any of the sitting councilmembers, including Gossett. We think King County District 2 will be best served by electing Girmay Zahilay.

At our June membership meeting, TRU made primary endorsements in four of the seven Seattle City Council districts. Our endorsements are below. It’s possible we will revisit the other three districts this month. You can read all the candidates’ responses to our questionnaire here and watch the MASS Coalition’s five candidate forums here.

District 1: Lisa Herbold

Councilmember Lisa Herbold is a champion for progressive citywide policies as well as for her district. She has led on bold efforts to reform the most regressive tax system in the country. She’s a dedicated public servant, a smart and effective leader, and a strong ally to grassroots movements and groups like TRU. Also, her two challengers are people we really, really don’t want on the city council. Vote for Lisa Herbold for District 1!

District 2: Tammy Morales

Ever since Tammy Morales came within a few hundred votes of representing District 2 in 2015, she has been doing the work. From organizing with Southeast Seattle community groups to serving on the Seattle Human Rights Commission, Tammy has demonstrated that she will show up and represent marginalized communities in District 2 and throughout the city. Tammy has also been a strong ally to TRU and the Trump-Proof Seattle and Housing For All Coalitions, and we are proud to endorse her campaign for District 2!

District 3: Kshama Sawant

Since she was first elected in 2013, Kshama Sawant has been a steadfast champion for working and poor people, and for fare-free mass transit. An unapologetic voice for socialism, she has used her council seat to open up new political possibilities not just in Seattle but across the country. Amazon and the Chamber of Commerce would love for this to be Kshama’s last term on the council. Let’s make sure they don’t get their wish.

District 4: Shaun Scott and Emily Myers

Shaun Scott and Emily Myers impressed us with their energy, progressive values, and strong positions on transit and transportation. Both are renters and will make the housing affordability crisis a top priority. Among a surprising number of good candidates in District 4, we also think Shaun and Emily have the strongest chance of beating the Chamber of Commerce pick in this race.

This month, TRU is getting out the vote for candidates we’ve endorsed in the primary elections for City Council. Want to help? Email contact@transitriders.org or leave a message at 206-651-4282.