Three AAPI candidates vie for open seat on Seattle City Council

There are three Asian American candidates that have expressed interest in the open Seattle City Council (SCC) seat vacated by former District 2 Councilmember Tammy J. Morales.

A total of 20 people are vying for the spot. The SCC will hold a special meeting to vote on finalists this Friday, Jan. 17, and vote to officially fill the spot on Jan. 27. There will also be a public forum on Jan. 21.

District 2 spans South Seattle, including Beacon Hill, the Central District, Columbia City, Seward Park, Rainier Valley, Georgetown, Downtown, and the Chinatown International District (CID).

Meet your AAPI candidates

Hong Chhuor : In his letter of interest for the seat, Chhuor noted that his family came to the United States from war-torn Cambodia. He retold how he helped serve as an interpreter for his parents and other family members at doctor appointments and parent-teacher conferences, as he was the only one in the home that could speak the most English.

If appointed to the City Council, Chhuor said he is interested in advancing public safety, cultivating a diverse economy, and addressing the homelessness issue.

Chhuor is currently the chief development and communications officer for Friends of the Children-Seattle and has previously worked with El Centro de la Raza and the Asian Counseling and Referral Service .

Chhuor holds a Bachelors of Arts in Business Administration—Business Economics and History from Seattle University.

Takayo Ederer: In her letter to the Council, Ederer highlighted growing up in the Columbia City neighborhood. She faced housing insecurity, and recalls standing in line at food banks. She experienced the unfortunate death of a parent due to “untreated mental health and addiction.”

Ederer is of Japanese, Chinese, Pacific Islander, Irish, and European heritage. While still in high school, she helped her father with the family business. Throughout her career, she has helped with a number of family businesses, including a karate school and an investment company.

Ederer graduated from Seattle University with a degree in International Studies. She is the mother to three children.

If picked to be on the City Council, she would focus on five critical issues that she said District 2 residents are concerned with: Public safety and crime; homelessness and housing affordability; support for local business; transportation and infrastructure; and the environment.

Edward Lin: Lin currently works as an attorney for the City of Seattle in the Contracts and Utilities Division. Prior to that, he worked for eight years at Perkins Coie in its Real Estate and Land Use and Energy Group.

He told the Council in his letter that a part of his current job includes advising on affordable housing loans and contracts. He also touted assisting with large and small infrastructure projects across the city, including redevelopment of the waterfront, the Ship Canal Water Quality Project , the Northgate Pedestrian Bike Bridge , and the in-progress North Rainier Landbank Park .

Lin also mentioned investing in public education and protecting the CID, as he noted that, as a son of Taiwanese immigrants, he understands what it feels like to be overlooked. He feels that CID is overlooked at times, and wants to preserve the historical significance of the area.

Lin attended Macalester College in Minnesota and then earned a law degree in 2009 from Seattle University School of Law.

Morales announced her resignation last month, effective Jan. 6, 2025.

“Representing the people of Seattle, especially of south Seattle, has been my greatest honor and I will miss the opportunity to work alongside all of you on behalf of our neighbors,” Morales wrote in a social media post. She resigned three years before the end of her term.

According to the City Charter , the Council has 20 days from the date of Councilwoman Morales’ resignation of Jan. 6 giving the Council until Jan. 27, 2025 to fill the position. The new Council person will serve until the 2025 General Election.

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