LOCAL NEWS
83% of voters undecided in King County Prosecuting Attorney race
Aug 2, 2022, 12:49 PM | Updated: 1:03 pm
Jim Ferrell (left) and Leesa Manion (right)
(right)
In November, King County voters will elect their next prosecuting attorney (KCPO). A majority of them have yet to make up their minds, with 83% undecided, according to a recent poll conducted by the Northwest Progressive Institute.
King County prosecuting attorney candidates gear up for November election
Just 8% approve of Leesa Manion, the current prosecuting attorney Dan Satterberg’s chief of staff. While an equal amount, approve of Jim Ferrell, Federal Way’s mayor.
In April, the only other candidate to apply for the position, Stephan Thomas, withdrew his bid.
“My family … [has] faced several unexpected emergencies. These areas now require the utmost care and attention; as a result, I am unable to run the campaign needed to transform justice in our community,” the former KCPO director of community justice wrote to MyNorthwest.
With only two candidates vying to replace four-time incumbent Satterberg, voters are still largely undecided.
However, the NWPI conducted a follow-up poll with voters after having provided information about the candidates’ backgrounds: Manion came out ahead in the subsequent poll, with 41% of the formerly undecided voters expressing a preference for the chief of staff, and only 20% favoring Ferrell. 36% said they remained unsure, and 3% said they would not vote.
The poll surveyed 687 likely voters in King County.
The election for the King County Prosecuting Attorney did not appear on the primary ballot as the race is non-partisan, and the only two candidates to run for the office automatically advance to the general election.
