Seattle City Council appoints Mark Solomon to vacant District 2 seat
Seattle City Council appoints Mark Solomon for District 2
The Seattle City Council voted to appoint Mark Solomon to fill the District 2 council seat on Monday.
SEATTLE - The Seattle City Council has appointed Mark Solomon to fill the vacant position for District 2, which was vacated by Tammy Morales in 2024.
The City Council approved Solomon with a five-vote majority on Monday. Solomon will represent the South Seattle area, including Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, Chinatown-International District, Columbia City, Mount Baker, Yesler Terrace and Rainier Beach.
Solomon's term runs until November 2025, at which point another election will be held to serve the remainder of the position through 2027. Solomon will receive committee assignments in February.
Who is Mark Solomon?
Dig deeper:
Mark Solomon is an intelligence analyst, security consultant and, until recently, has served as the crime prevention coordinator for the Seattle Police Department.
As crime prevention coordinator, Solomon wrote in his application that he worked as an intermediary between the Seattle Police Department and businesses, religious groups, public agencies and other advocacy groups. He is a member of the Washington State Crime Prevention Association, where he has been the Region 2 Director since 2016.
Solomon also ran against Tammy Morales for District 2 in 2019, but lost by 21% of the vote.
Why did Tammy Morales resign from the City Council?
The backstory:
Morales stepped down on Jan. 6, condemning the City Council for "[eroding] the essential checks and balances system," which she said undermined her ability to serve effectively.
In December 2024, Morales wrote, "Since January, this Council has:
- Interfered with the ability of our non-partisan Council Central Staff to provide objective policy analysis.
- Suppressed the will of voters by offering an alternative ballot initiative that would effectively gut the Seattle social housing developer next February.
- Stifled first amendment rights during public comment by arresting people.
- Intimidated commenters by having a police presence when any controversial legislation is considered.
- Witnessed a significant reduction of institutional knowledge through the departure of 3 Council Central policy staff, the entire Council communications team, members of our human resources and finance team, and several legislative aides.
- Attempted to defund a critical program for addressing anti-displacement and supporting community economic development led by people of color.
- Passed 11 separate bills to increase the punitive nature of our criminal legal system without any additional meaningful accountability for our police department.
- And passed a budget that reduces funding for social services for our most vulnerable while dramatically increasing funding for jails, police, and sweeps."
Morales was often the single dissenting vote in the City Council's recent ordinances, including controversial bills like the "Stay Out of Drug Area" and "Stay Out of Area of Prostitution," funding for video surveillance of high-crime areas, increasing bonuses for Seattle police officers despite a years-long national hiring shortage, and the contentious South King County correctional center (SCORE) vote, which was approved after members retreated from angry protesters in the council chambers to vote virtually.
What the council members are saying
What they're saying:
"I want to thank each of the six finalists who stepped forward to serve District 2 and beyond. All were exceptionally well-qualified. I look forward to working with Mark Solomon who will be a strong, collaborative and compassionate leader, as we tackle hugely important issues in the coming year," wrote Rob Saka.
"I am excited to work with newly appointed Councilmember Solomon. Councilmember Solomon’s extensive history of public service and leadership in Seattle and commitment to the CID and Little Saigon makes me very confident the District 2 community will be well served until this November, when the voters will decide who should be their representative. I look forward to his partnership as the Council works together on key issues to improve the lives of every Seattle resident," wrote Cathy Moore.
"Our city is facing serious challenges that require thoughtful leadership. That’s why I am eager to get to work with Councilmember Solomon to move Seattle forward. He has deep experience with the community in the South End and is one of the smartest people I know. I want to thank everyone who applied. We need an all-hands-on-deck approach, and I hope to partner with each of you to make our city a better place," wrote Dan Strauss.
The Source: Information comes from the Seattle City Council, with supplemental information coming from previous FOX 13 Seattle coverage.
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