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-I'm a public school dad, tech entrepreneur,
and community advocate.
As a long time Seattle resident,
I'm tired of watching our politicians
put rhetoric over results.
I also happen to have a background in public policy,
and it saddens me to see our city leaders
drowning evidence-based policy in an ocean of hand-wringing,
process, and performative politics.
Too many people have paid the price.
My name is Ron Davis, and I'm running with a serious plan
to build the ambitious future we all deserve.
But I can't do it without you.
I didn't start life in a place like Roosevelt.
I'm the product of a teen pregnancy.
But my parents eventually managed to buy a house,
and build us a beautiful life.
I got really lucky, went to college,
graduated from Harvard Law School, launched a tech company,
and have been a business leader ever since.
But journeys like mine are impossible in Seattle today,
and the barriers are twice as high
for people who don't look like me.
I think we can all agree that Seattle should be a place
where people from any background can afford to raise a family
or build a career, and age in place.
I'll work tirelessly to deliver an affordable city
that our children can live in,
and where we leave no one on the street.
I'll also fight to make it as easy to get around
without a car as it is with one,
making us a green, clean climate and livability leader.
And as a parent to two little boys,
I also won't stop until Seattle is safe for everyone.
I'm the only candidate with a serious plan to stop crime
before it starts with evidence-based prevention,
to quickly send the right professional for each emergency,
and to rebuild trust in law enforcement
through good governance and accountability.
To build tomorrow's economy, I'll double down on our emerging
and existing strengths in tech, AI,
the life sciences, and bioinformatics,
and expand apprenticeships into our schools.
We'll attract tomorrow's workforce
with housing and child care they can afford
in neighborhoods they want.
I'm the only candidate with an actual plan
to build a fairer tax code.
I'm proud to be endorsed by unions, climate leaders,
the local Democrats, business leaders,
community leaders, and current and former electeds
like King County Councilmembers
Girmay Zahilay and Larry Gossett,
Port Commissioners Toshiko Hasegawa,
Sam Cho, and Ryan Calkins, and many more.
I'd be honored by your support.
-My name is Ken Wilson, and I'm running
for the open District 4 seat.
As a small business owner and civil engineer
with 31 years of experience
building major infrastructure and public works,
I'm running to bring back pragmatic policies,
fresh perspective, common sense solutions that work,
and a return to basics for our city.
I'm a UW grad, and completed my Master's degree
while working full time to pay for it.
My wife was born in Seattle, and I've lived nearly
three decades in District 4, Wallingford,
where we raised two daughters in public schools.
The current council has failed to address issues
like public safety, homelessness,
and housing affordability.
I've been asking people I meet in our city moving,
"Is our city moving the right way?"
The people I speak with feel the city is not.
They don't feel safe.
They see amazing resources spent with little progress
creating a livable Seattle for all.
As your councilmember,
I will work to get back to the basics,
and will make decisions that improve livability.
With the right council leadership,
we can deliver on safe neighborhoods,
restore police staffing to the needed levels,
provide well-maintained roads and bridges,
protect critical green canopy,
and create a vibrant downtown business environment
that makes our city a great place to live and work.
As a civil engineer, I have the background to safeguard growth
that protects affordable housing for all stages and ages,
benefit -- and benefits our neighborhoods
without overstressing existing infrastructure.
Seattle is a world-class city,
and deserves a councilmember who understands public works,
supports local business, protects parks and schools,
funds our police and emergency responders,
and acts to address homelessness.
I will be that councilmember.
And I ask for your vote.
-Hi.
My name is Maritza Rivera.
I'll never forget waiting
and worrying outside Ingraham High School
as my teenage girls were in lockdown
during the recent shooting there.
It brought home that things are off track.
I grew up in a tough neighborhood in the Bronx,
on the top floor of a five-story walk up.
My dad was a welder, and proud union member.
My mom worked in a factory.
They moved from Puerto Rico seeking a better life.
I found that life here in Seattle.
Unfortunately, due to poor decisions
and performative posturing by the Seattle council,
including pledging to defund the police,
our quality of life has eroded.
Our neighborhood, small businesses are closing,
and our streets are less safe.
I'll make public safety my top priority.
Five-minute response times for priority 911 calls,
get guns off our streets and out of our schools,
shut down open-air drug markets,
address addiction and the mental health crisis.
It's also unacceptable that three years
after the murder of George Floyd,
Seattle still has no alternative
to non-armed response to 911 calls.
Not all situations require uniformed police officers,
but some do.
I'll prioritize.
I will bring people together
to build more affordable housing
and address the homelessness crisis.
I currently serve as a deputy director
of the Office of Arts and Culture at the city.
I worked in the Clinton White House
as the Hispanic liaison, for the ACLU post-9/11,
to protect Muslim communities from xenophobia,
and for former councilmember Tom Rasmussen.
With better governance,
Seattle can be progressive, safe, and vibrant.
I would be honored to earn your support.
-Hello, Seattle. And hello, District 4.
My name is George Artem, and I'm running to be
your representative behind the city council dais.
Some of you know me as just Artem,
or "Hey, you, I recognize you from somewhere."
Well, yeah.
I've done some things, and been in situations
that I'm not proud of.
But who hasn't?
It took a lot of help from friends, family,
recovery circles, and shelters
to help get me to where I'm at today.
And one thing that I've learned in my personal recovery
is to take accountability, clean my side of the street,
make amends, and wake up to try another day.
I'm an immigrant to this country,
and I've lived in Greater Seattle for over three decades.
I attended the University of Washington, and completed
both my undergraduate and graduate studies there.
And in 2021, I attended law school on the East Coast.
I decided to run for office because, when I came back,
the city that I loved became totally unrecognizable.
Once bustling commercial districts, like the CID,
had turned into open-air drug markets
where people are still getting high and selling stolen goods.
In 2016, we dipped our toes into socialism.
I know because I played a part in that.
Today, there are members of the Democratic Party
that openly promote communism,
and want to dismantle the system.
Like communism,
the Defund movement has been an abject failure.
Violent crime is up, drug use is up,
and the fentanyl crisis should be waking everybody up.
Since 2017, the Seattle Police Department has implemented 90%
of nearly 300 community policing recommendations.
They're a changed department, and deserve our respect.
In recent years, local government has raised
and spent a lot of money, with not much to show for it.
We need to acknowledge the failures and wasteful spending,
and establish a culture of accountability
in city government.
Like you, I have a lot of questions,
and if I'm elected, I'll get answers.