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Girmay Zahilay

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Girmay Zahilay
Member of the King County Council
from the 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 8, 2020 (2020-01-08)
Preceded byLarry Gossett
Personal details
Born
Girmay Hadish Zahilay

(1987-05-06) May 6, 1987 (age 37)
Sudan
EducationStanford University (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (JD)
ProfessionAttorney
Websitewww.kingcounty.gov/council/zahilay.aspx

Girmay Hadish Zahilay (/ˈɡɜːrmaɪ ˈzɑːhɪlaɪ/ GUR-my ZAH-hil-eye;[1] born May 6, 1987) is an American politician and lawyer who is a member of the King County Council from District 2 in Seattle, Washington. He was elected in 2019, defeating longtime incumbent Larry Gossett.

Early life and education

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Zahilay and his brother were born in Sudan to Ethiopian refugees from Tigray[2] who had escaped military conflict. He was three years old when his family immigrated to the United States, settling in the Rainier Valley.[3] Zahilay moved between public housing arrangements in several neighborhoods in South Seattle, including the International District and Skyway, while his mother Abie worked double shifts as a nursing assistant. The family also stayed at a homeless shelter in Downtown Seattle between moves to public housing in New Holly and Rainier Vista.[4][5]

He graduated from Franklin High School in Seattle and was a research intern at the University of Washington Department of Biology.[6] He majored in biology at Stanford University, where he served as president of the Black Student Union. Zahilay earned a J.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania and worked as an intern at the Office of the White House Counsel during the Obama administration.[3]

Career

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Zahilay worked for the Congressional Hunger Center and New York City Coalition Against Hunger as a community organizer after graduating from college.[4] He then moved to jobs at law firms Skadden Arps in New York and Perkins Coie in Seattle.[3] Zahilay also founded a non-profit, Rising Leaders, that aims to provide mentors for underserved middle school students.[3]

King County Council

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In 2019, Girmay Zahilay was elected to the King County Council, serving District 2, which includes the University District, Laurelhurst, Ravenna, Eastlake, Capitol Hill, the Central District, South Seattle, Allentown, and Skyway.[7] Zahilay was sworn in to represent District 2 on January 8, 2020, and was selected to chair the council's Law and Justice Committee.[8]

Zahilay announced his campaign for the King County Council in February 2019, becoming the first challenger to six-term District 2 incumbent Larry Gossett since 2005.[9] Zahilay campaigned on the expansion of public housing and the replacement of youth incarceration with other methods.[4] Gossett trailed Zahilay in the primary election by a 37 percent margin.[10] Zahilay defeated Gossett in the November 2019 general election, becoming the youngest member of the King County Council.[11][12]

Committee assignments

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Zahilay served as Chair of the Law and Justice Committee beginning in 2020. In 2022 the Law and Justice Committee merged with the Health and Human Services Committee to become the Law Justice Health and Human Services Committee. In 2024 he was named Chair of the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee.[13]

King County Council committees of which Zahilay has been a member include Local Services and Land Use, Employment and Administration, Transportation Economy and Environment, the Board of Health, and the Regional Policy Committee. Zahilay served as a King County Council appointee to the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) Transportation Committee and the PSRC Governing Board.[13]

Programs

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In partnership with community-based organizations such as Urban Family and the Rainier Beach Action Coalition, Zahilay initiated a pilot program for guaranteed basic income that provided $1,000 in monthly payments to families with extremely low income over the span of a year. This program was launched in collaboration with University of Washington Evans School MPA students.[14][better source needed]

In the 2021–2022 annual budget, Zahilay secured $10 million for a community center in Skyway, an unincorporated area that had lacked many services.[15] The county council allocated $6 million to increase bus service in the Skyway area, including an on-demand van service for residents.[15][16] Zahilay advocated for a tiny house village in Skyway with 35 units that opened in 2021.[17]

In response to the significant rise in addiction and mental health issues in King County that have contributed to public safety concerns, Zahilay worked with the King County Executive to propose the Crisis Care Centers Levy. This proposal, which voters approved in April 2023,[18] would fund the construction of five treatment centers for people suffering from behavioral health challenges, build back the region's long-term mental health bed capacity, and invest in the behavioral health workforce.[19][better source needed]

County Executive campaign

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On December 2, 2024, Zahilay announced that he would run for King County Executive in the 2025 election. He is the second incumbent county councilmember to announce their campaign, following Claudia Balducci.[20]

References

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  1. ^ Jimenez, Esmy (November 4, 2019). "Seattle voters contend between political newcomer or civil rights legend". KUOW. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  2. ^ "'It's a nightmare': Their homeland racked by war, famine, Seattle's Tigrayan community looks for answers". The Seattle Times. August 16, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Gutman, David (August 9, 2019). "King County Council's Larry Gossett fighting for his political life against Girmay Zahilay, first-time candidate who calls him a hero". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Smith, Rich (June 7, 2019). "Larry Gossett Faces His First Serious Challenger in Girmay Zahilay". The Stranger. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  5. ^ Burkhalter, Aaron (September 25, 2019). "Meet the King County Council District 2 Candidates: Girmay Zahilay". South Seattle Emerald. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  6. ^ Hansen, Lily (December 3, 2019). "A Seattle-only focus is no longer going to cut it". The Daily. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  7. ^ "King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay". King County. 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  8. ^ Gutman, David (January 8, 2020). "Girmay Zahilay begins work on King County Council as Larry Gossett era ends". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  9. ^ Harrison Green, Marcus (February 27, 2019). "Seattle attorney to challenge Larry Gossett for King County Council seat". The Seattle Times. p. B8.
  10. ^ Gutman, David (October 13, 2019). "Larry Gossett faces toughest election yet against Girmay Zahilay for King County Council". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  11. ^ Brownstone, Sydney (November 7, 2019). "From sharecropper's son to Black Panther to politician, County Councilmember Larry Gossett reflects on his legacy". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  12. ^ Santos, Melissa (November 5, 2019). "Newcomer Girmay Zahilay soundly defeating Larry Gossett in race for King County Council". Crosscut.com. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  13. ^ a b "King County - Girmay Zahilay". kingcounty.legistar.com. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
  14. ^ Whitehead, Devoni (April 4, 2022). "Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot in South King County, Washington". Medium.
  15. ^ a b Smith, Rich. "Skyway Wins Big in the Proposed County Budget, For Once". The Stranger. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  16. ^ "Community operated, community driven: Skyway Van ready to assist with mobility needs". Metro Matters. December 6, 2021.
  17. ^ https://southseattleemerald.com/2021/06/09/tiny-house-village-to-open-in-skyway/
  18. ^ "It's official: Property taxes will go up as 5 crisis care centers move forward. Here's what's next". The Seattle Times. April 27, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
  19. ^ Daniels, Chris (June 17, 2024). "King County Council expected to approve $1.2 billion levy to combat fentanyl crisis". KOMO News.
  20. ^ Greenstone, Scott (December 2, 2024). "Girmay Zahilay enters King County executive race saying he represents 'next generation'". KUOW. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
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