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Burien council elects Sarah Moore mayor and Hugo Garcia deputy mayor in organizational vote
Summary
Council members used a nomination list and roll-call voting process to name Sarah Moore mayor (4–2) and Hugo Garcia deputy mayor (4–3). Moore pledged to "lift up" colleagues and prioritize collaboration as she begins a two-year term.
Sarah Moore was elected mayor of Burien on Jan. 12, 2026, after council members used a nomination-list process and successive roll-call votes. Council member Hugo Garcia nominated Moore; Kevin Schilling was also nominated. The council recorded four votes for Moore and two for Schilling and declared Moore mayor.
Moore, speaking after the result was announced, thanked outgoing leaders and said she would ‘‘fill [the role] as myself, not as someone I am not,’’ and urged the council to work as a seven-member team. She said her priority is helping each council member "shine," emphasizing collaboration over partisanship.
The council then elected Hugo Garcia deputy mayor in a separate nomination and roll-call vote that ended 4–3 in his favor. Council members discussed the procedural approach before voting and agreed to use the nomination-list method the body used two years prior.
No formal policy changes accompanied the leadership votes. The council proceeded immediately to other agenda items, including presentations and planning-calendar decisions. The meeting record shows the mayor and deputy mayor will set the council's agenda and preside over meetings for the coming two-year term.
What happens next: The council will continue its regular schedule of meetings and transitions into planned work sessions and a special departmental orientation scheduled for Jan. 26, 2026.
