ELECTION 2023: Rob Saka officially announces Seattle City Council District 1 campaign

Rob Saka is the latest candidate to announce a campaign for the Seattle City Council District 1 seat that Lisa Herbold is leaving at the end of the year. Saka’s announcement describes him as an “attorney, community advocate, and father” as well as a U.S. Air Force veteran who is “the son of a Nigerian immigrant and former warehouse worker (who) overcame abject poverty, a traumatic and unstable home life cycling through the foster care system.” (His website includes a detailed biography.) He is quoted as saying he’s “running to serve the people of District 1 with their best interests in mind first (and) to work on real solutions to issues like public safety and homelessness, rather than play politics.” In the past five years Saka has served on advisory groups including King County’s Charter Commission and Districting Committee and the City of Seattle Police Chief Search Committee. He is a West Seattle resident and the third candidate to send an official campaign announcement, after Maren Costa and Preston Anderson last month. We’ll be starting candidate interviews shortly so you can get to know them better. Also, Saka says he’s planning “an informal candidate meet-and-greet at the West Seattle Farmers Market on Sunday, February 19th from 10 am-1 pm.” Formal filing week is May 15-19, so the field of candidates won’t be finalized until then; the primary election is August 1st.

bradley February 14, 2023 (12:16 pm)

Hard pass.

Genesee5Points February 14, 2023 (12:20 pm)

OK… On the “Five Clown Scale” Rob Saka is a 3 (Preston Anderson is a 4 and Maren Costa is a 5). The good from his website: Timely response from police and first responders, Hire and retain police officers, Empower police, Coordinated homeless encampment response focused on cleanup, Repairing roads, Maintaining bridges, Improving public transit, Keeping parks open safe and welcoming, Being a good steward of the peoples tax dollars. The rest is just virtue signaling, performative, nonsense that wastes money and doesn’t garner results as proven over time in D1. We’re getting closer to a candidate that wants what the majority of The People of D1 want, but we’re not there yet. Rob, congratulations, at 3 clowns, you’re the best candidate yet!

Frog February 14, 2023 (3:59 pm)

He seems like a nice guy, and promises everything. Either he has some magic that has eluded all the other local politicians, or someone will be disappointed. In fairness, politicians tend to be that way. You just have to make your best guess — are you the one being tricked, or the other side?
- Olive February 14, 2023 (5:58 pm)
  
  And commenters such as yourself tend to be this way. Ribbit. What can you do for us?
WS Guy February 14, 2023 (10:12 pm)

I look forward to continuing analysis in terms of the clown scale. It is accurate.

West Seattle JB February 14, 2023 (12:43 pm)

I appreciate this line from Saka’s priorities: ‘As much as I would like to change the world, I know that real, lasting change starts at home right here in Seattle.’ The other two candidates are focused on fixing the world’s problems from the seat of a mid-market city council. Now excuse my while I head off to replace my second tire blown at the hands of a pothole.

Oakley34 February 15, 2023 (2:56 pm)

Maybe slow down behind the wheel?

Fauntleroy Fairy February 14, 2023 (1:00 pm)

No thank you.

AdmResident February 14, 2023 (1:20 pm)

Rob has my vote. If you want someone different on city council for District 1, it sounds like this is the person to bring in a fresh view.

my two cents February 14, 2023 (2:20 pm)

Fresh view? “running to serve the people of District 1 with their best interests in mind first (and) to work on real solutions to issues like public safety and homelessness, rather than play politics.” …. sounds like a Herbold soundbite.
Anne February 14, 2023 (2:55 pm)

Fresh view???? What fresh view???
BP February 28, 2023 (6:31 pm)

Could not agree more! Rob is a solid individual who deeply cares for WS. If you haven’t taken the time to talk to him you should. He runs the Alki Trail daily. He has my enthusiastic vote!

CarDriver February 14, 2023 (1:25 pm)

The BIG problem for us is that ALL these candidates offer up great soundbites of what they’re going to do. The sad reality is that what they actually do if they get into office RARELY matches what they said they’d do.

Kyle February 14, 2023 (1:40 pm)

First candidate I’ve seen actually interested in solving CITY COUNCIL problems instead of just getting activist air time. Looking forward to hearing more of his views on public safety, transportation, parks, growth, and how to get our city services to run more efficiently.

Derek February 14, 2023 (1:58 pm)

Rob is a great candidate!!! Has my vote!

Scubafrog February 14, 2023 (2:17 pm)

Mr. Saka sounds really neat – an extraordinary resume, and definitely someone I can get behind regarding his priorities.

Lucy February 14, 2023 (2:21 pm)

True diversity on the city council would include a conservative.

