“We know this crisis is not inevitable.”
That’s how the Alliance for Gun Responsibility‘s executive director Renée Hopkins opened a forum this past week with five mayoral candidates. The Alliance presented it along with Grandmothers Against Gun Violence and the South Seattle Emerald, whose publisher Marcus Harrison Green served as moderator. Though the forum had been scheduled for a while, it happened the day after four people were shot at Alki, one fatally, and during a citywide wave of gunfire incidents.
Participating candidates, in alphabetical surname order, were Colleen Echohawk, Jessyn Farrell, Lorena González, Bruce Harrell, and Andrew Grant Houston. The five qualified by participating in the Alliance’s endorsement process and having at least 1,000 donors, Hopkins said during introductions.
The questioning included full-length answers as well as lightning-round yes/no questions. Opening statements were requested to include the answer to: “If you could wave a magic wand and do one thing to end the gun-violence epidemic, what would it be?” Here’s how the candidates responded: (Note that in all responses in this report, only quotation marks signify an exact quote – otherwise it’s our summarizing/paraphrasing.)
Echohawk: “Get rid of all guns in the city and the country … (and) this world.” Farrell: “I believe we need to be treating the gun violence epidemic the same way we’ve treated the COVID-19 epidemic … (with) all resources.” Houston: “Ensuring that at the end of the day every single person in our communities could go home to an affordable place that they’re not worried about losing and there’d be food on the table.” González: “Dismantle the insidious NRA and abolish all firearms in our city and state.” Harrell: “Remove from human beings that impulse to take a life, to kill.”
The “lightning round” of quick yes/no questions followed, with the candidates holding up signs for either thumbs up or thumbs down: Are all forms of gun violence (including suicide) preventable? All said yes. Did you participate in gun-violence awareness the first weekend in July by attending an event, wearing orange, and/or posting on social media? All said yes except Echohawk. Did you participate in the AGV’s candidate training/education event on June 7th? Only Harrell said yes. Will the candidates work to dismantle the state “pre-emption” law that prevents some local gun-related laws from being passed? All but Houston said yes. Will you work to implement all the police accountability laws passed by the Legislature? All said yes. Will you commit to an educational campaign about Extreme Risk Protection Orders? All said yes. Would you dedicate a cabinet member to gun violence? All said yes. Do you support armed school security? All said no. Does your campaign website have a section dedicated to gun violence? All said yes except Houston.
Then questions were asked by community members, with some moderator followups. First from Cherie Rowe-Proctor of Grandmothers Against Gun Violence. For Houston: You’ve called for re-allocating SPD funds to community programs but nothing specific about gun-violence prevention. Do you have a prevention plan? A: The way he addresses most problems is through “harm reduction and preventative care,” such as permanent affordable housing and other resources. He says partnership with state and federal governments is important too. His public-safety focus is investing more in resources including non-armed responders. “A lot of the violence we see comes from crisis and really struggling.” Green asked how he’d fund some of those investments. Houston didn’t directly answer that.
Next question was from Hazel Brown, a UW student and advocate, with a question for Harrell. She asked what changes he would make to ensure “true accountability” for Seattle Police. He said he already has a track record including being an early proponent of body-worn cameras. He also said that he’d ensure changes when the next police contract is negotiated – including increasing the subpoena power of the Office of Police Accountability. Green asked whether Harrell felt he did enough in his previous time on the council. He said there’d been some “give and take” because he wanted body-worn cameras and the Inspector General position. “Certainly we could have gotten more.”
Next question was from Brad Blackburn, an intern with the Alliance. He too asked González about upcoming negotiations with police. She said she’d been long working on those issues, as a civil-rights lawyer before being elected to the City Council. She said she had voted in favor of the last police union contract despite its imperfections because she saw important wins. She said she and other council colleagues passed a resolution putting their concerns on the record. Green asked her to further elaborate on how to get the contract right next time. She said they’re working on “the parameters” right now – including how to get the department back in compliance with the consent decree, including subpoena power snd arbitration matters.
Next question was from Diane Studley, an Alliance volunteer. Her question was from Echohawk; Because she’s considered an ally of Mayor Jenny Durkan, how could voters expect something different? Echohawak said she’s been working for years as Chief Seattle Club leader on Native homelessness. As part of that, “I sucked up to power and would do it again in an instant because I’ve been able to do things that no one else could do for my community.” She said she passionately fought for her community. She also said Durkan “has not done nearly enough.” If she was mayor right now, she’d be out there “asking for a ceasefire.” Green asked her to elaborate on her interest in a victim-centered response. She said “those closest to the issue have the most leadership (and) wisdom.”
