Debora Juarez unanimously elected to be next Seattle City Council president

In Seattle City Council’s first session of 2022, Debora Juarez has been elected council president in a unanimous 9-0 vote by her fellow councilmembers.

Previously held by Lorena Gonzalez who left the position in a now-failed bid for mayor, the role holds some small authority and prestige as it is tasked with establishing committees and making appointments therein.

“I’m honored by my colleague’s trust in my leadership during these challenging times,” Juarez — who represents District 5 — wrote in a statement on social media. “I commit to you and our city to serve as a bridge-builder and lead with my values: humility, civility, effectiveness and an appreciation for each other’s humanity.”

Juarez was first elected to city council in 2015. Over her tenure, she’s sat decidedly apart from the council’s more progressive wing, voting against the 2020 Jump Start Seattle payroll tax proposal, speaking out against efforts to defund the police in the wake of 2020’s protests over the murder of George Floyd, and was one of a slate of business-friendly candidates endorsed in 2019 by the Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s political arm, the Civic Alliance for a Sound Economy.

Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda took the opportunity to thank Juarez for her service, highlighting her support for upzoning to allow for denser residential land use.

“I appreciate the joint interest that you and I share for creating a denser city, a city that allows for more families to live here, for elders to live here, and for workers to be in our city, a city that strives to strengthen and broaden workplace standards and protections for our most vulnerable and to support small, diverse businesses,” Mosqueda said in Tuesday’s council session. “You have done that not only in District 5, but you’ve done that for entire city, and it’s been an honor of mine to be able to work with you.”

No other councilmembers were nominated, although Councilmember Lisa Herbold was rumored to be in contention at one point. Juarez, a member of the Blackfeet Nation, acknowledged Herbold in her acceptance remarks.

“I never thought in my life I’d be sitting here,” Juarez continued.  “[Herbold and I share] the whole understanding of the Blackfeet way of knowing … and how we come together for the greater good.”

Notably, Juarez is also the first Indigenous council president in Seattle’s history.

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