ELECTION 2023: Seattle City Council District 1 vote update

One more week until the primary vote is finalized and certified, but from here on out it’s down to a daily trickle of ballots, if that. So with today’s update in, adding just a few more votes, we’re going to take one more look at how Seattle City Council District 1 shook out:

Maren Costa 8,760 33.15 %
Rob Saka 6,360 24.07 %
Phil Tavel 5,311 20.10 %
Preston Anderson 2,213 8.38 %
Stephen Brown 1,650 6.24 %
Jean Iannelli Craciun 836 3.16 %
Lucy Barefoot 766 2.90 %
Mia Jacobson 472 1.79 %

Turnout in this district is at 36.7 percent and not likely to move much beyond that. Top two finishers advance to the November 7th general election, for which voting will begin in mid-October.

onion August 7, 2023 (5:11 pm)

Some people are disappointed by Costa’s strong showing. The key question, though, is can Saka nab enough votes that went to other candidates to overtake Costa? I’m betting he can.

JunctionResident August 8, 2023 (8:45 am)

Yea, I’m thinking the same. I was a Tavel voter; however, I will definitely be voting for Saka the pragmatic choice.

J August 7, 2023 (5:26 pm)

Wow. The majority of people did not vote. Pathetic.

WS Res August 7, 2023 (8:04 pm)

What did you to get out the vote?Text organizing is one thing almost anyone can do to help GOTV efforts here and all over the country.
- RickB August 7, 2023 (10:07 pm)
  
  Please no more text “organizing”! It’s spam and immediately gets a “block number” from me.
  - WS Res August 8, 2023 (12:47 pm)
    
    It’s your phone; you’re allowed. But it’s effective in getting potential voters registered and to the polls.
The King August 7, 2023 (8:40 pm)

Voter turnout appears to be a mirror of the city, apparently nobody cares
Jort August 8, 2023 (10:24 am)

New York City’s 2023 primary election voter turnout was in the neighborhood of 7 percent of the city’s 2.8 million registered voters. Seattle actually has quite high voter turnout, and the idea that the present levels of turnout only benefit progressive candidates is, um, pretty laughable and absurd. Conservative candidates benefit greatly from off-year, lower-participation elections.
- WSB August 8, 2023 (12:13 pm)
  
  Looked that NYC rate up because it was shocking and hadn’t heard it before. But true:
  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/02/opinion/editorials/better-government-in-new-york-depends-on-higher-voter-turnout.html

Jort August 7, 2023 (5:38 pm)

Well, it looks like District 1 now knows which candidate will carry the conservative, anti-progressive banner for Seattle. A former corporate lawyer defending Facebook, Rob Saka, who is hand-picked by best buddy Bruce “Why Aren’t You Applauding My Greatness?” Harrell, and bankrolled by the biggest Trump donors in Seattle, is going to have a tough road ahead! We’ll see how it goes! Let’s “double-click” in on this race!

Wsbeachcomber August 7, 2023 (7:17 pm)

Sounds great! Bring on Saka! Harrell has been the only one to make the tough choices to clean up this city — so not sure why this is a bad thing. I am really surprised so many people think that things have been great. Crime, shootings!, encampments, trash along all the roads, tagging everywhere, shoplifting, businesses leaving. I am not sure what the end game is for those that want more of the same. It will only be so long until enough voters are impacted by crime, lack of police response, lack of police ability to do anything about crime, before everyone will realize is time for a change. Comparing Harrell to Trump is…I can’t find the words…flabbergasting.
- Amy August 7, 2023 (9:51 pm)
  
  Funny-I don’t recall Harrell doing anything about the issues of Seattle when we was on the city council for 10+ years, 4 of which he was president, leaving in 2020.
- Kadoo August 8, 2023 (6:54 am)
  
  Amen to WS Beachcomber!
- K August 8, 2023 (7:52 am)
  
  Harrell was on city council for 12 years, until 2020. And you’re saying crime, shootings, etc. are all way up, even though Bruce has been mayor making “tough choices to clean up the city”. Bruce Harrell is now, and always has been, one of the lazier members of city leadership and a showboat. If you want more of the same, by all means keep voting for Harrell and his friends, but some of us want to see real change in this city. Glad to see Costa in front.
- James August 8, 2023 (10:44 am)
  
  Sounds like you memory hole’d Harrell being on council for over a decade and contributing to the housing crisis.
JunctionResident August 8, 2023 (8:48 am)

Bruce has made a lot of progress with Seattle, the city is looking so much better now than it did when he took over. Saka is a good dude, he stopped by my house to meet and greet and I ended up talking to him for a good 20 minutes. I look forward to supporting him in the general.
- Delridge420 August 8, 2023 (9:21 pm)
  
  I also talked to him on my driveway and agree he seems like a nice guy. Which makes it more unfortunate that he’s extremely light on ideas and policy. I’d like to vote for the guy but good vibes aren’t going to cut it.
flimflam August 8, 2023 (9:28 am)

