By Erica C. Barnett
Former City Councilmember Debora Juarez has submitted her application and resume for the open District 5 City Council position that was just vacated by Cathy Moore, who quit after just a year and a half on the council. Juarez reportedly already has the support of a strong majority (perhaps as many as eight) council members for the appointment, making her selection effectively a fait accompli.
Juarez—the first Indigenous Seattle City Councilmember—served two terms on the council, including one as council president, and was replaced by Moore in 2024. During her second term, Juarez repeatedly expressed frustration at the tenor of council meetings (frequently dominated by then-councilmember Kshama Sawant’s supporters) and the 2020 protests (which included repeated demonstrations outside her home).
No one has protested outside council members’ homes in several years, but Sawant and her supporters recently started showing up again at council meetings, shouting and marching around council chambers to protest legislation like a proposal to lower conflict of interest standards for council members.
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The city clerk just published the entire list of applicants for the appointment on the council vacancy website, which has been in heavy use over the past year and a half with the departures of Teresa Mosqueda, Tammy Morales, and now Moore, at the end of the day today.
In her cover letter, Juarez wrote:
“The question I am sure many are asking is, ‘why return?’. It’s simple: I was called to serve. I understand the challenges our city currently faces—from housing affordability to public safety to protecting residents from the harms of the Trump Administration and federal funding cuts. I am ready to step in immediately and work alongside my fellow Councilmembers to ensure that our city remains a vibrant, welcoming, and innovative place for all residents. I would be honored to bring my “Elder Auntie” experience, wisdom gained with no regrets, and vision to this important role once again, this time as a caretaker of the seat until a new Councilmember can be elected.”
The list of candidates for the position, which were just posted on the City Clerk’s website Friday morning, include three people who ran for District 5 in 2023: Nilu Jenks, Shane MacComber, and Justin Simmons.
The council will narrow down the list of candidates to a set of “frontrunners” over the next week. They’ll discuss the appointment and hear from candidates at meetings on July 17 and July 22; a public forum, which will reportedly be held at North Seattle Community College (although the city’s website still says “TBD”), will be held on Monday, July 21.
Under the city charter, the council has 20 days after the day a council member leaves office to appoint someone to fill that position. Because Moore’s resignation took effect on July 8, the council will take a vote on July 28.
Because Moore announced her resignation after the filing deadline for this year’s local elections, voters won’t be able to choose her replacement until 2026, the next general election. As a result, District 5 will be represented by someone people in the district did not elect for about 16 months, until Moore’s permanent replacement takes office in November 2026.
The key question I have is WHY have so many departed the city council??? Either they felt they couldn’t get their way OR they didn’t like what they saw…which is it?
I don’t think they are up to tackling the work that needs to be done. Look at where they spend their time, on graffiti or turn lanes, vs the no-longer-a-crisis/status quo of homelessness and housing affordability. They can’t make the changes that need to be made because they can’t lead the voters/build a consensus around any solution. They can’t even make Pike Place pedestrian only, when there is no reason to drive through (the complaints about people suddenly being unable to shop there comes from people who have never seen the nearby parking garages). The voters elect do-nothings, nothing gets done, lather, rinse, repeat. When the voters realize they live in a city, not just their particular suburb of Wedgwood or Green Lake or Maple Leaf, they may look at other cities for ideas. But between car-centric mobility and suburban land use, it’s hard to see anything but very incremental change.
How can we miss her if she just won’t GO AWAY??? Get lost, Ms. Juarez!