Organizers: King County Equity Now
Moderator: Latricia Jackson & Fynniecko Glover Jr
Location: Brunch & Ballots Voter Education Forum
Candidates: Girmay Zahilay
Opening Statement
Moderator:
Welcome, and thank you for joining us today. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your campaign.
Girmay Zahilay:
Thank you so much — it’s always powerful to be here with Africatown and the community working to build our collective future.
My name is Girmay Zahilay, and I currently serve as Chair of the King County Council. I’m running for King County Executive because I believe this can be a region where safety and opportunity exist for everyone.
My family came to South Seattle’s Skyway neighborhood as refugees when I was three. We faced housing insecurity, safety issues, and rising costs — even spending time in a homeless shelter in the Chinatown–International District.
Thanks to affordable housing, strong public schools, and social safety programs, I was able to rise from those challenges to represent my community in government. My goal now is to make sure every family has that same opportunity for success.
Summary:
Girmay Zahilay introduces himself as a product of Seattle’s refugee and working-class experience. He frames his campaign around expanding opportunity, ensuring safety, and building equity for all King County residents — especially communities that have historically been excluded.
Reparations
Moderator:
Do you explicitly support reparations for descendants of chattel slavery and decades of anti-Black policies within King County? If so, what mechanisms would you support to fund and implement them?
Girmay Zahilay:
Yes, absolutely. I’ve supported statewide efforts like funding the Washington State Reparations Study, and I’m advocating for an effective statewide reparations program.
At the county level, I’ve worked to remove barriers like Initiative 200 and 1000, which prevent targeting resources based on race or lineage.
Locally, I’ve directed funds toward Black communities through affordable housing, homeownership opportunities, community safety, and participatory budgeting.
At both the local and state levels, I’m committed to ensuring reparations become a tangible reality.
Summary:
Zahilay firmly supports reparations and has already taken steps to make them possible, both by pushing for policy changes at the state level and by directing local funding toward Black-led programs in housing and community development.
Data Disaggregation
Moderator:
County data often hides disparities by failing to disaggregate by race. How will you ensure King County tracks outcomes specifically for African Americans?
Girmay Zahilay:
You have my full commitment. When we only track the broad category of “Black,” we lose important nuance and miss specific disparities.
I’ll work across departments to disaggregate data for African Americans, ensuring county programs and investments can be measured for real impact and equity.
Summary:
Zahilay commits to reforming King County’s data systems to capture outcomes specific to African Americans, improving transparency and accountability in county programs.
Housing and Affordability
Moderator:
Young Black adults are being priced out of housing. How will you leverage county resources to create affordable housing and ownership opportunities, especially given the number of vacant units in the county?
Girmay Zahilay:
The first step is identifying surplus and underutilized county-owned land and partnering with cities, the state, and Sound Transit to form a joint public land bank.
I’ve already worked with Africatown Community Land Trust to transfer public property into community ownership, especially for Black-led housing initiatives.
Beyond land, we need to expand community land trusts and down-payment assistance programs to promote Black homeownership and long-term wealth building.
Summary:
Zahilay’s housing plan focuses on public land transfers, community partnerships, and homeownership access. He connects land ownership directly to closing the racial wealth gap in King County.
Community Control of Resources
Moderator:
How will you ensure Black-led organizations receive direct funding and decision-making power over resources meant for their communities?
Girmay Zahilay:
It starts with education, focus, and resources:
- Education: Many communities engage too late in the budget process. Through Budget 101 Town Halls and Build the Bench, I’ve helped people learn how to advocate early in the process.
- Focus: Prioritize equity by directing funds toward historically harmed communities through participatory budgeting.
- Resources: Expand available funding and dedicate specific amounts to Black-led organizations.
Summary:
Zahilay emphasizes civic education and budget transparency as tools for empowerment, ensuring Black-led groups can influence decisions early and control resources meant for their communities.
Gun Violence and Healing
Moderator:
Gun violence continues to devastate Black families across King County. What prevention, intervention, and healing resources would you direct toward affected communities?
Girmay Zahilay:
Gun violence has to be addressed on multiple fronts:
- Prevention: Tackle root causes like poverty, trauma, and housing instability. Expand projects like the Youth Achievement Center, which provides housing for unhoused Black youth.
- Crisis Response: Fund Crisis Care Centers that give young people safe spaces before they reach a breaking point.
- Intervention: Support violence interrupters, public space activation, and community-led safety programs (like the Rainier Beach Safeway project).
- Restoration: Invest in healing and outreach programs led by mothers and siblings who’ve lost loved ones, providing the space and funding to rebuild community strength.
Summary:
Zahilay outlines a comprehensive anti-violence strategy centered on prevention, intervention, and healing — with funding directed to grassroots, trauma-informed community organizations.
Lightning Round
Moderator: Quick yes/no answers.
- Disaggregate data by lineage → Yes
- Reparations for descendants of slavery → Yes
- $1B Reparative Development Fund → Yes
- Black community control of resources → Yes
- Increase youth employment opportunities → Yes
- Prioritize shovel-ready community-led housing (e.g., Cairo site) → Yes
- Establish an Office for Descendants of Slavery → Yes
Summary:
Zahilay answers “Yes” across the board, showing full support for reparations, equitable funding, and systemic policy reforms that center Black residents in King County’s future.
Audience Q&A: Tech, AI, and Youth Opportunity
Audience Member:
Seattle’s tech giants—Amazon, Google, Microsoft—dominate the local economy. How will you create pathways for Black youth to access high-paying careers and entrepreneurship in tech and AI industries?
Girmay Zahilay:
We need an Office of Economic Opportunity within King County government to connect communities with tech and innovation sectors.
I call this moment the “Pre-AI and Post-AI economy.” Jobs will shift, and wealth will be created—if we don’t act, others will benefit, not us.
We’ll partner with organizations like the William Grose Center to build career pipelines, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurship opportunities for Black youth in technology and AI fields.
Summary:
Zahilay proposes a new Office of Economic Opportunity to ensure Black residents and youth have a real stake in the emerging AI economy, transforming tech from a source of exclusion to one of empowerment.
Closing Remarks
Girmay Zahilay:
Thank you so much for the opportunity to share my vision. My story is Seattle’s story — one of resilience, opportunity, and community. Together, we can make King County a place where everyone, regardless of background, has the tools to thrive.