The city council's list of 14 "semifinalists" to fill the vacant seat formerly held by Jim Compton includes nine women, six African Americans, three Latinos, three Asian Americansâand not a single white man. Currently, the council includes two minorities and two women.
The finalists are...
⢠Sharon Maeda, a community activist and former HUD employee whose sister, Diane Sugimura, directs the city's housing office;
⢠Venerria Knox, former director of the city's Human Service Department and exâcommunity outreach director for the monorail;
⢠Stella Chao, director of the International District Housing Alliance;
⢠Verlene Jones, a King County Labor Council organizer;
⢠Ross Baker, a public-affairs consultant and former Lifelong AIDS Alliance government affairs director;
⢠Dolores Sibonga, who served on the council throughout the 1980s;
⢠Darryl Smith, a real estate agent who heads the Rainier Valley Chamber of Commerce;
⢠Sally Clark, onetime aide to former City Council Member Tina Podlodowski, and community resources director at Lifelong AIDS Alliance;
⢠Juan Bocanegra, a Latino community activist and longtime head of the Downtown Human Services Council;
⢠Joann Francis, an exâSound Transit executive and employment lawyer who worked for the Small Business Administration under Clinton;
⢠Gail Chiarello, a Democratic Party activist and Seattle sports-field-lighting opponent;
⢠Bruce Bentley, a finalist in 1997 for the council seat now occupied by Richard McIver;
⢠Venus Velåzquez, a public affairs consultant who also worked on neighborhood planning efforts at the city; and
⢠Javier Valdez, another Democratic Party activist who came in seventh in a 10-way council primary in 1996.
Of the 14, council members and staff said the strongest contenders will probably be minority women. Unless the council decides it wants a "caretaker," Sibonga, who has pledged not to run for reelection, will be off the list. (Knox is also reportedly not among the top contenders.) That leaves Maeda, Chao, Jones, Francis, and VelĂĄzquez among the likely top choices.
On Thursday, January 19, the council will interview candidates in two groups and will narrow its list down to about six finalists on Monday, January 23. Steinbrueck proposed holding a public hearing next Wednesday night, but failed to win his colleagues' support.
The council plans to choose a new member on Thursday, January 26. For continuing coverage and updates, go to www.thestranger.com/blog.
barnett@thestranger.com
