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The Seattle City Council will appoint a new representative for the third time since January 2024 after Seattle City Councilmember Cathy Moore announced she is resigning from her position.
Moore announced that her last day on the job will be July 7 after serving District 5 for a year and six months. She cited health and personal reasons for her resignation, which she seriously considered “over the past several months.”
“Ultimately, I believe that District 5 community members deserve a representative who can give their full attention to the critical issues facing the city and its neighborhoods,” Moore said in a statement on Monday.
The announcement came days after Moore withdrew a proposal to update Seattle’s code of ethics after receiving pushback from the community during previous public comment periods. The pulled bill would have revised the city’s ethics code to require council members to only disclose financial conflicts of interest when discussing or voting on legislation. Current rules mandate council members to disclose and recuse themselves from the entire process.
Moore’s resignation means the city council has to fill the District 5 seat soon. Fortunately, the majority of the council has experience with this process.
In January, the Seattle City Council appointed Mark Solomon with the Seattle Police Department to the vacant District 2 seat after five rounds of voting. Solomon filled the seat after Tammy Morales stepped down. Notably, he lost the seat to Morales during the 2019 general election, collecting 40% of votes.
In January 2024, Tanya Woo was appointed by the city council to the District 8 seat.
The Seattle City Council saw a major overhaul of its representatives in 2024 with five new city council members, including Moore. The council members represent a more politically-centered dais as each of the five council members prioritized public safety, homelessness, and affordable housing as part of their respective campaigns. Since then, Alexis Mercedes-Rinck was elected to the city-wide council seat, representing a new progressive face on the council.
The city charter gives the city council 20 calendar days to fill a vacant council position. This 20-day period begins July 8, the day after Moore officially resigns. No names have emerged yet for early frontrunners to replace Moore.