City announces candidates to fill Rob Johnson’s vacant council seat
Apr 9, 2019, 7:01 AM
(Seattle City Council)
(Seattle City Council)
Seattle City Councilmember Rob Johnson’s resignation went into effect on Friday, and now, we have our list of possible candidates in District 4 to fill his seat before November’s election.
RELATED: Councilmember Rob Johnson steps down from role
15 applicants submitted for the role, two of whom weren’t eligible because they don’t live in the district. That list includes:
- Brooke Brod
- Darby DuComb
- Kathryn Gardow
- Emily Gilbert (not a D4 resident)
- David A. Goldberg
- Jordan Goldwarg
- Sherae Lascelles
- Jay Lazerwitz
- Juan Martinez
- Abel Pacheco Jr.
- Marjorie Press
- Bruce Rips
- Maritza Rivera
- Alex Tsimerman (not a D4 resident)
- Luke Wigren
A city charter-mandated 20-day appointment period began on Saturday, April 6, the day after Johnson’s resignation took effect.
On April 12, there will be a candidate forum at City Hall; five days later on April 17, they will answer questions from councilmembers. The final council vote on the appointment will take place on Monday, April 22.
The appointee will serve on the council until election results are certified on Nov. 26. After that, the winner of the District 4 election will be sworn in and immediately take office.
Among the applicants is current District 4 council candidate, Abel Pacheco Jr.
RELATED: All the candidates running for Seattle city council in 2019
“My interest in the appointment stems from my desire to be an impactful member of the community and serve for the betterment of others,” his application reads.
Council President Bruce Harrell previously expressed a desire to appoint a caretaker “who agrees not to seek election to the Council this year.”
“If appointed, I will not file,” Pacheco told The Stranger.
Council candidate Alex Pedersen, the leading fundraiser in the District 4 race, issued a statement Monday explaining that he wouldn’t be submitting for the position, “so he can focus on the actual four-year position that voters will elect in August and November.”
Johnson leaves office to fill a role with Seattle’s new NHL team as a transportation advisor, a job he accepted last November, shortly after he announced he would not seek reelection.
