(The Center Square) – King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay is running for King County executive in the 2025 general election, with the goal of providing families more opportunities to grow in a safe environment.
Zahilay said the reason he is running for King County executive has to do with his personal story.
The 37-year-old fled Sudan with his parents when he was only 3 years old. Zahilay grew up in south Seattle before earning degrees from Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He said while growing up in Seattle public housing, he experienced homelessness, but the county provided his family with the tools to support his family.
“I’m running for county executive because I think our region can be a place of safety and opportunity for all [and] a place where anyone regardless of their circumstances can climb up the economic ladder and live a healthy and safe life,” Zahilay told The Center Square in a video call. “And I know that because this is what King County provided for me and my family.”
However, he adds that the opportunities he had growing up are not available to everyone as a result of the rising cost of living and public safety issues.
The Center Square spoke to Zahilay about his priorities for his campaign for the county lead.
Public Safety
Zahilay is prioritizing public safety because he says it’s an issue that is interconnected with every other issue in King County. He believes the region needs a comprehensive approach to the issue that includes having a fast and reliable emergency response system.
He favors a system that utilizes an appropriate response to the situation, whether it is violent crime, an addiction situation, or a simple code enforcement issue, such as someone playing their music too high. In the case of someone experiencing a mental health issue that is resulting in disorderly conduct, Zahilay says a medical response could be better utilized.
Zahilay is also focused on gun violence prevention, which has been a priority of his since first joining the county council in 2020. Last year, the county approved Zahilay’s five-pronged comprehensive gun violence prevention strategy to guide the county in addressing the issue.
The King County Council member says he would have a “boots on the ground” approach to gun violence that targets , with the help of data, the people most likely to shoot or be shot.
Affordability
Zahilay believes it is possible to have both higher minimum wages and support for small businesses. Zahilay led the charge to pass a council bill that increased the minimum wage in unincorporated King County to a high of $20.29 in 2025.
“I think that saving money for our small businesses and making sure that they have the support they need cannot come at the expense of paying workers a living wage,” Zahilay said.
If elected, Zahilay said he will make sure commercial rent costs are addressed, through tax incentives for landlords and commercial tenant assistance programs for small businesses.
The budget
Efficient use of tax dollars is what Zahilay says is needed to be done before taxes are raised. He said strong performance metrics across the board would be demanded in order to ensure departments are producing efficient outcomes.
The county’s $150 million budget shortfall is an example of critical services that are facing cuts. Zahilay said unless the state gets rid of a 1% cap on property tax increases, cuts to county services can be expected.
He added that he will lobby for general tax reform at the state level to allow King County to not rely heavily on property and sales taxes.
Homelessness
Zahilay does not believe the King County Regional Homelessness Authority has achieved its primary objective, as homeless statistics are at an all-time high for the county.
In order to address the situation, Zahilay believes the agency needs to be dramatically reformed to be more “outcomes-focused” and prioritize unsheltered homelessness specifically.
“I think we need a greater priority on emergency housing to quickly get people off of the streets rather than just waiting long periods of time for permanent supportive housing to be built,” Zahilay said.
Last year, KCRHA changed its government structure from three separate committees to one. Zahilay believes that is a step in the right direction, but more work needs to be done.
