Victoria Woodards leads in Tacoma mayoral race
Nov 2, 2021, 8:40 PM | Updated: 10:39 pm
Victoria Woodards and Steve Haverly.
Victoria Woodards is leading in the race for Tacoma mayor, garnering 58% of the vote on Election Night.
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Trailing is Steve Haverly with 42% of the vote.
“I am grateful to Tacomans for their confidence in my leadership and will not fail them in our mission to build a more resilient equitable economy, end the crisis of gun violence on our streets, and tackle our toughest challenges like homelessness,” Woodards said in a news release Tuesday night. “Together, we will transform Tacoma into the City of Destiny we know in our hearts it can be.”
Woodards was first elected as mayor in 2017. She served on the city council before that from 2009. Woodards called for the firing and prosecution of the officers involved in the death of Manuel Ellis last June.
“Like many cities across America, we must take stronger actions to remove systemic racism from all government institutions, including the Tacoma Police Department, and I commit to being a leader in that effort,” she stated.
Woodards announced plans in the spring to launch a universal basic income pilot program called GRIT or “Growing Resilience in Tacoma.” GRIT provides “at least 100 families facing poverty” a monthly stipend of $500 each.
Steve Haverly is also a longtime Tacoma resident. According to his campaign, he does not support defunding the Tacoma Police Department. He’s also interested in increasing housing in the area, while preserving a neighborhood’s character.
Haverly told the Tacoma News Tribune that homelessness in Tacoma is not as bad as it is in Seattle, but said the city needs more shelters and services.
“It’s not a solution, but a camping ban would at least help,” Haverly told the Tacoma News Tribune in June. “In everything, there’s balance, and you have to find that happy medium.”
