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KUOW Blog

News, factoids, and insights from KUOW's newsroom. And maybe some peeks behind the scenes. Check back daily for updates.

Have any leads or feedback for the KUOW Blog? Contact Dyer Oxley at dyer@kuow.org.

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  • Tammy Morales sticks with defund police message, leads in South Seattle council race

    Tammy Morales, the incumbent Seattle City councilmember for District 2, south Seattle, is narrowly leading after Tuesday night’s ballot drop.

    Morales, who took office in 2020, was a strong supporter of the defunding of the police movement during the 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests.

    Other councilmembers have backpedaled their support for the movement, but Morales still firmly stands with it.

    She recently repeated her views about the need to divert funds from the Seattle Police Department into different purposes after last week’s shooting at the Rainier Beach Safeway.

    “That was a situation where our community based organizations that are doing work every night to make sure our communities stay safe, need more support,” Morales said.

    “Police don't prevent crime. We need to be investing in the things that can prevent crime. And that means changing the community conditions that lead to violence in the first place.”

    Both Morales and her opponent Tanya Woo will move into the November election if they remain the top two candidates.

    Morales leads by about 300 votes over her opponent Tanya Woo. Woo is running for the first time and grew up in the Chinatown -International District.

    Woo also led the movement to stop a proposed expansion of a homeless shelter in the Chinatown-International District and other neighborhoods.

    Morales said she’s confident ballot results will continue to be in her favor.

    Continue reading »

  • What message did Seattle voters send in the Aug. 1 primary?

    When voters aren’t happy, they typically punish the elected officials in power. It happened two years ago when City Council President Lorena González lost her race for mayor against Bruce Harrell by nearly 20 percentage points.

    But after the first ballot count in the Aug. 1 primary election this year, it’s not yet clear what message Seattle voters are sending on the issues they tell pollsters they’re most frustrated about – homelessness and public safety.

    There are seven City Council seats on the ballot this year. Forty-five people are vying for these seats. Only three incumbents sought re-election, which means four districts are wide open, adding to the uncertainty.

    Among the incumbents, Councilmember Dan Strauss (District 6: Ballard area) did the best with over 50% after the first count. Strauss was first elected as a part of a progressive wave in 2019. His closest opponent, Fremont Chamber of Commerce head and former bar owner Pete Hanning, had 29%.

    Hanning hopes to draw a contrast on public safety, and promises to make it his top priority, which includes greater support for the Seattle Police Department as well as police reform.

    Councilmember Tammy Morales did second best of the incumbents, with 48% after the first count. She represents District 2, which runs from the Chinatown International District down to Beacon Hill.

    District 2 voters are among the most progressive in the city. On the issues, Morales, who also won for the first time in 2019, ventures furthest left among the incumbent council members running this year.

    She told KUOW she would cut the Seattle police budget, for example, if it were the only way to pay for alternatives to policing and programs to address the root causes of crime. Just this week, Morales voted to support a rent control ordinance sponsored by Socialist Councilmember Kshama Sawant. That measure was ultimately defeated 6-2.

    Running more to the center in District 2, Tanya Woo, an activist in Chinatown-International District, came in a close second with 45% after first count. Woo is closer to Mayor Bruce Harrell on the issues and supports his policies of clearing homeless encampments and RVs. Nor would she vote to cut the Seattle police budget.

    In District 7 which includes downtown, Andrew Lewis earned the fewest votes among the incumbents, with 41% after the first count.

    Some election experts say anything below 45% could spell trouble for an incumbent in the general election, but there are still many more votes to be counted in the primary and many months before the general election.

    Lewis was also elected in 2019, in part with strong financial support from labor. On election night, challenger and Navy veteran Bob Kettle was at 33%, vowing to crack down on crime and help downtown businesses recover from the pandemic.

    Continue reading »

  • Seattle city council incumbents likely headed to general election

    All three incumbents running in Seattle’s City Council primary election appeared likely to advance to the general election, as of Tuesday night.

