Information from Teresa Mosqueda

Teresa Mosqueda, the at-large Seattle City Councilmember serving in her sixth year in office and as the council’s budget chair, has announced that she will run for King County Council District 8.  Mosqueda, a Democrat and West Seattle resident, will seek to replace outgoing Councilmember Joe McDermott. 

Mosqueda cites the growing regional need to address displacement and build workforce housing, invest in public health and behavioral health, and support for working families and small businesses with affordable childcare, accessible transit, and job training - as motivation to join the County Council. Mosqueda sees a increased need for local, regional, and state partnership across policy areas to serve the growing population with a focus on the diverse community needs across District 8, from White Center to Burien and Tukwila, from Vashon Island through the Duwamish Valley to South Park and Georgetown, to the Chinatown International District, First Hill and Pike Place Market area.

“I am running for King County Council District 8 to improve the opportunity for working families to be healthy, housed and resilient,” said Mosqueda. “We can do this by investing in greater behavioral health and public health supports, expanding housing and displacement efforts that makes it possible for people to stay stably housed, and investing in what working families and small businesses need - affordable childcare, accessible transit, and good job opportunities.”

“District 8 is my home,” continued Mosqueda, “where my husband and I are raising our three-year-old daughter in the North Delridge neighborhood, our pediatrician is in Burien, and our favorite parks span the shoreline of the district from Seahurst to Jack Block. Our neighborhood is surrounded by working families, play areas and parks, nearby public beaches, bustling small businesses, bike lanes and trails, community centers and childcare, and multiple lines of transit – this is the kind of welcoming and accessible community I hope for all District 8 residents. I will work with urgency, and in collaboration with community and local leaders, to expand economic opportunities and improve the health of every King County neighbor.”

“Throughout my career, I have brought diverse coalitions together to pass landmark policy changes,” said Mosqueda, who previously advanced statewide policies at the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and Children’s Alliance. “From passing historic investments in housing, to leading the statewide minimum wage raise and implementing Apple Health healthcare for all Washington children, I have united diverse interests and voices to get things done. I’ll bring that commitment– and experience working at the local and state levels– to solve problems, make a difference, and support our communities across the County.”

Mosqueda begins her campaign with an unprecedented list of accomplishments from her time in elected office, including improved worker standards and protections for domestic, hotel, human service and other workers, as well as eliminating the subminimum wage for workers with disabilities, passing sick leave for gig drivers, small business flexible grants focused on women and people of color, cash payments to childcare workers and immigrant workers. On council Mosqueda has passed numerous housing reform laws, including expanding anti-displacement and first-time home ownership efforts, and quadrupled investments in affordable housing since her first year in office. As Budget Chair, Mosqueda worked with colleagues to include funding for reproductive rights and abortion care, mental health support for high school students in the wake of unprecedented gun violence, and funding for childcare centers to expand care to working families and small businesses.

Mosqueda’s list of nearly 100 early endorsers for the County Council D8 position includes State Legislators from the 34th LD, 33rd LD, 43 LD and more; King County leaders Executive Dow Constantine and Councilmembers Claudia Balduccci, Girmay Zahilay, Sarah Perry, and Rod Dembowski; every Seattle Port Commissioner; regional elected officials; and from the City of Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, former Council President Lorena González and colleagues Councilmembers Lewis, Morales, Herbold and Strauss. Mosqueda’s community support spans small businesses, housing champions, community leaders from communities of color, and public health leaders.