SEATTLE — The race to be the next King County prosecutor has already begun.
Dan Satterberg's retirement announcement was barely dry before candidates started coming out of the woodwork to declare.
Jim Ferrell, Leesa Manion and Stephan Thomas already may make up the most diverse, yet in some ways similar, list of candidates for the office. They all boast experience with the office, yet are establishing their differences in approach.
Jim Ferrell
"The number one issue in our county is public safety. People in our area are very concerned about rising crime, average increase in four years has been 77%," noted Ferrell, the Federal Way mayor. "I think we've reached a tipping point in King County and I think the people recognize it."
He's touting his prior history in the office as a trial lawyer and the fact he's commanded a police force of "well over 130 officers" as reasons to boost his candidacy.
Leesa Manion
Manion is the current chief of staff.
"I jumped in because I wanted people to know exactly how committed I am to working for this job, " she said on Thursday. "I would say that my experience is now here, it's recent. It's informed by current science and current data. I'm not looking back at nearly 20 years ago, or what my experience may have been, and I'm not looking at a short time within the office, and drawing my decisions or my opinions from that space."
"I would say that with the support of the people from King County, I would be the first woman and the first person of color to hold this seat and to lead this office. And that's history in the making," Manion said.
Stephan Thomas
But Thomas may have the most unique perspective of the three. He also worked in the office as a deputy and said his backstory gives him a view like no other.
"I'm a former gang member. I sold drugs, I carried guns. I was arrested seven times. I know what got me out of that situation. Right. It was reconciling with my dad who abused me. Right? It was it was being able to go to college and get an education. Now I went to drug rehab twice. Like those are the things that worked for me," he said in an interview.
"I've been in the trenches. I've know what it's like to try hard cases. I've done that work before. I was on the executive team at the King County prosecutor's office. So I know how the whole office runs," he said, adding, "That's what makes me dynamic in this race."
Endorsements and fundraising
All three candidates have already racked up significant endorsements.
Thomas is touting the support of State Senator Joe Nguyen, and State Reps Tara Simmons, Jesse Johnson, and Jamila Taylor, as well as King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay, Lisa Daugaard of the Public Defenders Association and Dr. Ben Danielson.
Ferrell has a wide swath of support from mayors in communities outside Seattle, including Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus, Kent Mayor Dana Ralph, as well as the Washington State Fraternal Order of Police and the Federal Way Police Officers Guild.
Manion can count endorsements from King County Executive Dow Constantine, King County Council members Claudia Balducci and Sarah Perry, and Bellevue Mayor Lynn Robinson. Multiple judges have also put their support behind her.
So far, Thomas has the lead in fundraising at just over $26,000. Manion has raised a shade over $10,000 and Ferrell said he will report over $20,000 raised by a deadline next week.
The top two finishers in the August Primary will advance to the November General Election. Satterberg has held the role since 2007.