 Dear King County District 2 Resident,
I want to share some bittersweet news with you. After nearly six years of serving as your representative on the King County Council, my time in this role is coming to a close. Tomorrow afternoon, I will take the oath of office to become the next King County Executive.
Serving this district has shaped me in ways I will carry for the rest of my life. It has been the greatest honor to work alongside you to improve the communities that raised me. District 2 is where I grew up, where I went to school, and where my wife and I are now raising our daughters. To represent this community has been more than a job. It has been making my lifelong home a better place.
During our years together on the Council, we accomplished work that will have a lasting impact. We expanded crisis care and mobile response services, invested in gun violence prevention and more affordable homes, secured more transit access, strengthened youth and family supports, and brought community voice to county decisions in new ways. None of this happened alone. These accomplishments were possible because of partnership with you, as well as the dedication of my Council colleagues, the outgoing Executive, and the outstanding King County staff who give so much of themselves to serve the people of this region. I am deeply grateful for the guidance, teamwork, and commitment over these many years.
My final action as your Councilmember was helping pass our $20 billion biennial budget for 2026 and 2027. Even in a difficult budget year, we secured critical wins for District 2. This budget includes major investments to expand behavioral health services and crisis response, strengthen programs that prevent gun violence, restore supports for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, stabilize youth and family services, and fund capital work that will help create housing and opportunity for young people. It also includes dollars to improve food access, expand nutrition education, and strengthen community centers that serve as anchors for families across the district. These investments reflect the priorities you lifted up throughout the year, and I was proud to cast my final vote on your behalf.
Although I will no longer sit on the Council, I will still represent you, just at a different level. Moving from county councilmember to Executive is similar to a city councilmember becoming mayor. As Executive, I will lead an 18,000 person government responsible for transportation, public health, criminal justice, housing and homelessness services, environmental stewardship, and much more. The same values that guided my service on the Council will continue to guide me in this new role.
When I leave the Council tomorrow, District 2 will temporarily have a vacancy. It is my responsibility to submit three nominees to the Council for appointment, and I intend to put forward individuals who will serve as caretakers and who will commit not to run for the seat in next year’s election. The Council is scheduled to appoint one of those nominees by Tuesday, December 9.
That means there will be a short period between my swearing in on November 25 and the appointment by December 9 during which District 2 will not have a Councilmember. For help with constituent needs during that time, I invite residents to reach out to the likely incoming Chair of the King County Council, Councilmember Sarah Perry, at sarah.perry@kingcounty.gov.
Representing District 2 has been one of the greatest honors of my life. This community is part of who I am. I have witnessed its challenges, its resilience, and its tremendous potential. Thank you for trusting me to serve you. Thank you to my incredible District 2 team for doing this work alongside me. Thank you for partnering with me to build a stronger, safer, and more hopeful future for the place we call home.
With deep gratitude,
 Girmay Zahilay
King County Executive-Elect
King County Council
District 2
206-477-1002
girmay.zahilay@kingcounty.gov
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