    More mail-in ballots will be tallied later this week, and these results could change in the days ahead. But for now, things are looking good for Tammy Morales (District 2: South Seattle), Dan Strauss (District 6: Ballard area) and Andrew Lewis (District 7: Downtown and Queen Anne). All three are currently serving their first term on the council.

    Strauss had 8,754 votes (50.8%), as of the first ballot drop — the most of any candidate for City Council so far.

    Lewis had 4,894 (40.9%), and Morales had 5,624 (48.1%).

    A total of 45 candidates are vying for seven council seats in this primary race. The top-two vote-getters in each district will advance to the general election this November. City Council seats are non-partisan, meaning candidates don’t have to declare a political party affiliation.

    In District 2, which includes the Chinatown-International District and stretches down to Beacon Hill, Tanya Woo was also leading on election night with 5,305 votes (45.4%). A third candidate in that district, Margaret Elisabeth, was also on the ballot in this district. They’d received 694 votes (5.9%) as of Tuesday night.

    Pete Hanning was also top of the pack in District 6 – which includes Magnolia, Greenlake, Ballard, Fremont and others – with 5,106 votes (29.6%) on election night. Four other candidates are running in this district.

    Continue reading »

  • Election results: 2023 primary in Seattle and King County

    This is the first drop of primary election results from August 1, 2023, for Seattle and King County. This was last updated on Tuesday evening; there will be more updates as ballots are counted this week.

    Proposition 1: Crisis care centers in King County

    Approved: 69.5 %

    Rejected: 30.5%

    City of Seattle, Council District No. 1

    Lucy Barefoot: 3.3%

    Stephen Brown: 6.5%

    Jean Iannelli Craciun: 3.4%

    Rob Saka: 25.4%

    Preston Anderson: 8.5%

    Maren Costa: 29%

    Mia Jacobson: 2.2%

    Phil Tavel: 21.4%

    City of Seattle, Council District No. 2

    Continue reading »

  • Can Mayor Harrell get the Seattle City Council's favor? Today So Far
    • There's a new plan to craft a drug law in Seattle. Will the council approve?
    • PACs and Seattle's elections.
    • Pickleball vs tennis.

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for Aug. 1, 2023.

    Quick hits

    Mac vs PC. Star Trek vs Star Wars. BBC's 1995 "Pride And Prejudice" vs "Bridget Jones' Diary." These are the debates we have. And now ... pickleball vs tennis?

    That's the takeaway I got from the demonstration that followed the Seattle Open pickleball tournament. The event wrapped up last weekend, and you may recall that there was some drama leading up to it. Seattle's pickleball courts weren't in good enough condition for the tournament, so the Professional Pickleball Association footed the bill to give some local tennis courts a facelift, converting them to pickleball standards. But following the event, the sites were converted back into tennis courts.

    That rubbed pickleball fans the wrong way. They argue that since pickleball's popularity has skyrocketed, the city needs to nix its tennis courts in favor of their preferred game. A group has started a campaign to get the city to create 24 new pickleball courts by 2024. And to make their point to city leaders, they held a "funeral." Read all about that here.

    When people running for office sign up for Seattle's Democracy Voucher Program, they agree to a certain funding format — take small donations. Thankfully for some candidates, there are PACs.

    In short, people can only donate so much to political candidates, and those candidates have campaign funding rules. But Political Action Committees have the ability to raise and spend money as they see fit. In Seattle's case, a PAC called the University Neighbors Committee is backing District 4 council candidate Maritza Rivera.

    KUOW's David Hyde points to this PAC as an example of how such funding has increased ever since the city's Democracy Voucher Program kicked in six years ago. Former Costco CEO Jim Sinegal lives over in Issaquah. He donated a total of $20,000 to two PACs ($10,000 each). There are about 18 major donors to these groups. Those PACs are supporting certain council candidates in Seattle. You may see this result in advertisements for or against candidates. For the full story, read here.

    Mayor Bruce Harrell is more concerned with the current Seattle City Council right now. He's got a new plan and he is seeking its favor.

