SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council selected Tanya Woo on Tuesday to fill the vacant Position 8 council seat until an election can be held in November to fill former Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda's vacancy.
The council chose Woo after hearing presentations from all the candidates on Monday and a 20-day application process. Woo received five of the eight votes. The three councilmembers who did not select Woo were Joy Hollingsworth, Dan Strauss, and Woo's former opponent, Tammy Morales.
Morales defeated Woo in the District 2 Seattle City Council race in November. Woo said despite Morales and Woo campaigning against each other in the fall, she plans to work alongside Morales to help support District 2.
"That district, South Seattle, has been marginalized and underserved," said new Seattle City Councilmember Tanya Woo. "I am honored to work alongside Councilmember Morales going forward."
Woo is a community activist who is known for running a community watch group in the the Chinatown International District. Woo campaigned heavily with public safety as a top priority last year.
"How do we allow people to feel safe and be able walk to the grocery store without having to worry about their family members?" said Woo.
Woo said her priorities of public safety, homelessness, and housing are not just unique to District 2, but are applicable to all parts of the city.
Councilmember Woo will be the chair of the Sustainability, City Light, Arts, and Culture committee. She will also be the Vice Chair of the Libraries, Education, and Neighborhoods Committee and a member of the Housing and Human Services, Land Use, and Transportation Committees.
The public had the opportunity to weigh in during this appointment process, with many voicing support for two candidates: Woo, a business owner who ran for and lost the District 2 seat in November, and Vivian Song, who sits on the Seattle Public Schools Board. At Tuesday's City Council meeting, nearly all of the public comment on this appointment was in support of Woo.
In total, 72 candidates applied to fill the position. These were the other six finalists:
- Juan Cotto, the senior government affairs and community relations strategist at Bloodwork's Northwest
- Neha Nariya, the co-founder of Civic Hotel in Seattle, who sees all aspects of day-to-day operations
- Mark Solomon, currently the crime prevention coordinator with the Seattle Police Department
- Mari Sugiyama, who currently works as the community safety investments manager for the City of Seattle's Human Services Department
- Steven Strand, currently the west precinct commander for the Seattle Police Department
- Linh Thai, whose last listed job was the regional operations manager for The Mission Continues, a nonprofit helping veterans facing the challenge of adjusting to life at home
The council had until Jan. 23 to make a selection. If they missed that deadline, they would be required to meet each business day and vote on the appointment at least once per day until they settled on a choice.
Woo was sworn into office immediately and her term will last until November, when voters will elect someone to continue serving in the position through 2025. Woo has already said she plans to run to try to keep the seat in November.