Joy Hollingsworth elected Seattle City Council president, vows transparency
Jan 6, 2026, 5:12 PM
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
The Seattle City Council has a new president.
Joy Hollingsworth was elected to the leadership position by a unanimous vote.
“I am honored to be elected council president. A big thank you to my colleagues for their vote of confidence and partnership,” Hollingsworth said. “Our council body will focus on the bold basics and fundamentals of city government, delivering clear, measurable outcomes for all Seattleites.”
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Joy Hollingsworth elected to Seattle council in 2023
Hollingsworth was elected to the council in 2023, representing the District 3 neighborhoods of Eastlake, Montlake, Madison Park, Madison Valley, Capitol Hill, First Hill, Portage Bay, Leschi, Madrona, and the Central District. In 2025, she led the yearlong council process for adopting the city’s Comprehensive Plan. Her colleagues praise her leadership and her ability to bring people together to solve problems.
“Over the course of the last two years, she’s been fantastic, working on the issues that are facing our city, the challenges that we’re facing, and finding approaches and coalitions to make these accomplishments that we’ve been doing,” Seattle Councilmember Bob Kettle said.
“It’s past time for our city to have a Black council president, and it’s past time for our city to have its very first ever queer president, as well,” Seattle Councilmember Rob Saka said.
The council president serves as the presiding officer of the council, sets the meeting agenda, assigns legislation to committees, and is the primary point of contact for external agencies. The council president also assumes the duties and responsibilities of the executive if the mayor is absent from the city or incapacitated.
Hollingsworth said she’s up to the challenge, and she made this promise to her city council colleagues and to the people of Seattle.
“Everyone who walks through these doors will be treated with respect and kindness, no matter how they show up in their spirit, their attitude, or their words. We will always run with a hyper-local focus on local issues and transparency,” Hollingsworth said.
The council president serves a two-year term. Hollingsworth replaces outgoing council President Sara Nelson, who lost her bid for re-election in November.
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