Image: Seattle City Council Blog
For the second time in less than two years, a Council seat will open following a resignation. In early January 2024, Councilmember Tammy Morales quit her District 2 seat. Last week, it was Councilmember Cathy Moore, who announced her resignation from her District 5 seat. Moore succeeded two-term Councilmember Debora Juarez in 2023.
A former Superior Court Judge, Moore focused her Council time on addressing public safety concerns of her District 5 constituents. In the face of strong progressive opposition, she led the fight to pass the Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution (“SOAP”) legislation. Her district includes north Aurora Avenue, an area plagued by heavy prostitution activity for decades. The SOAP legislation targeted pimps and customers, empowering judges to order people arrested for, or convicted of, engaging prostitutes to stay out of the SOAP area or face further prosecution.
Elected with the support of Council President Sara Nelson, Moore generally sided with the moderate majority on the Council. Last year, during Council budget deliberations, however, Moore proposed a capital gains tax to help close the City’s budget shortfall. Although it did not pass, a majority of the Council opposed it on the grounds that it needed further study. This year, she proposed, then withdrew, legislation to reform the City’s broken ethics rules after it drew opposition from the Mayor and progressives.
Unlike the District 2 seat, now held by Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Moore’s seat will not be on the 2025 ballot. Because the resignation occurred after this year’s candidate filing deadline, her appointed successor will serve for nearly 17 months. Once her resignation is effective on July 7, the Council will have 21 days to appoint her replacement, who will serve until voters choose her successor in the 2026 general election.
