Announcer: The office of
King County Executive.
The county executive manages
the delivery of such regional
services as criminal justice,
metro transit,
and wastewater treatment.
In 2020, the voters of
King County amended the charter
so that the sheriff became
an appointed position.
Beginning in 2022,
the sheriff will be appointed
by the executive and confirmed
by the county council.
The executive also directs
the local services provided
to those in the unincorporated
areas outside of cities.
This is a nonpartisan position
and is elected
for a four-year term.
All voters in King County
can vote for county executive.
The top two vote-getters
will advance to the
general election in November.
As I was walking here to the TV studio,
I saw a number of tents.
Actually, I saw a lot of tents,
signifying that there's homeless people
in our society.
And it seems that each year
the number of homeless people
have increased and increased and increased
under the policies that we have.
And I, Goodspaceguy,
candidate for King County Executive,
am accusing the job-destroying
minimum wage as being the culprit.
So I say that the minimum wage,
the job-destroying minimum wage
of the command economy of socialism,
is destroying jobs
and creating the homeless people.
So in raising the level of prosperity
in King County,
we should start with the homeless
and make it legal for them to get back to work.
It's wrong of government
to step in and say to people,
"You may not sell your labor at a bargain.
You have to sell it at a certain price
where people, when they consider your problems,
will not hire you."
So that is a wrong thing to do.
So the best economic system,
for raising the living standard in King County
is called capitalism.
Capitalism, with its profit incentive,
serves the consumers better
and gets a more balanced economy.
So capitalism and its supply and demand
and its profit-seeking
best serves the consumers
and best raises the living standard.
When I lived in Germany,
I noticed people fleeing
from East Germany, socialism,
to West Germany,
land of capitalism.
And this was a voluntary vote with their feet.
When COVID arrived here,
the first place in the country
impacted by this deadly virus,
I took swift, decisive action.
We led with science and reason
and saved thousands of lives
and reduced our infection rate
to among the lowest in the nation.
"The New York Times" reported
that had the rest of America followed our lead,
the nation could have avoided
more than 300,000 deaths.
As we emerge from the pandemic, I'm bringing
that same clarity and resolve
to the toughest challenges
and uniting our region
for an economic recovery
where everyone can thrive.
We're taking bold action on homelessness,
moving thousands off the streets
and into housing with services to restore lives.
And through my Best Starts for Kids initiative,
we've kept 10,000 children and families
safely housed.
This housing crisis, made worse by the pandemic,
requires both compassion
and the proven ability to drive real change.
We're improving public safety and public trust
by investing in gun violence prevention
and aid to victims
of domestic violence and other crimes,
and collaborating with communities
to create real safety.
I've asked community leaders to work with me
as we appoint a new sheriff
who's accountable to me,
the council, and the people.
We're helping kids stay in school, graduate,
and avoid the criminal legal system,
and I've succeeded in driving down
the youth detention rate nearly tenfold.
And I'm taking urgent action on climate,
leading the fight for regional light rail,
and converting Metro to an all-electric fleet.
And there's more exciting progress to come.
I'm grateful for the endorsements
of Governors Inslee, Gregoire, and Locke,
over 40 Democratic legislators,
the MLK Labor Council,
health care workers, firefighters,
building trades,
the Washington Conservation Voters,
and the Alliance for Gun Responsibility.
My commitment to public service was instilled in me
by my parents, retired public school teachers.
Today, Shirley and I are raising our daughter
in the same West Seattle neighborhood
where I grew up.
Let's keep working together to help
all King County families thrive.
Thank you.
After 12 years of the current leadership
failing to solve our biggest problems
like homelessness, it's time for change.
My name is Joe Nguyen,
and I'm running for King County Executive
because we don't have time
to wait for incremental progress.
Homelessness isn't waiting.
Climate change isn't waiting.
Racial inequities aren't waiting.
The status quo isn't working,
and we need leaders who share the same experiences
as families in King County
and will act with the urgency required
to deliver results.
I'm the son of refugees from White Center,
and growing up in unincorporated King County,
I saw firsthand how much of a difference
investing in people can make.
When I was 7 years old,
my dad was in a terrible car accident.
It left him quadriplegic, and my family relied
on anti-poverty programs like TANF to get by.
Because of that assistance and years of hard work,
I broke the cycle of poverty
and built a successful career in the private sector.
Now I represent the community
that held me and my family up
as a state senator in the legislature.
And since taking office, we've passed policies
that are making a difference in people's lives --
tax breaks for seniors and working families,
strengthening police accountability,
and funding the same anti-poverty programs
my family relied on so countless others
can stay housed and fed through this pandemic.
We've made tremendous progress in the legislature
but need leaders who will work with the same urgency
to get things done in the county.
We need an executive who will uplift the voices
of those in the community
instead of making them fight just to be heard.
Homelessness has been an emergency
for over a decade, and nothing seems to change.
It's time for the Executive's Office to get it done
because families in King County work hard
every day to improve their lives.
They deserve a leader who will work
just as hard for them.
My name is Joe Nguyen.
I'm running for County Executive,
and I'd be honored to earn your vote.