Seattle City Council to open applications for vacant District 2 seat
SEATTLE - The Seattle City Council will officially open applications to fill the seat vacated by councilmember Tammy Morales.
Council president Sara Nelson made the announcement Monday.
"We look forward to hearing from and considering the leaders from District 2 who are willing to put themselves forward during this critical time for Seattle. This is especially true as we turn to the Comprehensive Plan and continue our work to enhance public safety and increase accountability," said Nelson.
The councilmember who wins appointment will serve District 2 until the next city election. Whoever runs for candidacy then will serve out the remainder of Morales' term, which goes until Dec. 2027.
What happened to Tammy Morales?
Morales is resigning from her seat representing Seattle's District 2, effective Jan. 6. Morales claims the current city council — whose five newest members were only just sworn in this year — have been steadily eroding "the essential checks and balances system."
After submitting her resignation in early December, Morales wrote, "Since January, this Council has:
- Interfered with the ability of our non-partisan Council Central Staff to provide objective policy analysis.
- Suppressed the will of voters by offering an alternative ballot initiative that would effectively gut the Seattle social housing developer next February.
- Stifled first amendment rights during public comment by arresting people.
- Intimidated commenters by having a police presence when any controversial legislation is considered.
- Witnessed a significant reduction of institutional knowledge through the departure of 3 Council Central policy staff, the entire Council communications team, members of our human resources and finance team, and several legislative aides.
- Attempted to defund a critical program for addressing anti-displacement and supporting community economic development led by people of color.
- Passed 11 separate bills to increase the punitive nature of our criminal legal system without any additional meaningful accountability for our police department.
- And passed a budget that reduces funding for social services for our most vulnerable while dramatically increasing funding for jails, police, and sweeps."
Morales also spoke about the toll her role has taken on her personal health, saying the demands of public office had led to a deterioration in both her mental and physical well-being. She emphasized that this is a challenge faced by many women in public office.
"I’m not going anywhere," said Morales. "I just need some time to think about how best to serve the City I love and find the next opportunity to repair the harm done to Black and brown communities, democratize access to power and resources, and plan for the 7th generation."
Who will fill the City Council vacancy?
According to the City Council, the city charter allows for 20 days to fill the position. In this case, the 20-day period begins Jan. 7, 2025, the first day after Morales' resignation.
Applications are open from 8:00 a.m. on Jan. 2, 2025 to 5:00 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2025. Applicants must submit an email to councilvacancy@seattle.gov by then.
Applications must include a resume, cover letter and completed financial interest form. State and local laws require applicants to be:
- A U.S. citizen
- A qualified Washington State elector
- Able to read and write English
- An active registered voter in the City of Seattle at least 120 days prior to filing a declaration of candidacy
The City Council is also required to hold a public forum on the applications, which is not yet scheduled, but anticipated to occur around Jan. 21.
A full City Council meeting is scheduled on Monday, Jan. 27 to vote on applicants. The winning candidate must receive a simple majority of at least five votes to be appointed.
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