The field for prospective appointment as King County Executive was narrowed to four as members of the Metropolitan King County Council April 13 submitted four names for evaluation by a Blue-Ribbon Committee.

“We’ve generated a strong field of candidates for interim executive from across the county, each with significant support from individual council members,” said council chair Dow Constantine. “The Blue-Ribbon Committee will provide an expedited but thorough review of these candidates to aid the council in making its final choice.”

“I think our nominating process is a strong indication of our outreach to qualified candidates in King County,” said council vice chair Jane Hague.

Under legislation adopted April 6, each candidate for executive must be nominated by at least three council members in order to be forwarded to the Blue-Ribbon Committee. Final authority to make the appointment rests with the County Council. The nominees are, in alphabetical order: 

- Former county council member Steve Hammond 

- Former county council member Louise Miller 

- Former Seattle Mayor Charles Royer 

- King County Executive Chief of Staff Kurt Triplett

Executive Ron Sims on Feb. 2 announced he had been nominated to serve as Deputy Secretary for the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama Administration. Upon his confirmation and resignation from office, the King County Council under the County Charter will appoint an executive to serve until the next general election in November.

Within one week of a vacancy actually occurring in the executive’s office, the Blue Ribbon Committee will meet to interview candidates and forward to the council its top two to four recommendations. The committee is chaired by former Seattle Mayor Norm Rice and Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke, with bipartisan membership representing the economic, geographic and ethnic diversity of the county: 

Becky Cox, 
Joan Crooks, 
 Adrian Diaz, David Freiboth, 
Beretta Gomillion, Nancy Hutto, 
Sharon Maeda, 
Ted Choi Tam, Bob Wallace and 
Tayloe Washburn. 


The panel also includes the four separately elected officials in the county’s criminal justice and public safety systems: King County Sheriff Sue Rahr, 
King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg, 
King County Superior Court Presiding Judge Bruce Hilyer, and 
King County District Court Presiding Judge Barbara Linde.

The committee’s criteria for evaluation of candidates will include:
Knowledge of the functions of King County government; 
knowledge of the issues and challenges facing King County government; 
a demonstrated ability to develop a responsible budget; 
a demonstrated ability to respond to public concerns; 
demonstrated leadership skills; 
a commitment to the immediate business of King County that would make it unlikely that the appointee would run for any elective office while serving under this appointment; 
a commitment to maintaining the functions and structure of county government without disruption during the election of a new county executive; and
 demonstrated skills in pursuing a legislative agenda at the local, state and federal level.

Because of the Municipal League of King County’s long record of reviewing candidates for election, the legislation encourages the league to also review the candidates and forward any recommendations to the council.
Whoever is appointed will serve as King County Executive until the results of the November general election are certified.