How Seattle Council candidates differ on crime, taxes, homelessness

Whoever wins this November’s election to Seattle City Council’s citywide Position 8 will be in the odd and unenviable situation of having to do it all over again next year. Rather than running for a full four-year term, candidates are vying to finish the final 13 months of former Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda’s term.

Mosqueda left the City Council in January after being elected to the King County Council. The City Council appointed Tanya Woo, a Chinatown-International District activist and business owner, to temporarily fill the vacancy. It is now voters’ turn to elect someone to the role.

Woo is running to finish the term against Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Saunatina Sanchez and Tariq Yusuf. A fifth candidate, Saul Patu, told the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission he had withdrawn from the race, but he will appear on the Aug. 6 primary ballot because he did so after King County’s deadline to be removed.

Though the next Position 8 Councilmember might hold office for only one year, that year promises to be filled with high-stakes issues to address.

https://crosscut.com/politics/2024/07/how-seattle-council-candidates-differ-crime-taxes-homelessness