(The Center Square) – King County Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda has announced her reelection campaign for the District 8 seat, highlighting her support for progressive policies related to workers’ rights, immigrant rights, health care, and housing.
Mosqueda – who describes herself as a progressive labor Democrat – launched her campaign on Monday, nearly a year ahead of the 2026 general election. She was first elected to the District 8 seat in 2023 with 55% of the vote.
Before joining the county council, Mosqueda served on the Seattle city council from 2018 through 2023. During that time, she most notably led on the campaing for the passage of the JumpStart Progressive Payroll tax, Seattle’s largest progressive revenue tax that imposes 0.75% to 2.5% tax on companies with at least $8.5 million in local payroll.
Mosqueda also chaired the city council’s budget committee for four years, guiding budget negotiations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now entering the third year of her council term, Mosqueda chairs the Health, Housing and Human Services Committee and the regional Board of Health, where she focuses on legislation related to community health, housing, and public-health systems.
“Recognizing that our population health improves when we invest in the social determinants of health, I have fought for and expanded worker protections, the ability to create affordable and multi-family housing, and expanded funding for critical hospital services and public health food inspections,” Mosqueda says on her campaign website.
Mosqueda has already received endorsements from several prominent state and local officials including Gov. Bob Ferguson, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, and Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson, among others. So far 11 labor unions have given Mosqueda their endorsement as well.
“Teresa has led the way for policy that supports our essential workers, women, and communities of color. I’m proud to endorse Teresa for King County Council, where I know she will continue to stand up for progressive policy that moves us and our region forward,” Ferguson said in a statement posted on Mosqueda’s campaign website.
Jayapal highlighted Mosqueda’s success in implementing progressive taxes, saying she “is exactly the fighter we need in this moment for working people and poor people.”
District 8 represents the cities of Burien, Tukwila, South Park and the West Seattle neighborhood. So far, Mosqueda is the only announced candidate.
