By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog

Today marks one week left to vote for one member of the King Conservation District Board of Supervisors, whose elections often get overlooked since they’ve been separate from other voting cycles and ballots. You’re voting to choose one of three candidates – two of whom are West Seattleites – to serve on the five-member board responsible for overseeing KCD operations, budget, and setting policy.

First, here’s what the King Conservation District is: A special-purpose district under the Washington State Conservation Commission, focused on promoting “the sustainable use of natural resources,” according to its website. The KCD collaborates with private residents, cities, and organizations to provide technical assistance in resource management. It is primarily funded by a per-parcel fee and does not receive money from the state’s General Fund. (Here’s a simple breakdown of some of what the KCD does.)

KCD elections – which choose three of the five supervisors – are subject to historically lower voter turnouts because they are not a part of regular King County ballot. When the Conservation Districts were created in 1939, the Washington State Conservation Commission was made responsible for establishing electoral procedures (RCW 89.08), that do not fall under the state statute for general elections (RCW 29A).

That could change soon – HB 2499, primarily sponsored by State House Rep. Mia Gregerson, is currently in committee. The bill would effectively permit conservation districts to choose to hold their elections under RCW 29A, alongside other federal-, state-, and local-office elections, potentially bringing in more votes.

As of today at 12 PM, 5,467 ballots have been returned out of a total 488,692 eligible voters in the district, approximately 1%.

The current election pertains to District No. 3 of the KCD, developed after the Board of Supervisors voted to expand its three elected seats into three separate board districts based on location. District No. 3 represents western King County, including Seattle, Vashon/Maury Islands, and parts of Renton and Tukwila. All eligible voters and candidates must reside within District 3.

Three candidates are running to fill the board seat; from their candidate statements, which you can read in full here:

Erica Chung
Chung earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics and International Studies at University of California Los Angeles, with a master’s degree in Public Administration at Evergreen State. She currently works as a strategic adviser in the Commission Office for the Port of Seattle, a position she has held for five years. She has worked on the Wolf Creek Ravine revitalization project and developed an urban forest stewardship plan. Through which she also collaborated with the City of Seattle and the KCD. Through the board position, she aims to enhance its visibility in the community, amplify its work with local elected officials, and build strong public-private partnerships.

Csenka Favorini-Csorba
Favorini-Csorba, a West Seattle resident, is running for reelection, and was chosen as Vice Chair of the board in 2025. She earned her master’s degree in Environmental Sciences, Policy, and Management. During her term, she led a resolution for the Washington Association of Conservation Districts to provide tribal-relations training, has put in continued work to get the KCD election on the general ballot, and has been an advocate prioritizing funds to local environmental-justice organizations.

Chris Porter
Porter, also a West Seattle resident, earned his bachelor’s degree in nursing at San Diego State University, and a master’s on the family nurse practitioner track at Western University. He served on the KCD board once before, from 2020-2023. During his time, he helped to reshape the district’s structure, elections, finances, funding, and relationship with King County. He has a personal passion for conservation, transforming his yard into a wildlife habitat and using a bicycle as his primary mode of transportation. He aims to create a strong sense of community and prioritize conservation efforts.

HOW TO VOTE: Voting began on January 20, 2026 and will end on February 10, 2026 at 8:00 pm. The election relies primarily on electronic ballot access, though physical ballots are also available if you request one ASAP; they must be postarked by February 10 and received by February 19. You can vote online through the KCD webpage.