Longtime civic and community leader pledges to advance behavioral health, housing affordability, climate action and transit access
SEATTLE– Sarah Reyneveld, an Assistant Attorney General and Board Member of Washington Conservation Action, has announced that she will run for King County Council. Reyneveld, a Seattle native and UW alum, will run for position 4, currently held by Jeanne Kohl-Welles, who is retiring. Reyneveld, a progressive Democrat, will look to build on Kohl-Welles’s leadership on advancing social and economic justice, environmental protection, transit mobility, and addressing gender-based violence, while stepping up regional action on affordable housing and the climate crisis.
“I am running for King County Council because we need bold and transformative action to urgently address the scale of the challenges facing our region,” said Reyneveld. “We can rise to this moment and create a better future for our region if we act urgently together. I care deeply about our community and will work collaboratively to invest in and scale up community-based solutions that center equity and those with lived experience closest to the issues.”
Reyneveld cites her work in community, and diverse personal and professional experience as a foundation for both her service in this new role, as well as her progressive values.
“I am a managing attorney in the Attorney General’s Office, mom, union member, transit rider, community advocate and 25-year resident of the 4th Council District,” said Reyneveld. “As an attorney, I have taken on corporations that deny fair wages and threaten public and environmental health. As a member of the King County Women’s Advisory Board, I have partnered with communities to expand access to affordable housing, behavioral health, child care, and services for survivors of gender based violence.”
Reyneveld begins the campaign with strong support from leaders across the city, state, and region. Early endorsements from statewide elected officials include Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, and State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti. Current and former county officials endorsing Reyneveld include King County Councilmembers Rod Dembowski, Dave Upthegrove, and Girmay Zahilay, as well as former King County Councilmembers Larry Gosset and Larry Phillips.
“Sarah Reyneveld is a proven progressive leader and advocate,” said Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a former member of the King County Council. “In her capacity as a 10-year Assistant Attorney General, Sarah has stood up to powerful interests and protected our environment, working people, and vulnerable populations. Sarah’s proven dedication to public service, deep roots in the community, and ability to bring together and elevate community voices will make her an effective champion. I am proud to endorse her for King County Council.”
“As a community leader and member of the King County Women’s Advisory Board, Sarah has a track record of working collaboratively with the County Council and our communities to develop and advance community-based solutions,” said County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay. “Sarah understands that we cannot address the region’s homelessness and public safety issues without scaling up interventions, de-escalation, and services such as housing and behavioral health to address the root causes. She will be a bold progressive leader on the Council who is unafraid to grapple with and do the real work of problem solving and advancing transformative solutions.”
Other current and former local and regional elected officials supporting the campaign include Seattle Port Commissioners Fred Felleman, Ryan Calkins, and Hamdi Mohammed, former Seattle City Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw and Lorena Gonzalez, and Seattle School Board member Vivian Song Maritz.
“Sarah is a union member, environmental leader, and champion for workers and environmental justice,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Hamdi Mohammed. “As a King County Councilmember, she will be an important partner with the Port of Seattle, working families, and neighbors across our county to help create economic opportunity pathways to apprenticeships and job training and a more equitable and just transition to a clean energy economy. I look forward to collaborating with her towards a more sustainable and equitable King County.”
A 25-year resident of District 4 and former Chair of the 36th District Democrats, Sarah lives with her husband, Joel, and two children in Ballard and is a proud Salmon Bay K-8 parent.