    Remember back in June when the council voted down a public drug use proposal? It was meant to align the city's code with the state law on this. Following that rejection, Harrell formed a task force to come up with a proposal that could get the approval of a majority of the council. He's now submitted a new bill for the council to consider.

    Continue reading »

  • King County on pace to reach 35% turnout in Aug. 1 primary

    Election officials expect approximately just one in three registered King County voters to cast ballots in Tuesday's primary.

    That's low but not unusual for an odd-numbered election year, said Halei Watkins, a communications manager with King County Elections.

    "In 2021 and 2019, both of those primaries hit 35% turnout, or right around there as well," she said. "So, we expect to see similar behavior from our voters today but, of course, would love for them to turn out in higher numbers and break through that 35%."

    Voters have until 8 p.m. on Tuesday to get their ballots into drop boxes or postmarked.

    Watkins encouraged voters to get their ballots in sooner rather than later, though. Even the best-laid Election Day plans can go awry.

    "We never want to see folks hit that red light or get stuck in traffic and that be the reason that they can't get their ballot in," she said. "On Election Day, as well, we don't recommend that you just stick it in your mailbox. It does have to have that on-time postmark. So, if you're going to use the mail today, actually walk it into a post office to get that all-important postmark on there."

    Voters can also register to vote in person at local elections center until 8 p.m. And if you've misplaced your ballot, you can print a copy online.

    Today's elections will determine which city and county council candidates make it to the November General Election, as well as school board hopefuls and more.

    Forty-five candidates are competing for seven Seattle City Council seats. And with four incumbents sitting out this election, the Council is guaranteed to have a few new faces following the general.

    Two King County Council seats are on the primary ballot. Four seats are actually up for election, but no one is challenging Councilmembers Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay, who therefore are not on the primary ballot and will appear unopposed in November.

    Continue reading »

  • Big spike in human-caused fires across Washington and Oregon in 2023

    There has been a considerable rise in human-caused fires across Washington and Oregon in 2023.

    According to the Forest Service, there were 86 human-caused fires in National Forests across Washington and Oregon by this time of year in 2022. Since June 1, 2023, there have been 197 such fires.

    RELATED: Investigators sound alarm over string of Seattle fires

    "While the explanation for this change is unknown, one thing is clear. Human caused fires are preventable. Now, seasonal lightning storms and gusty winds in the forecast heighten the risk of lightning caused fires. Firefighters have less capacity to respond to these fires if they’re already suppressing human-caused fire starts," the Forest Service said in a statement.

    The Forest Service notes that the region's drought conditions are making fire dangers worse. A drought emergency has been declared in 12 Washington counties, including: Benton, Clallam, Columbia, Jefferson, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Skagit, Snohomish, Walla Walla, Whatcom, and Yakima.

    When Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz spoke with Northwest News Network in late July, she said that a majority of fires — "well over 80-85%" — have been caused by humans. At that time, more than 80,000 acres in Washington had burned.

    Though while other parts of the United States have recently experienced poor air quality, Washington state has mostly been free of smoky skies so far this summer. That's thanks to favorable winds coming inland from the Pacific Ocean, blowing smoke out of the region and keeping the skies clear. However, if wind conditions change, so could the air quality.

    RELATED: Fireworks cause at least 2 building fires in Seattle, dozens of brush fires

    The Forest Service is not alone in its warning. Local agencies have reported similar issues with fires. By July 12, West Pierce Fire reported that it had responded to as many brush fires by that time in 2023 as it had in all of 2022.

    As of Tuesday morning, there were 25 fires currently burning in Washington state, including one considered "large."

    Continue reading »

  • Can mayor's proposal mend rift between Seattle and Washington's drug laws?

    Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has a new proposal that not only aims to establish a public drug-use law, it endeavors to gain the City Council's approval.

