ELECTION 2026: One more look at King County Council District 8 candidate Teresa Mosqueda
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Tonight we conclude our series of interviews taking one more look at the candidates in two contested local races, before the pre-election weekend during which most voters turn in their ballots. WSB team members sat down recently with all four of those candidates individually for wide-ranging interviews/conversations, recorded on video. In the King County Council District 8 race, we published our interview with challenger Nick Duda last night, and tonight you’ll hear from incumbent Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda.
She has held the position for three years, leaving a citywide position on the Seattle City Council after six years. (Her bio’s on her campaign website.) The state Public Disclosure Commission website says she’s raised $145,000+ in contributions – about four times Duda’s $34,000+. She lives in West Seattle
Interviewers were WSB’s Anne Higuera and Torin Record-Sand. The interview is cut into two pieces of video because the candidate, recovering from illness, had to stop down for a moment of coughing. After each section is our summary of the Q&A, all paraphrased except for what’s within quote marks.
WSB: “Give us your ‘elevator speech’ re: why people should re-elect you.”
MOSQUEDA: Has served 3 years so far and is hopeful people have seen “someone who gets into office and gets things done.” Especially with attacks looming on our housing, health, human services … her priorities = health, housing, worker supports … urgency is key … “at the county level, we can step in and fight back.” In health, will invest in our clinics and Harborview … permanent supportive housing $ … will support workers and small businesses …
WSB: What did you do upon taking office?
MOSQUEDA: Four pieces of legislation to protect immigrants and refugees … no county property can be used for staging of immigration operations … it is enforceable under trespassing laws … county cannot use contracting funds to go to complicit businesses … posting signs in county buildings saying ICE can’t go in without a warrant … set up private areas to move people into if ICE comes in anyway. Housing = 40 Comp Plan amendments, more gentle infill in Vashon, allowing preapproved plans for ADUs and DADUs, creating housing coupled with child care …Workforce development: Created a responsible-contracting policy, saying county should invest in local businesses.
(The rest of the video picks up post-coughing.)
Prevented county from contracting with large entities with recent violations, lack of certain policies, apply to improvements as well as new projects.
WSB: Anything you have not been able to address or not finished?
MOSQUEDA: Glad county will have Inspector General for better oversight – that office needs to be fully stood up. All county employees will be trained to recognize waste, fraud, abuse. Making sure database so everyone could see where money is going. Need to get that going …Need to rebuild trust with public, strong accountability. Also need handholding with some, if they’re being asked to support lots of reports along with doing job they were hired for … making sure our public dollars are spent upstream, support BIPOC, but help them, “before we point a finger, we should lend a hand.”
WSB: What does the County Council do? Primer of how it works?
MOSQUEDA: Population increasing – growing needs – that’s why the budget keeps growing. 39 cities in the county. Her district includes parts of Seattle, Burien, Tukwila, plus unincorporated North Highline, Vashon/Maury Islands … must be partners with cities … must respond quickly for unincorp areas that have no other goverment … Some services, we provide countywide – Metro, public health, she’s chaired Health Board for three years, county does food inspections, could partner with Labor Standards for example, treating workers badly could lead to unsafe food handling – I passed more oversight of what happens if food establishments are not compliant with labor rules … Metro: Buses, Water Taxi, shuttles, flexible transportation as option instead of Lyft and Uber, “last mile” option …In unincorporated areas we have direct control over land use, law enforcement, etc. Pleased to hear about trusted community relationships with Sheriff’s Office.
WSB: And oversight of Harborview.
MOSQUEDA: Many don’t know it’s a county-owned hospital; we contract with UW Medicine to operate it, should be investigating to handle people who will be losing their regular care. Only Level 1 trauma center for 5 states.
WSB: How will you help with affordability?
MOSQUEDA: Some housing costs out of our control like tariffs …but we can step in with tools … I want to use county’s line of credit and debt capacity to help nonprofit developers … that’ll help them get more financing “look at how much the county believes in me.” Also, speed up permitting process. Two and a half years ago I pushed to get housing and child care onto priority list. Got more FTEs added to permitting (but those were scaled back in budget proposal). More examples: Somebody applies for permits, work with them to get through process, don’t just tell them “you need X” – need to “hold out a hand instead of slapping somebody on the wrist.” Back to pre-approved DADU/ADU plans – city of Seattle has 40 of them! Also model after Austin, TX, which has system for large projects that get expedited if somebody has a good track record.