Final question of this section was from John Marquez, a 19-year-old Highline College student. With gun violence increasing, youth and BIPOC people are most affected; he asked Farrell what plan she had to address that, and what role young people can take. Farrell said young people are already leading, and our area already has “so many amazing activists.” Too often, though, she said, “in the white community, too often we are galvanized when there is a shooting in a suburban community” but they need to ‘come off the sidelines” all the time, including ensuring all young people feel loved and supported. Funding community organizations is vital; recognizing that “government itself has been part of the trauma” is too. She would create an Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Green’s followup: Since the next mayor will choose a new police chief, how are you best to be trusted despite a lack of lived experience such as BIPOC communities would have? Farrell said “showing up” is what she’s done, supporting community organizations.
Audience questions were then read:
Q: How will you address the availability of “unregistered guns” on Seattle streets? Harrell said state law should allow more local flexibility – such as registration, purchasing age, training, limit the number a person could purchase in a month. González: She supports enforcing the requirement to report a stolen or lost gun. Houston: Ensure a “continuous registration” of guns so it can be assured that they’re still with their lawful owners. Statewide is important because for example a tough Seattle law could be circumvented by fewer restrictions in nearby cities. Farrell: Advocating for prevention matters, as does reinforcing current laws. Echohawk: Gun buybacks are “still an option to be explored” despite past criticism. Sun safes could be important too. “Gun safes save lives.”
Other questions were each directed at a specific participant:
Q: In a dense, urban Seattle, where SHOULD guns be allowed? González: People have the constitutional right to be armed, though it needs to be done safely and responsibly – locked up, without ammunition.
Q: How to address gun violence as an epidemic? Harrell: Data. And get away from the state laws against pre-empting people from being armed in certain conditions.
Q: Top three gun-violence-prevention priorities? Echohawk: #1 Youth-violence prevention. City resources are needed for community programs/organizations. #2 Find a way to reduce shootings. Ceasefire? #3 Improve life outcomes – more details on her website.
Q: How will you ensure a more robust regional approach? Farrell: Part of it involves advocating a vision – getting to zero gun violence. Build partnerships with other cities, like a massive investment in affordable housing, and organizations working on prevention.
Q: What are you doing to reduce suicide? Houston said public-safety alternatives, addressing mental health, investing more in building community support to help people see hope.
Another question for all: Do you have any major political role models from whom you take inspiration or have learned from?
Echohawk: Her grandmother Katie John, a chief who fought for subsistence hunting/fishing rights in Alaska for over 30 years. She taught Echohawk “how to be a servant leader.” Farrell: State House speaker Rep. Laurie Jenkins, for her work on specific issues, “taking really big steps when the moment aligns.” González: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, for building support for progress, and her mom, “she taught me what it means to fight for what’s right …. the hardest working woman I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting.” Houston: “Mayor Anne Hidalgo of Paris .. (for) making it a sustainable city and getting people out into the community. Also Sen. Elizabeth Warren for “her call for big structural change.” And (the late) Rep. Barbara Jordan, a legend “never afraid to speak truth to power.” Harrell: Former Mayor Norm Rice, for making history; former Mayor Wes Uhlman, for appointing some who made history, former Governor Gary Locke, who also made history as the first Asian King County Executive and governor.
Closing-statement highlights:
Houston: “It’s important to do this work now” – listening to community – so he’d be ready when elected. He promised he wouldn’t be a typical politician.
Harrell: “This is personal” – he spent years working with youth and has “seen firsthand what guns in the wrong hands can do.” “The stakes are too high in the city to get this wrong.”
Echohawk: “I promise you I will be innovative and a fighter” both for those who have experienced gun violence and for preventing it.
Farrell: “I want to reiterate my commitment to getting to zero gun violence in this city …. (it) truly is preventable.” Tools would include the Extreme Risk Protection Order law and scaling up community organizations.
González: She has “championed” laws such as safe storage, “allocating revenue to research” on public-health solutions to address gun violence, addressing keeping lost/stolen guns from getting into the wrong hands.
WHAT’S NEXT: August 3rd is the primary that will reduce the field of 15 mayoral candidates to two. Ballots go out in the mail in a week and a half. Before then, WSB and the West Seattle Junction Association are presenting a mayoral forum next Saturday, noon July 10th, focused on West Seattle-specific issues. We invited all 15; nine have confirmed their attendance, including the five featured in the forum that was the subject of this report. It’ll be streamed on multiple channels and will have a limited in-person audience; watch WSB for attendance details early in the week.
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