    “Success will not – and cannot – be measured on how many people cycle through jail; instead, our focus is on improving connections to lifesaving treatment and expanding program options to better meet the needs of those with substance use issues," Mayor Harrell said in a statement. "Today’s announcements represent important steps forward toward a safer, healthier Seattle, as we continue to act with urgency to build out a bold health-first approach, help those in need, curtail impacts of public drug consumption, and hold dealers and traffickers accountable.”

    This is the city's latest attempt to pass a drug law. In June, the Seattle City Council voted down a proposal to align the city's code with the state's newly passed drug laws. That prompted the mayor to form a 24-member task force with the goal of developing a more favorable bill.

    The result is a new bill that Harrell is now sending to the City Council for consideration. The mayor's office argues that it will codify the state's public drug consumption laws with the city's laws, and make the offense a gross misdemeanor. It also sets up diversion and treatment programs as the "preferred approach" in such cases. There will be definitions around drug use that poses harm to others and use that poses harm to the individual.

    It's a suite of approaches with the goal of getting enough council votes to pass.

    “This package is a balanced approach to respond to the crisis fentanyl has brought to our streets," Councilmember Andrew Lewis said in a statement. "This legislation, that I will co-sponsor, responds to the needs I laid out at the beginning of this process and gives our first responders the tools they need to divert to services where possible and make arrests when necessary. I applaud Mayor Harrell for convening the key partners in city government to get this critical work done."

    Lewis was the swing vote on the council that caused the previous proposal to fail.

    Along with the bill, Mayor Harrell will issue an executive order instructing the Seattle Police Department how to handle public drug use.

    “We are committed to aggressively targeting the supply chain of fentanyl and other deadly drugs, and to support those struggling with addiction," Police Chief Adrian Diaz said in a statement. "It’s a dual approach to a complex problem; one that involves not just enforcement, but prevention, education, and treatment.”

    The mayor also proposes to invest a total of $27 million to pay for opioid treatment and related facilities. The funding is coming from settlement money the city received from opioid lawsuits. Among the criticism for the city's previous drug law proposal was that Seattle didn't have adequate drug treatment facilities where cases could be diverted.

    The plan is to spend $7 million in 2023 on "capital investments in facilities to provide services such as post-overdose care, opioid medication delivery, health hub services, long-term care management, and drop-in support," according to a statement from the mayor's office.

    Continue reading »

  • Why pickleball fans ended the Seattle Open tournament with a funeral

    When the Seattle Open pickleball tournament finished up this weekend, fans opted to close the big event with a funeral.

    Pickleball has been called the fastest-growinuug sport in the United States, attracting all ages. The champion of the 2023 Seattle Open's women's division was Anna Leigh Waters of Florida, who is just 16 years old.

    RELATED: Pickleball is growing. Is Seattle ready?

    As the tournament was winding down Sunday, pickleball fans held a New Orleans style funeral, marching through Seattle's Woodland Park as a band played a somber funeral dirge. The demonstration was meant to point out that the pickleball courts used in the tournament will now be converted back to tennis courts.

    The Seattle Open started with a bit of drama. Shortly before the event, the pickleball courts that were slated for the tournament were deemed unusable. The Professional Pickleball Association paid to quickly resurface tennis courts at Green Lake and convert them to pickleball courts. Now that the tournament is over, the space is slated to be repainted as tennis courts.

    The group of fans and players objected to the conversion back to tennis courts. They are also calling on the city to create 24 new pickleball courts by 2024. They've started an online petition called the "24 by '24 Pickleball Campaign."

    In a statement, they argue that "Seattle Parks has neglected the growth of pickleball, favoring tennis over pickleball. It’s like this all over the city every day. And people are fed up." The group says that Seattle has three dedicated pickleball courts, while other cities have far more.

    While Seattle has three dedicated courts, there are also a range of other public facilities that double as pickleball courts, according to Pickleheads.com.

    Dyer Oxley contributed to this post.

    Continue reading »

  • When was the debate? Today So Far
    • A lot of candidates for Seattle's District 6. But how many debates have happened?
    • Bars, and restaurants, and the race for Seattle City Council.
    • What's going on in SoDo?
    • One-sixth of new cars on Washington's roads are electric vehicles?