Jory, you post some outlandish stuff but to suggest that “trump money” is going to any democrat in any city is absurd.
- WS Res August 8, 2023 (12:55 pm)
  
  Maybe you want to read up on who’s funding his campaign?
  - WS native August 8, 2023 (4:53 pm)
    
    well is a stranger article so it MUST be true. I mean, those guys never make stuff it about anyone who isn’t far far left.also to the whiny Jorts of the world who complain all the time, step up and run or volunteer/ canvas for a candidate anytime instead of simply being a keyboard warrior.
    - Delridge420 August 10, 2023 (12:25 am)
      
      Do you actually dispute the facts in the story or are you just here to whinge about the political slant of The Stranger?
- James August 8, 2023 (1:44 pm)
  
  Trump money is LITERALLY going to Saka.
  - Welp August 8, 2023 (2:32 pm)
    
    If that’s true, then it’s bc he’s the only candidate who is fully against seattle’s climbing crime rates. Never a good thing to be too tribal in any one direction. It’s ok to say “im not a right winger BUT i think crimes going unpunished is bad for society.” I fully expect that WS residents will factor this into their voting, without worrying about “right vs left” optics. Crime in WS is a problem that needs aggressive solutions, not soft solutions.
    - Delridge420 August 8, 2023 (9:17 pm)
      
      I thought we elected a Republican city attorney to punish people for criming. Guess she’s lazy and ineffective.
    - Danimal August 9, 2023 (1:32 am)
      
      She’s not a Republican and your assertion that she is, is disingenuous and you know it.
    - Delridge420 August 10, 2023 (12:16 am)
      
      @Danimal she left the Democratic Party by posting a “Walk Away” video that was part of a campaign launched by a January 6th insurrectionist. She’s a Republican that doesn’t want the name because the brand is toxic in this city.
Gaslit August 8, 2023 (11:23 am)

Please state one policy position of Bruce Harrell or Rob Saka that would fit as “conservative” or “anti-progressive”. The word you’re searching for there is actually regressive.
- Delridge420 August 10, 2023 (12:18 am)
  
  Jailing drug addicts because you’re out of ideas sounds pretty conservative to me.

DanielJ August 7, 2023 (6:07 pm)

Maren Costa = Lisa Herbold. nuff said. WAKE UP WEST SEATTLE

admyrl byrd August 7, 2023 (7:11 pm)

Can’t get enough activists

Robbie Craft August 7, 2023 (7:02 pm)

Well…if everyone who voted for Tavel goes on to vote for Saka, which seems incredibly likely, that would leave Costa….crushed. I’m looking forward to it. I never thought I would stray this far from the party line, but enough is enough.

Rhonda August 7, 2023 (7:06 pm)

Saka will be an excellent representative of District 1. Tavel voters can easily put Saka over the top.

James August 8, 2023 (1:45 pm)

I’ve already seen many Saka voters leaning Costa. So this assumption is not correct. Lucy Barefoot votes, and many progressives who skip the primary season and show up for general tend will go Costa…so good luck with that.

anonyme August 7, 2023 (7:07 pm)

I have to agree with Daniel J. Jort’s rant about Saka makes me think I need to take a second look. Otherwise, I’ll be doing a write-in come November. Really tired of voting for the candidate I hate the least.

Josh August 7, 2023 (7:21 pm)

The general will be different but simply understood you had Saka and Tavel as just barely left of center and then Costa slightly to the left of them. Assuming most of Tavels votes go to Saka and most of the votes for those left of Costa go to her it seems reasonable to suspect Costa will represent us. I personally voted in the primary before I took a closer look then I did with my initial glance and voted for Saka. After looking more closely at everyone’s positions and background and how they have run their campaign thus far I will definitely correct my mistake of voting for Saka and in the general be for Costa. I appreciate her positions, preparation, history of standing up for workers and stable non confrontational support network.

Tired of the BS August 7, 2023 (10:00 pm)

Here we are one week since the election and county is still counting votes. Less than 40% voter turn out. Mail-in voting for the WIN!

CAM August 7, 2023 (10:21 pm)

Please tell me how this is negatively impacting you. What exactly would happen differently if more of the votes were counted on election day? You know that even if the state was to return to in-person voting as the default that the vote would not be certified for weeks anyway because they would still have to wait to receive absentee ballots from 1) military, 2) disabled voters, and 3) voters with other legitimate reasons for being unable to appear at a polling place on election day. Elections have never been certified or finalized on election day.
- flimflam August 8, 2023 (9:30 am)
  
  A month does feel like a long time, especially with the paltry turnout. Imagine how long it’d take if 75% voted?
  - Jort August 8, 2023 (10:28 am)
    
    Probably about the same amount of time, since about 84% of registered voters turned out for the 2020 election? And it still took about as long to do the work? Because elections officials actually do a good job, and staff up for busier elections? And because the mail takes a while to come in? Because there isn’t some big conspiracy at work here? Here we see the right-wing, extremist conservative orthodoxy taking root even in West Seattle Blog comments sections. The election is safe, secure, and slow. Deal with it.
  - CAM August 8, 2023 (9:09 pm)
    
    A month? It’s been one week since election day. The vote will be certified in one week. That is some new math if that equals a month. Also, back to the original question, even if it did take a month how does that negatively impact you or anyone else?

