Zahilay and Balducci locked in razor-thin King County Executive race
In a tight race for King County Executive, Girmay Zahilay and Claudia Balducci, both progressive Democrats, are neck and neck. Zahilay leads by a slim margin of 50% to 48%. Both candidates support removing the 1% cap on property tax increases to prevent budget deficits and potential layoffs or service cuts.
The candidates, who share similar platforms of fiscal accountability, faced off in the 2021 election. Zahilay, a former King County Council member and corporate lawyer who worked at the Barack Obama White House, has received endorsements from prominent figures like Gov. Bob Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown, and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.
Balducci, also a former King County Council member and lawyer, previously served as the director of King County's Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention. She has been endorsed by 19 King County mayors, The Seattle Times, and U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash.
Zahilay has proposed addressing commercial rent costs through tax incentives for landlords and assistance programs for tenants. He previously led the council in passing a bill that will increase the minimum wage in unincorporated King County to $20.29 by 2025.
With the race too close to call and votes still being collected, King County residents await the final election updates. Both candidates, with their extensive experience and progressive platforms, have made their marks on the county and are poised to lead it into the future.
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