'Defund the police' incumbents likely to face losses as Seattle City Council election results roll in

Early results from Seattle's Tuesday election have revealed that the three defund the police City Council incumbents are trailing behind their moderate challengers.

Seven of nine council positions are up for election this cycle. Four incumbents, including Marxist Kshama Sawant, decided not to run again, leaving several seats open as the Emerald City continued to deal with the fallout of the council’s radical policies on public safety, homelessness, and addiction.

Councilmember Tammy Morales, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, who advocated in favor of looting during the riots that rocked the city in 2020, was trailing her challenger Tanya Woo (45 to 54 percent) for the South Seattle District 2 position. This district includes some of the hardest hit areas by the spike in crime since the council voted to defund the police in 2020.

Over 600 officers have fled the department since 2020.

Woo ran on the issue of public safety, representing the Chinatown/International District, which has been one of the areas hardest hit by crime.

Incumbent Dan Strauss, currently representing District 6, is trailing challenger Pete Hanning (51 to 49 percent). Strauss also supported defunding the police and was proposing more taxes for his second term.

Strauss was pummeled by constituents for failing to address rampant drug use and homelessness in parks in the district. Hanning accused Strauss of being a "political wind sock" in his decision-making.

Councilmember Andrew Lewis is trailing retired Navy officer Bob Kettle, 56 to 44 percent. The former city prosecutor, who had a track record for not prosecuting prolific offenders, supported the defund the police movement and caved to activists. He initially scuttled a bill making drug possession illegal in the city, which led to a de facto legalization of narcotics. 

Lewis proudly posted a selfie with his fellow councilmembers, including Strauss, marching with Antifa against the city’s police during the riots of 2020 that preceded the deadly autonomous zone.

Early results can change, as mail-in ballots are counted throughout the week. The next ballot drop is expected Wednesday afternoon.