Wes August 8, 2023 (11:21 am)

I kindly ask if Tavel can go take all of his signs down now. They are everywhere and there doesn’t seem to be a crew out to pick them up.

anonyme August 8, 2023 (12:47 pm)

All the candidate’s signs are still up, not just Tavel’s. The actual election isn’t until November, so the signs could technically be considered pre-election – unless it is for someone who has been officially excluded. I mean, I think the signs are trashy at any time, but Tavel’s is no more or less inappropriate than the others.
- Derek August 8, 2023 (6:18 pm)
  
  Because he clearly lost? Don’t need his signs. I thought that Seattlite’s comment was obvious…
Alki resident August 8, 2023 (2:15 pm)

Why Tavel? I see tons of different signs that are still out? Why him specifically?
- K August 8, 2023 (6:20 pm)
  
  Because he already lost and might need them again for the next election?
- Wes August 9, 2023 (4:26 pm)
  
  Because he/campaign staff put out a vast majority of the signs, and now that he has lost, its time to take them down. I agree, the rest should take their signs down too. Sorry I singled him out, they all can go.
  - Delridge420 August 10, 2023 (12:22 am)
    
    And maybe when they remove their signs they can do a service to the community and pull some of those massive weeds on the Delridge median.

Millie August 8, 2023 (2:50 pm)

It appears the low voter turn-out might be a result of candidate platforms. We know what the issues are: public safety (police staffing issues, overall public safety), homelessness, so forth and so on. We also know the current City of Seattle policies and actions resulted in where we are today. Throwing money at programs that have not/do not work is not the answer. Nor are more and more tax levies the answer. We need accountability from both the Executive and Legislative branches in respect to what programs worked, what didn’t work and how the money was spent. I’m not asking the remaining candidates to have the definitive answer at this point, however, an assurance to actually review and consider all options and alternatives in search of resolution. Basic critical thinking.

Seattlite August 8, 2023 (4:35 pm)

I reread Tavel’s, Saka’s, Costa’s voter pamphlet statements. Only Tavel set himself apart from the same ol same ol that has not worked to solve West Seattle’s and greater Seattle’s problems. I voted for Tavel based on his more common sense approach in planning to solve old problems that have not been solved in years and years.

Derek August 8, 2023 (6:15 pm)

Tavel was the furthest from “common sense” and I’m glad most voters agreed. Common sense looks at fixing economic problems economically and not with jail.
- Danimal August 9, 2023 (1:37 am)
  
  Here we go again.Derek, all crime is not economically-based. Some criminals are just that, criminals. They don’t want to be reformed, and they can’t be. They need jail. And the electorate in this city can’t stop wringing their hands enough to move them across the page to fill in the boxes for the candidates who might actually help hold them accountable.
  - Derek August 9, 2023 (2:43 pm)
    
    What you want, is fascism. You’re doing your own odd personal projections on people. Speaking about what “they” want with random assumptions. You’re categorically wrong. https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/06/21/us-criminal-justice-system-fuels-poverty-cycle
    - Admyrl Byrd August 10, 2023 (8:48 pm)
      
      Justice by incarceration as a disincentive is not fascism. Stop it if you want to be taken seriously.
  - BETTER IDEA August 11, 2023 (2:18 am)
    
    > some criminals are just that, criminals. They don’t want to be reformed, and they can’t be
    
    so you’re proposing that the state should be in charge of determining indefinite imprisonment because… they feel like it?
    
    how much is “some”, Danimal? does that “some” justify the system that crushes all alike? the person that’s just a “criminal” along side those that committed a crime due to poverty. because you didn’t say that economically-based crime didn’t exist! you agree it does, but because you feel that there are just some bad, bad people out there (let me guess, you Christian? or just brainwashed by US’ puritan framework?) we should support a system that destroys those evil-doers and unlucky just the same.

Patience August 8, 2023 (5:41 pm)

Candidates and their supporters: PLEASE REMOVE your signs.Maren Costa still has 5 along west side of Delridge between Genesee and Oregon.

CAM August 8, 2023 (9:07 pm)

Maren Costa is still campaigning. She can leave her signs up.

KayK August 8, 2023 (9:36 pm)

Grab a sign – those metal “legs” are super useful in the garden!

Scarlett August 9, 2023 (8:40 am)

Sure, you can have plumped up home values, a nice stock portfolion, clean crime-free neighborhoods, stellar schools, and there is no associated societal costs somewhere, for someone. I wonder how it is possible for some to live in this state of perpetual cognitive dissonance their entire adult (“adult”) lives given the tremendous mental resources it must require. People are very curious creatures.

Sorry, comment time is over.