Seattlite February 14, 2023 (4:30 pm)

Lucy…Thanks for a great comment. There is never any debate on the city council about policies that do more harm than good for Seattleites. I would rather see an experienced, successful medium to large-sized business owner who had to meet payrolls, keep customers happy, and create a budget as a candidate. At least that type of candidate understands what it takes to run a successful business which is not that far from running a successful city.
- WestSeattleBadTakes February 15, 2023 (8:46 am)
  
  Yes, we need more wage theft and dehumanization from the business goons.
- Mark47n February 15, 2023 (2:38 pm)
  
  Often people think they want business men to be in politics because they understand budgeting. What they don’t understand, however, and get frustrated with is that the services still need to be provided and that they are answerable to their constituents. They often don’t care for the idea of being public servants. Business and government are not similar in any form and the belief that they are is sophomoric at best and destructive at worst. We don’t have to look too far back to see evidence of that.
uncle loco February 14, 2023 (4:34 pm)

Last candidate that leaned conservative had to withdraw from the race due to alleged threats to him and his family.https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-council-candidate-ends-campaign-over-threats-of-sexual-violence-and-racism
- Ivan Weiss February 15, 2023 (10:05 am)
  
  “Leaned conservative? That was Christopher Rufo, an outright fascist and racist now working for the fascist and racist thug Ron DeSantis, trying to turn Florida into a right-wing hellhole before he runs for President.
Natasha February 15, 2023 (7:23 am)

I agree but Conservatives need to get out and vote. Sometime back I looked at the number of registered conservative voters who actually voted and the number was pitiful. It appears many are staying home and don’t fill out their ballots and get them in the mail or Dropbox. I was very surprised. Complaining doesn’t make the changes needed. Voting does.
- Ivan Weiss February 15, 2023 (10:40 am)
  
  There is no such thing as a “registered conservative” in this state, because (1) there is no “conservative” party in WA, and (2) WA does not have partisan registration. So I can’t imagine what it was you were looking at, or how you were able to count it
WestSeattleBadTakes February 15, 2023 (8:44 am)

Shucks, if only they had good ideas.
N in Seattle February 15, 2023 (1:01 pm)

Hahahaha. There are vanishingly few conservatives in Seattle (unless you consider moderate Democrats to be “conservative”). Let me put it this way: In the 2022 election, exactly one of Seattle’s 1027 precincts didn’t give Patty Murray a majority … and only two people voted in that precinct (one for Patty, the other for Smiley). Or maybe you think the County Attorney race is a better proxy for “conservative”; in that race, 31 precincts gave Ferrell the (usually slight) majority of their votes, and only three of those are in the 34th.
Derek February 16, 2023 (9:44 am)

You already have clown Sarah Nelson handling that.
- Gene February 19, 2023 (9:37 pm)
  
  Implying that moderate Democrat Sarah Nelson is a “conservative” is part of the problem. We have no conservative politicians in any office in the City of Seattle. Centrists and moderate Democrats are not Nazi’s.

Alf February 14, 2023 (2:24 pm)

Would WSB consider soliciting written questions from readers to be included in your interview of candidates some of our neighbors have limited mobility and not always able to participate in community forums, might identify different themes of what is important to community members

WSB February 14, 2023 (2:36 pm)

Anybody with a specific question is welcome to post it here. We’ll also be hosting at least one forum after Filing Week finalizes the list of people who are truly running. But I would also urge people to email the candidates directly – if you ask a question and don’t get an answer from someone seeking your vote, that’s a pretty bad sign IMO.

Vee February 14, 2023 (2:28 pm)

Dont think so, not really any different

Scarlett February 14, 2023 (5:56 pm)

I have no opinion on Mr. Saka, but politicians are a reflection of the populace, not the other way around. We have the politicians we have because we are the society we are.

Ryan February 15, 2023 (7:34 pm)

I’ve met Rob and he’s a really nice guy. Now I see he has an impressive resume as well. I’m glad to see he’s running for council and I’m excited to hear more from him.

Jonathan February 18, 2023 (9:20 am)

Rob has my vote. I teach at a public middle school in West Seattle. Many folks here are right, that as a political candidate, his website has some of the same “cliche” phrases we’ve heard from candidates in the past. However, as Rob’s neighbor, I can see his genuine concern for what’s happening in district 1. So when the RV comes and parks in OUR neighborhood, when the gunshots ring out a block away from our houses, when a bike goes missing, Robs family and mine experience it together, try to problem solve together, and share concerns. So I have a unique view of actually knowing this guy for years and seeing this process come to fruition, He’s fed up because it’s happening to him too! He wants D1 to be better for his kids, my kids, our community, and ultimately the city.

Sorry, comment time is over.