Dionne Foster ousts Sara Nelson for Seattle City Council Position 9

Dionne Foster has defeated incumbent Sara Nelson 62.7% (165,267 votes) to 36.9% (97,289 votes), according to King County voting data, for position 9, a city-wide seat, among the city council.

“I was really excited with the results,” Foster told KIRO Newsradio. “I didn’t have a particular number in mind last night. I was mostly just proud of the campaign that we ran and all the voters that we talked to, the doors that we knocked, but it was definitely really great to see those results come in. And we were with a fantastic room full of supporters when they did. So that was definitely a really amazing moment.”

After being sworn in, Foster is looking to get to work on two main priorities.

“We’ll have the Comprehensive Plan part two, which is going to be a great opportunity for us to use our zoning tools that are at the city’s disposal to try to encourage more housing development. And then we’ll also be working on the Seattle transit measure, which is set to expire, and voters will have the opportunity to engage on and renew,” she said.

Foster’s experience is eclectic, including time working as a senior program officer for the nonprofit Seattle Foundation and also as a policy advisor for the City of Seattle from 2016 to 2018.

Foster has voiced that making the city more affordable is one of her biggest goals as a council member. On the campaign trail, she has also advocated for increasing shelter capacity, expanding treatment services, and opening up micro-commercial spaces for smaller businesses.

She has also stated that she supports the business and occupation tax changes on this year’s ballot.

“You saw really, I think, really positive results last night from the B and O tax change, which is fantastic news, because it not only gives many of our small businesses in the city a break, but it also will produce some additional revenue for the city to balance our budget,” Foster said.

What’s next for Sara Nelson?

Meanwhile, Nelson said she wasn’t surprised by the outcome.

“Well, given the primary returns, I’m not all that surprised,” Nelson told KIRO Newsradio after results dropped. “However, we put 110% into the campaign — doorbell, 11,000 people, 20,000 phone calls, etc. We worked really hard since the primary. So we were hoping it would be better, but I was working with the deficit going in.”

Acting as the current city council president, Nelson has served four years on the council since she was first elected in 2021. However, Nelson performed poorly in the August primary, as challenger Dionne Foster earned 58.4% of the vote (110,636 votes), compared to Nelson’s 35.3% (66,909).

Despite Nelson’s defeat, she still wants to find a way to aid her community.

“I do not have a plan. Frankly, I’m in the middle of budget, and I really haven’t thought about is what my next career move. Mostly, I’ve always just wanted to help fix Seattle,” she said. “So I am not anticipating going for some higher office anywhere. I am just going to finish my job and then take a look at what’s available and where I really want to take my life next. But I’m sure that it will always focus on policy and trying to have a positive impact on my city.”

At the start of 2023, according to the Northwest Progressive Institute (NPI), Nelson was the only member of the Seattle City Council who had a positive job performance rating.

As the co-owner of Fremont Brewery, Neson has been a long supporter of small, local businesses, citing the creation of the “storefront repair fund,” which helps businesses deal with damages suffered from crime. A significant portion of Nelson’s campaign has been based on the city’s uptick in public safety. She has cited her support in creating police hiring bonuses to kickstart re-staffing a once-depleted Seattle Police Department.

In a poll sponsored by NPI on Oct. 23, 44% of respondents claimed they will be voting for Foster, while 29% said they would be voting for Nelson.

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