Girmay Zahilay has won the election for King County executive. Zahilay, a county councilmember, had 53.2% of the vote as of Friday afternoon.
Zahilay said in a news release that "this was a people-powered campaign” and that he was deeply grateful to have been chosen for the influential position.
"This is the place that raised me, supported my family, and made my story possible,” he said. “To now lead this region and help shape the community that gave me everything is the honor of my lifetime."
Zahilay, 38, is the first new executive elected to the office in over a decade. The Seattle Times reports he will be the youngest person to hold that office, as well as the first immigrant and refugee. The former longtime executive, Dow Constantine, announced last year that he would not run for re-election, and stepped down earlier this year. The council appointed Shannon Braddock to serve for the remainder of his term.
After a crowded primary, Zahilay ran against fellow councilmember Claudia Balducci in a tight race this fall.
Balducci congratulated Zahilay on his victory in a news release Friday, saying they frequently heard voters speak highly of both candidates throughout the campaign.
“This puts us in a rare position in politics today to end an election campaign unified rather than divided and well-aligned to work in tandem for the best interest for all of King County going forward,” she said.
Balducci ran on a platform of experience and attention to expanding public transportation. She will continue to serve on the county council.
The King County executive is a powerful position in the state’s most populous county. In this role, Zahilay will oversee more than 18,000 employees, managing a $20 billion biennial budget and systems including health and human services, wastewater treatment, courts and transit. The job is something supporters say he's ready for.
“When he sees a problem, he brings together the affected parties, and he listens deeply, and even if those affected parties disagree with each other, he finds the common ground and figures out how to make progress,” Zahilay’s campaign manager, Suzi LeVine, told KNKX on election night.
Zahilay was born in Sudan. His family, originally from Ethiopia, emigrated to Seattle when he was 3 years old. They lived in South Seattle public housing, and he spent his teen years in Skyway, which he now represents on the county council.
Zahilay graduated from Franklin High School, going on to earn degrees at Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He went on to work for a time in the Obama White House and practiced business law. Zahilay entered regional politics in 2019 when he unseated longtime incumbent King County Councilmember Larry Gossett.
Zahilay entered his packed election night party on Tuesday pushing a baby stroller with his daughter, almost 2, and accompanied by his wife, Joyce Bruce, who is 8 months pregnant.
A diverse group of supporters showed up. As part of the event, Zahilay called his donors — big and small — up to the stage and gave them flowers to show his appreciation even before the outcome was known. He said the campaign was humbling.
Chris Porter, a nurse, said he himself has run for public office and knows how hard that is, especially for Black men. He said Zahilay embodies change.
"He's really shown himself to place the interest of community and the well being of others in the front of why he seeks office. And no empty promises, but things that are realistic, meaningful and really just spoke to me,” Porter said.
Genet Gebru, 41, lives in Burien and brought her daughter, 16-year-old Mercedes Lamont, with her to the election night party.
“He's done a lot already. And so I think moving forward, this will give him the power and segue also, to do more,” she said. “Sometimes within the systems, you can't do as much, but when you are in higher office and higher position, then you'll be able to do more.”
Like Zahilay’s family, Gebru is from Ethiopia but grew up here. And while that’s not her main reason for supporting him, Gebru said his life experiences help him to relate to all kinds of people.
In his campaign, Zahilay has talked about the need to better serve the roughly 250,000 people living in unincorporated areas of the county. He has emphasized the work he’s done toward that goal on the county council.
As this is a special election, Zahilay will take office on Nov. 25. The upcoming term will only go through 2028; the executive office was switched to even-year elections to encourage more voter turnout.
After the results were announced Friday, Zahilay said his team will spend the next three years focused on affordable housing, homelessness, public safety, mental health and addiction recovery, transportation and infrastructure.
In Friday's news release he said, "At the same time, we will stand firm against federal policies and funding cuts that harm our communities and undermine local progress."
