In a letter to constituents on Dec. 9, City Councilmember for District 1, Lisa Herbold announced she will not be seeking re-election. She shared a long list of accomplishments and said she hopes to create a open seat for the job in the next election.She was first elected in 2015 after defeating Shannon Braddock, and was sworn into office on January 4, 2016. She was reelected in November 2019.

Herbold writes:

"After 25 years working in the very best branch of municipal government and using my role to lift the voices of those in our City fighting for workers’ rights, tenants’ rights, more funding for affordable housing and life-sustaining services, community-led safety interventions, police reform, progressive revenue, and constituent services for D1 residents, I’m so proud of all that we’ve accomplished together:
 

List of Herbold Policy Accomplishments 2016-2022
(Non-inclusive of budget actions)

Housing Policy

• Fair Chance Housing
• Source of Income Discrimination and First-in-Time Protections
• Losing Home Report Recommendations (5 separate bills)
• Broadening Reasonable Accommodations Required in Housing
• $29 million Housing Bond

Workers’ Rights Policy

• Creation of Labor Standards Advisory Commission
• Discrimination protections for domestic workers
• Secure Scheduling
• Timely Payment and disclosure protections for all contract workers
• PayUp - Minimum Pay and Transparency for some contract workers

Pandemic Help

• Rent Increase Ban and Payment Plan for Small Business and Non-profits
• Capping App-Based Fees Paid by Restaurants
• Premium Pay for Gig Workers

Police Reform Policy

• Subpoena Power in Police Oversight Investigations
• Involve Community Police Commission in Police Contract Bargaining
• Michance Dunlap Gittens Youth Rights Ordinance
• Oversight of Chief of Police
• Less Lethal Weapon Regulation
• Badge Number Display Ordinance
• Observers’ Bill of Rights

Civil Rights Policy

• Closed Captioning Requirement in Public Accommodations
• Increasing Statute of Limitations for Sexual Harassment Charges
• Add people who received/are seeking abortions as protected class 

District 1 Ordinances     

• Vacant building Monitoring Program
• Excessive Vehicle Noise Ordinance
• $9 million annually to support transportation needs related to West Seattle Bridge Closure and COVID-19 response and recovery
• Loan $70M for West Seattle Bridge Repair

I will not be running for re-election in 2023.  Above my love of public service to the constituents of District 1, I don’t want the Council to lose a progressive voice on the Council.

The 2022 elections last month were good for progressives. I feel like it’s time to do my part to create an open-seat election in District 1. I believe that an open seat can better drive turnout and deliver District 1 to another progressive.

When a segment of the Seattle left says that they intend to “primary” sitting Council members who are not proposing a 50% cut to SPD’s budget, I am reminded that we cannot repeat the 2021 race for the City Attorney when a very strong and proven progressive didn’t advance to the general, forcing a choice between a carceral system abolitionist and a Republican.  In a similar 2023 scenario, progressives could lose District 1, and a seat on the Council.

On the other side of the political spectrum, I’m not worried about the center-right or the Chamber of Commerce or any of the cynical big money Independent Expenditure campaigns in what would be yet another likely very ugly re-election bid if I were to run again. There was $4,395,075 spent in independent expenditures in the 2019 Council races; I won my re-election by nearly 12%. Rather, my choice is because I love and honor the work the progressive left has done in Seattle and I don’t want to do anything that makes it less likely for a non-progressive to be elected to represent the great District 1.

I will continue to represent and advocate for District 1 over the next year.  We've still got a lot of work to do!"