WSB: Bonding and credit for nonprofit developers, do others do that?
MOSQUEDA: Using debt capacity is relatively common. Also would like county to have acquisition authority, which it currently doesn’t. Construction costs reduced 15 percent if you build on publicly owned land.
WSB: Back to affordability. Groceries, child care, prices past normal inflation – anything County Council can do?
MOSQUEDA: Every single policy should/can address some of the affordability issues. Create more family-sized units. Working to bring more child care online faster, as part of developments, give them incentive to create space. Keep more home-based child cares online by subsidizing. My kid just turned 7, we were paying $2300/month when she was younger. Friends pay more currently. Re: grocery, seed money for small North Delridge store. Big supermarkets paying their CEOs tons, we gotta have more community options…. I was major supporter of minimum wage increase for unincorporated KC. And every worker deserves a union.
WSB: Not enough money, always the search for more revenue …looking back at your Jump Start tax in Seattle and report tying significant job loss in Seattle and growth of eastside jobs, and whether revenue went where it was supposed to … How do you think that went and is there anything the county can do?
MOSQUEDA: Used to have a payroll tax long ago, but it ended. Had to do something because Seattle was going to have catastrophic shortfall … Passed with a huge coalition of support. Anticipated $200m a year, and had a detailed spending plan. 62 percent was to go to affordable housing … when you look at the spend plan, it’s still being adhered to (originally envisioned dollar amount) but it’s bringing in twice as much as expected so that’s going to other things. … I believe it has had a beneficial effect in keeping our economy running. Not just jobs for people but also need arts, cultural, etc. things. In King County we can only use sales tax and property tax. … Also would be interested in CEO ratio payroll tax. These corporations are doing extremely well. Asking them to put a little more into the local economy is not punitive. But till we get that, we have to use every tool at our disposal. Federal BBB bill starting to rip health coverage away. We need to be investing in our public health safety net, Harborview, clinics.
WSB: Are you in a position on the council to forwar some of those other revenue tools?
MOSQUEDA: State Legislature has to authorize use to use them – I’m in a position to ask for that.
WSB: Incumbents seem to be espousing progressive values, spending, while challengers suggest cutting back.
MOSQUEDA: Not necessarily a conflict. We can watch to be sure keeping within our means/plans. Ideologies and investments go “hand in glove,” gotta help people understand why the investments are important. JumpStart $ is helping DESC keep the workforce they need for keeping people off the street (through permanent supportive housing). Also worked on spending plan for behavioral-health levy, need a better plan so we can pass the funding and demand greater accountability and oversight – detailed spending plan per category.
WSB: What have you done in your year or so on Sound Transit boara?
MOSQUEDA: Long wanted to be on that board. Treat when I get to ride it. New CEO has pushed cultural change in organization to do it cheaper and faster. Shaved $2.6 billion off (revised) cost. Though Avalon station cut, it’s only two more blocks to Junction station, but we’ll protect areas for people to get there. Most houses and small businesses that were going to be affected won’t be because of tunnel. Remaining factor for me …ensuring North Delridge businesses will have a place in North Delridge to move to. Preserving West Seattle Health Club, 6,200 clients, 100 good jobs, only swimming pool in North Delridge.
WSB: Has enough been done for businesses that are being displaced?
MOSQUEDA: No. Would like them to have first right to return in new spaces. They are owed more.
WSB: Endorsements. Lots of them but not Seattle Times.
MOSQUEDA: I’m their editorial board’s worst nightmare, not only a progressive, but an effective progressive. Winning majority of the vote matters more.
WHAT’S NEXT: Voting deadline is Tuesday (November 3). Get your ballot into an official county drop box by 8 am sharp – if you’re going to use US Mail, it’s almost too late, but if you have no choice, get to the post office ASAP.
