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MAY 15, 2026
King County District 2: History is Made Here
King County Council Appoints Rhonda Lewis, Making
History with First Black Woman and First Majority-Woman Council
Madison Park Times January 2026
It is my honor to represent you on the King County Council.
 District 2 residents may have noticed a number of news stories in the past year about direct attacks by the current Presidential Administration on the American electoral system. The totality of these unorthodox actions is staggering when one considers the fact that the very checks and balances that define the nature of our federal government are being attacked.
Congress and the Supreme Court have thus far not risen to the challenge of checking executive overreach on a variety of fronts and it’s clearly up to voters to preserve democratic principles and institutions that are foundational to American democracy.
This is why I’m so concerned about multiple attacks on our elections system.
 One of the highest-profile issues of late is the chain of events related to states redistricting their congressional maps to provide one party or the other with an advantage in 2026 House races.
In response to Texas and other states conducting unscheduled map changes, voters in the State of Virginia approved a new map that would have gone a long way to rebalance the impact of Republican gerrymandering in Texas.
On May 8, the Virginia State Supreme Court threw out the new map on the basis that the state legislature did not observe procedural requirements when placing the measure on the ballot. And last month, the Supreme Court ruled on Louisiana V. Callais.
At the time of its passage and in the decades to follow, the 1965 Voting Rights Act was thought of as one of the hallmarks of the civil rights movement. You might find this background of Chief Justice Roberts with the Voting Rights Act on the subject of interest. Read more on what this means for voters and elections in Louisiana.
The 1965 Voting Rights Act was passed by Congress to eliminate racial discrimination in voting and to enforce the 15th Amendment.
Ratified in 1870, the 15th Amendment was a response to systemic barriers to voting faced by Black Americans, primarily in southern states. These barriers took the form of literacy tests, poll taxes and intimidation.
In its ruling on Louisiana v. Callais, the Court effectively cut down the practice of ensuring proportional representation of people of color through the districting process. It would seem that states now have no obligation to consider fair representation of minorities in U.S. House district maps.
 Seattle residents marched for the protection of voting rights, and then went to the ballot and elected representatives who defended voting rights and enacted laws to protect everyone’s right to vote.
Now, southern states under Republican control are rushing to redraw their maps, unfettered by previous interpretations of the Voting Rights Act, in order to flip districts currently represented by Democrats to ones that will more likely elect Republicans due to their demographic makeup.
This appears to be happening as a response to the considerable lack of public support for Trump Administration policies and Republican fears that losing the House, and possibly Senate in the 2026 midterms could lead to Trump’s impeachment along with a number of his cabinet members.
 Mark your calendar to send in your ballot before election day – the Primary Election is <strong>August 4, 2026</strong> and the General Election is <strong>November 3, 2026</strong>.
Here at home, King County Elections vote-by-mail program is as close to what is considered the gold standard for election integrity, access and security.
While vote-by-mail is also being attacked at the federal level, no major changes are currently anticipated in terms of our processes in Washington State or King County. But remember to stay tuned to details about changes. We’ll continue to keep you posted with the information you need.
Democracy is not a spectator sport. We all have to engage and get involved to effect the change we need. Make sure your voter registration is up to date. You can also register to vote online.
 King County Elections is prepared to count your ballot. Use the ballot tracker to see that your ballot arrived and is counted.
Click on <a href="https://info.kingcounty.gov/kcelections/vote/myvoterinfo.aspx">My Voter Information – King County</a> and sign up today!
Thank you for reading my e-news. I look forward to using this to keep you updated while serving as your representative on the King County Council. Together, we can make history.
You are always welcome to contact my office at (206) 477-1002 or rhonda.lewis@kingcounty.gov.
My District 2 team looks forward to assisting you.
Sincerely,
 Rhonda Lewis, Councilmember
Metropolitan King County Council, District 2
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