A group that wants to change the election of Kent City Council members from at-large positions to district positions now says it has collected enough signatures to put the issue on the February 2025 special election ballot.
With a district, each council member would represent a specific area where they live. Right now, the seven at-large members can live anywhere in town.
Kent For Districts plans to deliver more than 13,000 voter signatures on Monday, Sept. 16, to the city clerk, according to a Sept. 10 press release from the group. A total of 10,576 valid signatures are needed to get the issue on the ballot.
“We are confident that at the time of submittal we will either have achieved that goal, or we will achieve it,” according to a statement from Kent For Districts. “We are prepared to continue to do outreach throughout September, if necessary.”
The group says Kent’s at-large system of city council elections disenfranchises large swaths of the city — particularly, those who have dealt with the economic and ecological impacts of growth in the region.
“We believe that this will shake up local government and inspire new voices to come to the table with solutions for our growing city and/or make our city council more responsive and accountable to all members of the public,” according to the press release.
The campaign is led by Monica Mendoza-Castrejon and Cliff Cawthon. Mendoza-Castrejon is a law student at Seattle University and longtime civic activist who grew up in Kent and still lives in town. Cawthon is a housing advocate and former Kent City Council candidate.
The group started its signature collection in February.
“Our campaign has touched tens of thousands of Kent voters and gathered prominent endorsements,” according to the press release.
The endorsements include Kent City Council members Marli Larimer, John Boyd and Brenda Fincher; U.S. Congressman Adam Smith, D-Bellevue; state Reps. Mia Gregerson, D-SeaTac and Tina Orwall, D-Des Moines; and state Sen. Karen Kaiser, D-Des Moines.
The campaign also has support from the MLK County Working Families Party, One America Votes, Washington Community Action Network, MLK Central Labor Council, UFCW 3000, SEIU 1199, International Aerospace Machinists Local 751; and the 33rd District and 11th Legislative District Democrats.
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