Hollingsworth slated to join Seattle Council after Hudson concedes District 3 race

Alex Hudson conceded the race for Seattle's Council District 3 Friday. Joy Hollingsworth is now slated to join the Seattle City Council in 2024.

“This was a hard fought campaign, but also a civil and substantive one, and I want to publicly congratulate Joy on her victory. Of course it hurts to lose, but Joy ran a stellar campaign, and I have no doubt she will be a strong and effective representative for the people of District 3,” Hudson said in a statement. “I also want to offer my heartfelt thanks to the thousands of Seattleites who supported my call for a safer, healthier Seattle where everyone can thrive.”

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Hollingsworth emerged from initial ballot counts Tuesday with a strong lead. As of Friday morning, after a couple more days of counting votes, Hollingsworth had 56% of the vote, to Hudson's 43%.

Hudson's campaign said that she called Hollingsworth Friday morning, congratulated her, and "offered her support and assistance going forward."

Hollingsworth hails from Seattle's Central District, LGBTQ, and business communities. She was endorsed by Mayor Bruce Harrell, and has been viewed as being part of a more center-left group of council candidates in Seattle, many of whom have so far led in their respective races.

She made a local name for herself playing basketball for Seattle Preparatory School, before playing at the University of Arizona, and then professionally in Athens, Greece. When she returned to Seattle, she was an assistant basketball coach at Seattle University. Hollingsworth also co-runs her family's Hollingsworth Farms, a cannabis business based in the Olympic Peninsula.

Hollingsworth lives in the Central District, in her family's home, with her wife Iesha.

Seattle Council District 3 covers Capitol Hill, First Hill, and the Central District. It has been represented by Kshama Sawant since 2014.

Sawant faced steep competition from challengers each election, and also survived a recall attempt in 2021. She announced in early 2023 that she would not run for re-election, and instead help found a new political movement called "Workers Strike Back," along with her party Socialist Alternative.

"Workers Strike Back is meant to be a national movement," Sawant said in January. "Workers Strike Back is going to be built in multiple cities."