    This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for July 31, 2023.


    Quick hits

    The Aug. 1 primary is tomorrow and Seattle will be voting for a whole lot of city council candidates. How well do we know them?

    Events like debates, forums, town halls, etc. can help voters determine who they lean toward, but KUOW's David Hyde points out that Seattle's District 6 has only had one debate leading up to the primary. It took place back in May, before some candidates joined in. District 6 covers Ballard, Magnolia, Fremont, Green Lake, Loyal Heights, and other nearby neighborhoods. That's a big chunk of Seattle weighing in.

    The situation could pose a bit of an issue for candidates. Technically, if they're participating in the city's Democracy Voucher Program, they have to do three debates before the primary, and three before the November election. But what are they supposed to do if nobody is hosting such events? Read the full story here.

    You've probably heard by now that seven out of nine Seattle City Council seats are up for a vote this year, and about the top issues, and with more than 40 candidates running there is quite a blend of approaches to these issues. But KUOW's Ruby de Luna noticed another small nexus among the candidates — food. More specifically, three candidates have emerged from the food and service industry. There's Stephen Brown from Eltana Bagels on Capitol Hill, Olga Sagan from Piroshky Piroshky, and Pete Hanning from the city's nightlife industry (he once owned the Red Door in Fremont and is now with the Fremont Chamber of Commerce).

    But as I mentioned above, there's more than 40 candidates running, which makes tomorrow's primary a significant step, indicating who will ultimately be on the ballot in November.

    What's going on in SoDo? The city says that it didn't ramp up any encampment sweeps because of the MLB All-Star Week that just happened in the area. Though one official admitted to KUOW that such clearings have become more frequent recently.

    Those living in vehicles around SoDo report that things have changed recently. One person, Neal, says that he used to be able to park his vehicle for weeks at a time, but lately, he has to move every couple days as a sweep comes through. Casey Martin has the full story here.

    Did you know that one-sixth of new cars on Washington's roads are electric vehicles? I was surprised it was that high, but it turns out, the number of EVs in the state doubled from two years ago. That's good news, however, the state is still a bit short if it wants to meet its EV goals a couple years away.

    Continue reading »

  • 5 people shot at Rainier Beach Safeway in Seattle

    Five people were shot and injured at the Rainier Beach Safeway grocery store in Seattle on Friday night, while attending a community outreach event, according to the Seattle Police Department.

    Three men and one woman were transported to Harborview Medical Center; two of the men were discharged on Saturday morning.

    The woman, age 24, is in satisfactory condition, according to a hospital spokesperson. The man, age 25, had arrived in critical condition but is now satisfactory, the spokesperson said.

    Officers responded just before 9 p.m. to the shooting. They learned the shooting began in the parking lot of 9232 Rainier Avenue South.

    Chief Adrian Diaz spoke at a news conference at 10:30 p.m. and told reporters that people saw bullets flying. The outreach event was a weekly pop-up event that provides food and services to people.

    Continue reading »

  • Seven staffers injured in youth brawl at King County juvenile detention facility

    A fight between eight youths housed at King County’s juvenile detention facility sent seven staff members to the hospital on Thursday with injuries including a broken wrist, sprains and a shoulder injury, said Noah Haglund, Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention spokesperson. Youths received "superficial" injuries and were treated on-site, he said.

    A representative of the Juvenile Detention Guild said the incident reflected ongoing safety issues and understaffing at juvy. Twenty-one percent of its juvenile detention officer positions are vacant, Haglund said, with the county offering hiring bonuses of up to $25,000.

    King County Executive Dow Constantine has pledged to close youth detention in 2025, but there’s still no plan for what would replace it.

    The melee comes exactly two months after a staff member was beaten at Echo Glen Children’s Center in Snoqualmie as seven youth escaped from state detention.

    Washington Federation of State Workers, which represents workers at Echo Glen, also blamed understaffing, and called on the state to improve safety conditions.

    Continue reading »