Controversy hits King County Council race between Olow, Upthegrove

Challenger Shukri Olow wants King County Council District 5 incumbent Dave Upthegrove to formally apologize for what she claims were racist, dehumanizing remarks and threats to numerous community and organizational leaders over their support of her.

Upthegrove, of Des Moines, in his second four-year term on the council, said in an Aug. 27 email that no apology is necessary.

“There is no need to apologize for things that were never said,” said Upthegrove who faces Olow on the Nov. 2 general election ballot.

Olow, of Kent, said in an Aug. 27 media release that she wants Upthegrove to apologize after several individuals – community organization leaders and fellow candidates – came forward in an Aug. 26 piece by The Stranger with multiple claims of verbal intimidation, claiming to speak on behalf of immigrant and refugee communities, accusations of discrimination based on being white and leveraging his power to threaten a withholding of public funds.

“Upthegrove may consider an endorsement of Olow to be a ‘slap in the face’ by organizations that have historically backed his candidacy, but Olow’s campaign over the past year has shown that another future is possible for District 5,” according to Olow’s media release. “Upthegrove’s behavior and rhetoric has minimized the professional and lived experience of a Black, immigrant, former refugee, and woman of color and these dirty political tactics from our elected leaders are toxic and unacceptable.”

Olow is a community organizer who has served on several boards, including Kent Youth and Family Services, Kent YMCA, One America Votes and the Somali Health Board.

One nonprofit director in The Stranger article with a headline of, “Dave Upthegrove to Organizations That Didn’t Endorse Him: “Is It Because I’m a White Guy?,” claimed Upthegrove threatened to withhold public county dollars from labor and immigrants’ rights organizations if they were to endorse his challenger.

“This blatant misuse of power is unacceptable,” Olow said in the media release. “District 5 deserves more than Upthegrove’s performative allyship of the past 20 years – it’s time for representation of, by, and for our communities. We call on Upthegrove to publicly apologize.”

Upthegrove criticized The Stranger article.

“This is a political hit piece not a factual news piece,” Upthegrove said. “If it were a factual new piece, it would have done a thorough job of talking to everyone involved. This is an article filled with non-truths and shady half-truths. I wish it had been a factual news piece. If it had, it would have interviewed everyone who was part of those conversations that did occur. It also would have shown that some of these reported conversations never happened.”

Upthegrove said the accusations by several groups of racist remarks and threats to withhold taxpayer dollars were not true.

Voters elected Upthegrove in 2013 to the council with 68% of the vote over Andy Massagli. He was reelected in 2017 when he ran unopposed. District 5 covers parts of Kent and Renton as well as SeaTac, Tukwila, Burien, Normandy Park and Des Moines.

“I have been flooded with messages of support from leaders from communities of color in Kent who know my values and have worked with me for years,” Upthegrove said. “I think this negative campaigning is having the opposite effect my opponent intended.”

Upthegrove said no debates are scheduled at this point with Olow.

“Not that I’m aware of, but I hope we get some scheduled,” he said.

Olow’s campaign has raised $157,704 so far, according to the state Public Disclosure Commission. Her biggest contributions are $2,000 from individual Noor Dubow of Columbus, Ohio and $1,776 from the Washington State Democrats.

Upthegrove has raised $191,827. His largest contribution is $2,000 from himself. He has numerous donations of $1,000.

Shukri Olow. COURTESY PHOTO