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.”
Sara Nelson runs her council like Trump. When do we storm Fremont Brewing?
I never knew Bret Hamil was so racist
This is a great day in D2. Well done, City Council. There’s hope for us yet.
Elections have consequences. When are you going to start getting serious about agitating for council elections to move to even years? Also Bret received far fewer votes than Solomon, so what’s his point?
My, what sour grapes by Mr. Hamil. Such a potty mouth. Does he kiss his mother with that mouth?
@5 – No but after reviewing the quality of his comics it would appear he draws with it.
Poor Brett Hamil, he’ll have to take his not-very-funny schtick back to Texas.
Poor Bret, he lost two battles today….
https://mynorthwest.com/mynorthwest-politics/child-sex-dolls-may-soon-be-banned-in-washington/4034846
Oh weird. The “centrists” (read: closet conservatives) are absolutely having a field day with this.
I’m still pissed at Morales. Like, I know that Sara Nelson and company are fucking bullies who only want the worst for Seattle, but the people elected you and you just gave up your seat to the bullies? I lost a lot of respect for her.
There there, TheMisanthrope dear. We all must learn to accept our losses with grace, lest we look like babies.
Sara Nelson is not a bully for insisting on order in council chambers, and she and “company” don’t want the worst for Seattle. They may want something different than you do, but that doesn’t make it “the worst”. It just makes it different.
Pouting does no one any good. Dry your tears, patch your makeup, and get back out there to advocate for the candidate of your choice in the next election, which is just around the corner. But by “advocate”, I don’t mean be a moral scold. Be a salesperson. Tell the people why your candidate would be good for the distrtict, not just for your pet causes. After all, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
one catches
vast Swaths of
flies with both shite
& rotting flesh, is that
a Plea for more ‘centrists’?
especially
good for
MAGAts
too!
It’s funny how mad so many of you are at this guy Brett just for daring to criticize the Council. One person even inexplicably called him racist? Simp harder
kristofarian dear, I’m simply suggesting that the approach of “you’re a racist/sexist/homophobe if don’t support (insert candidate name here)” doesn’t work. And the assertion that the current city council is “conservative” is as laughable as the assertions from the right that the former council was “communist”.
If you want to have a conservative/liberal political struggle, at least on the local government level, move to someplace like Tulsa.
Since Tammy Morales left, 12th and Jackson is all cleaned up.
Perhaps having an ineffective clueless Socialist whose only real skill was virtue-signaling wasn’t the best for D2.
Soloman reflects the desires of the voters today who are exhausted by Tammy’s policies which increased crime, homelessness, the cost-of-living, human trafficking, drug overdoses, shootings, rapes, and murders.
The Stranger will bitch about anyone who replaced Tammy, but Tammy is the one that shit upon her supporters–including The Stranger. The Stranger should be mad at Tammy
The NET: Thank goodness Tammy has gone back to her life of leisure in her multi-million-dollar home in Mt. Baker.
@15 “Soloman reflects the desires of the voters today who are exhausted by Tammy’s policies”
Interesting take given Morales won her last election and Solomon has never won any (or even gotten close). Replace “voters” with “conservative CMs” and you’re on to something.
@2: actually he’s the classic “hates everyone equally” person. Seriously, click the link to the older article: ““I don’t like any candidate.”
Nathalie couldn’t find anyone who disliked Solomon specifically, so she went to the guy who hates everyone equally, and got him to say “yup, I hate that guy too.”
By a large majority (21% of vote), district 2 voted down Solomon’s ‘law and order’ policy positions. Bret Hamil is correct that giving him the council seat is a “big fuck you” to voters.
@16 Since Morales stepped down, the Council got to appoint the replacement. There is no requirement to have won an election. Read the rules… nothing nefarious is going on you just want to pout because you didn’t get your way. Blame Morales, not the Council.
And the council is not “conservative”… it’s just not bat-shit left crazy anymore. Which is what the voters of Seattle wanted. Sorry if that reality upsets you.
“…they have once again used a legislative loophole…”
No, they have once again followed the City Charter:
“The City Charter gives the City Council 20 calendar days to fill a vacant Council position. This 20-day period begins January 7, 2025, the first day following Councilmember Morales’ official resignation, and ends on January 27, 2025.”
(https://www.seattle.gov/cityclerk/council-vacancy#:~:text=The%20City%20Charter%20gives%20the,ends%20on%20January%2027%2C%202025.)
Your favorite Council Member couldn’t take the heat, and went home to sulk. The Council followed the Charter, and replaced her. Wrongly accusing them of sketchy behavior doesn’t change the fact that Morales required this, by quitting.
@19 who’s pouting? The person I replied to said voters were tired of Morales and wanted Solomon and I corrected him, simple as that. And the Council is in fact conservative by local standards (as, apparently, are you). Sorry if these realities upset you.
More (of the endless) quibbling about who is ‘conservative’ and who is ‘liberal’ on the city council. The potholes and messed up sidewalks in District 2 don’t care. Maybe the local arsonists do, but I haven’t spoken to any.
Rules of governance are limited in what they prescribed because they can’t account for all possibilities but democracy demands always acknowledging voters will. Voters rejected Solomon’s policies by a large margin. Respecting the will of voters demanded appointment of someone with similar policy priorities as the one that won by a large margin. Instead, the conservative majority on the council chose to play hardball and impose the unpopular choice.
@13 that was a tongue in cheek response because usually when anyone objects to a progressive who happens to be BIPOC they immediately cite one of the “isms” because it couldn’t possibly be that people disagree with their policies. When it comes to Hamil he is well known activist and far left idealogue so pretending he is some man on the street who reflects public opinion is dishonest.
@23 Someone better tell Shaun Scott about this rule. His policies were rejected by his district in 2019 and now he is in the state legislature so he should hand in his resignation letter tomorrow. I don’t recall anyone demanding a moderate be appointed to the council when Burgess left to take over as mayor. The council at the time picked Kirsten Harris-Talley who was pretty much the polar opposite of Burgess.
@24 the only recent such racism allegations I can recall were against those who didn’t like Tanya Woo. Seems like that’s more a tactic of the conservative set in Seattle these days.
@25 lol, cmon you’re not that naive. Go back to any of The Strangers stories regarding people criticizing the former council.
@25 I’m black, met Bret Hamil on several occasions, and don’t believe he has a racist bone in his body. Go ahead and spin that anyway you like, you seem to have a talent for it.
So many people in the comments whose view of how a city should be governed is basically “Problem still exist in my line of sight therefore problem not solved! MOAR COPS!”
Basically this article except not satire:
https://theneedling.com/2024/10/02/danny-westneat-praises-100-reduction-of-homelessness-in-his-immediate-line-of-sight/
@10 No, you’re wrong. Sara Nelson is a massive bully.
TheMisanthrope dear, tell us about how that mean old Sara bullied you: Did she push you into the lockers? Give you a swirlie? Pour a bucket of pig blood on your head at prom?
Catalina Vel-DuRey always has the best comments
Given the office location of The Stranger, I would think the “jOuRNaliSts” staff, would appreciate a little safety (ie: law and order). Maybe you send in your articles from a safer place?