Anybody who follows Seattle Metropolis Corridor is aware of Councilmember Sara Nelson has sturdy convictions and a thick pores and skin.
An efficient lawmaker, Nelson challenges standard Seattle pondering and champions underdogs — from struggling small enterprise house owners to these involved about police responding to emergency calls of their neighborhoods.
The editorial board endorses Nelson’s reelection for Place 9, certainly one of two citywide representatives on Metropolis Council.
You will need to perceive the place Seattle stood when Nelson first was elected 4 years in the past. Popping out of the pandemic, the town labored to discover a workable homelessness coverage whereas scuffling with a hangover from the fizzled motion to defund police.
Appropriately, Nelson put restoring police staffing as her high precedence. In 2023, after the election of 5 new council members, Nelson lastly had a workable majority of like-minded leaders. She turned council president in January 2024.
In its first yr, the brand new Metropolis Council adopted 14 pieces of public safety-related laws, a file quantity since 2015. These embrace measures to extend police recruitment and retention, in addition to tackling road racing, prostitution and drug-related dysfunction.
Police stats present general crime dropped from 2022 to 2024.
“This council has modified the route and the tenor of the town and we’re delivering measurable outcomes,” Nelson informed the board. “I consider the most effective resistance to what’s popping out of D.C. is a well-run metropolis.”
Nelson helps Mayor Bruce Harrell’s strategy to cleansing up homeless encampments after providing individuals some place else to go. She additionally advocates for restoration providers, tucking $300,000 within the metropolis funds to supply treatment-on-demand. Nelson importantly pushes the coverage dialog on Seattle’s funding of substance use dysfunction responses, which frequently focus too closely on decreasing hurt as an alternative of fixing behaviors.
Seattle faces funds challenges the place overspending leads to ever-higher taxes. Nelson needs to see outcomes when stewarding public {dollars}.
“Now we have to interrupt that tendency to search for extra income as an alternative of trying at the start at whether or not or not our present bills are producing the outcomes that we wish,” mentioned Nelson.
Challengers to Nelson embrace Mia Jacobson, Connor Nash and Dionne Foster, former government director of the Progress Alliance of Washington, which focuses on the “well being of the state’s progressive motion throughout a number of challenge areas.”
Foster is a powerful candidate. Nevertheless, the editorial board was annoyed by her evasiveness answering questions on homelessness and public security coverage. Foster too simply matches the mildew of a Seattle council member circa 2020 — a return to an period voters should wish to keep away from.
Sara Nelson has confirmed fortitude and strong priorities. She is the suitable chief for this second and deserves reelection to Place 9.
