Seattle council adopts nomination procedure and names seven finalists for District 2 vacancy

SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council on Jan. 17 adopted a procedure for nominating finalists for the District 2 council vacancy and closed nominations, producing seven finalists who will advance to a community forum and subsequent interviews before the council makes an appointment.

Council President Sarah Nelson opened the special meeting and moved to adopt the nomination procedure. Nelson said council members would be called in roll-call order to nominate one applicant each; Council member Mike Strauss seconded the motion. City Clerk Shereen Dedmon recorded the roll-call vote and announced the procedure passed with all seven council members present voting in favor. "Seven in favor, none opposed," the clerk said.

The nominations closed with the following finalists named by council members: Mark Solomon (nominated by Council member Rivera); Chakundee Salisbury (nominated by Council member Saka); Adonis Duxworth (nominated by Council member Strauss); Thaddeus Gregory (nominated by Council member Hollingsworth); Edward Lin (nominated by Council member Rink); and Hong Chua (nominated by Council President Sarah Nelson). Council member Kettle declined to nominate. Each nomination was put on the record during the meeting; nominations did not require seconds under the adopted procedure.

The council also heard an administrative announcement from City Clerk Shereen Dedmon that a candidate, Nikkita Venus, had submitted an email withdrawing their application earlier that afternoon and therefore was not eligible to move forward. Dedmon said the clerk's office received the email at 1:59 p.m., shortly before the meeting.

Why it matters: the council must fill the District 2 vacancy before the February work cycle that includes the comprehensive plan and other major items. Under the process the council adopted, finalists must take part in a community-organized public forum to remain eligible for appointment.

Next steps and rules: the council set the following schedule on the record: finalists must participate in a public forum hosted Jan. 21 (Columbia City Theater, 5:30–7:30 p.m.) to remain eligible; the council will hold a special meeting at 1 p.m. on Jan. 23 to interview finalists who attended the forum; and the council plans to appoint an eligible finalist in a special meeting on Jan. 27 at 9:30 a.m. The council cited Seattle Municipal Code 3.90.010 in announcing the eligibility rule for the public forum.

Public comment: the meeting included an extended public-comment period in which residents and community members spoke, primarily offering endorsements for specific applicants or calling for particular qualities in a finalist. Speakers who identified themselves included Eric Nielsen, Henry Armas Amaya, Steve Zemke, Michael Tuohy, David Haines, Myra Latosick, June Blue Spruce, Mark Rose, Jared (last name not stated), and Mike Mullen. Comments ranged from endorsements of individual candidates to requests that the council prioritize experience in land use, constituent service, and a caretaker approach for the short, roughly 10-month term. Council member Saka told colleagues during nominations she was looking for a "caretaker only" nominee who would focus on governing the remainder of the term rather than campaigning in parallel.

Council comment and rationale: council members described criteria guiding their nominations, including familiarity with land use and planning, constituent service experience in District 2 neighborhoods (including the Chinatown-International District and Little Saigon), and the ability to prioritize governing duties over immediate campaigning. Council member Saka said the appointment season will include the comprehensive plan and a potential renewal of the education levy, and urged a nominee who could focus on governing during the heavy work year. Several council members thanked all applicants for stepping forward.

The meeting adjourned after confirming the next steps and schedule for public forums and interviews.