Welp, the Seattle City Council voted 5-3 on Monday to appoint Mark Solomon, a Seattle Police Department crime prevention coordinator and long-time city council hopeful, to fill the open District 2 seat.

The appointment process, which started after Councilmember Tammy Morales' last official day on Jan. 6, was quick. The morning's special council meeting to fill the spot was long and tedious, mired in technical difficulties and council members who love to hear themselves speak. 

Ultimately, the council went with Solomon who said he will view the role as a "caretaker" and not seek election when the seat's term is up in November. 

Solomon now assumes the role he's wanted for years. He lost the 2019 race for the seat against Councilmember Tammy Morales, only garnering 39% of the vote to Morales' 60%. This marks the second time within a year that the city council has appointed someone to a council seat who had previously been defeated by Morales in a general election. In doing so, they have once again used a legislative loophole to appoint an official whom District 2 voters specifically rejected.

Solomon applied—and failed—to fill Teresa Mosqueda's seat last year, too. A seat that ultimately went to Tanya Woo, another unsuccessful Morales challenger who found her way to the dais despite public disapproval.

The third time was the charm for ol' Solomon, it seems. 

As soon as the council meeting started—almost 30 minutes late due to technical difficulties—I should've clocked Solomon's impending win. Of the 10 initial in-person public commenters, four spoke in favor of him.

"Mark is just a really good person," Carl Haglund, who owns the real estate development and property management firm Columbia Modern Living, said. "He’s voter-approved, too. Seven people ran for District 2 [in 2019] and he came in second."

To be clear, in the August 2019 primary election, Solomon only earned 23% of the vote in that crowded seven-person race. Morales earned more than 50%. After the field was only the two of them, he only won 16% more votes. I wouldn't exactly call that voter-approved. 

Lisa Nitze, who works at the real estate development and property management firm Nitze-Stagen, called Solomon "completely devoted to serving the public good," in her public comment. 

That public good for supporters of Solomon, who is outspoken about the need for more police, is all about public safety. Law and order. His big priorities listed in his application for the role were to bring the Comprehensive Plan across the finish line, regulate late-night hours for venues, and "address crime, disorder, and human suffering in the Little Saigon Neighborhood."

Solomon better be excited about that Comprehensive Plan since, in this role, he'll be chair of the land use committee. Unfortunately, the only even slightly relevant land use experience listed on his application is when he served on a committee to rename the Jefferson Park Golf Course to the Bill Wright Golf Course. 

It took five rounds of votes for the council to decide on Solomon, who needed to earn at least five votes for the appointment. In the process, candidates Chukundi Salisbury, Eddie Lin, and Adonis Ducksworth all received votes. Councilmembers Rob Saka, Joy Hollingsworth, Cathy Moore, Maritza Rivera, and Council President Sara Nelson all voted for Solomon in the final round. 

"I am here and I am here to be of service to you," Solomon said after he took his oath of office, directing his comments to District 2. "I'm about serving this community, getting things done, and working with this council to make life better for this city and for District 2."

Morales, the last council member District 2 actually chose, resigned late last year citing bullying and a toxic work environment from her council colleagues, all of whom were more to the right politically than she was. 

"Anyone having any doubts or questions of the toxic work environment that Morales accused [the council] of, this is a sterling example that reaches unforetold levels of pettiness," Brett Hamil, local comedian and District 2 resident said.

In an earlier piece polling District 2 residents about their preferences, Hamil told me he specifically didn't want to see Solomon appointed because District 2 had already voted against Solomon. 

"This is truly a rebuke of what District 2 wants," Hamil said. "It's a big 'fuck you' to District 2."