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

June 19, 2026

Good morning, neighbors

Happy Juneteenth! Today I will be joining Tukwila’s annual Juneteenth celebration to commemorate America’s commitment to freedom. 

Please join us! Alternatively, you can jump into a Juneteenth celebration near you (see options below).

Juneteenth is our opportunity to reflect on where we have been and where we are going. Our values guide us.

This month King County Executive Girmay Zahilay (ger-my zah-hill-lie) outlined the values guiding his administration in his first State of the County address. You can read or watch the address here.

Click on the above image to watch Executive Zahilay deliver the 2026 State of the County address at the Federal Way Performing Arts Center.

As a father of young children, Executive Zahilay is thinking about the future for all children and families in King County. His agenda for a Better Future includes what he called the 4 Bs:

• Better Government
• Breaking the Cycle
• Building for Affordability
• Be in Community

The Executive outlined specific action items for each, including increasing investments in childcare, expanding shelter and housing, improving government accountability, preventing gun violence and expanding employment opportunities for youth. 

He also highlighted his continued commitment to building Skyway’s first community center!

I share these commitments and look forward to doing my part to participate in government that earns the public's trust, that supports the most vulnerable, and is a place where "community" is truly inclusive and has a place for everyone. These values support our shared quality of life and our freedom.

King County is home to 2.3 million people living in 39 cities, rural areas and unincorporated neighborhoods like Skyway. It is a growing and diverse community of families that deserves clear, transparent and accountable leadership.

Special Note:  Distinguished District 2 Elder Dawn Mason invites everyone to Jimi Hendrix Park for a family-friendly Summer of Soul Juneteenth Celebration today from noon- 8 pm. Thank you Dawn!

This weekend please celebrate the fathers in your life. Our families are our strength.

It is my honor to represent you on the King County Council. 

You are always welcome to contact my office at 206 477-1002 or Rhonda.lewis@kingcounty.gov. 

My D2 team looks forward to assisting you. 

Sincerely,

Rhonda Lewis, Councilmember
Metropolitan King County Council, District 2

June 15-18: Council & Committee Actions

Tuesday June 16 – Council

Click on the image above to hear CM Lewis comment on the Executive’s proposal for reorganizing the Executive office.

Council is meeting remotely during the Seattle World Cup matches. All meetings are televised live on-line at KCTV and on channel 22. You can also watch on YouTube.

On Tuesday, we discussed changes to the King County code which will enable Executive Zahilay to reorganize the office of the Executive to effectively carry out initiatives to support his 4 Bs. Councilmembers engaged in robust discussion of the changes and voted in favor of making the changes.

The Council also confirmed the appointment of Dr. Susan McLaughlin as Director of the Department of Community and Human Services. We discussed the Medicaid Retention report, which outlines concerns about federal Medicaid changes that may result in 72,000 residents in King County losing coverage.

Wednesday June 17 – Local Services and Land Use

Click on the image above to hear about the Local Servicers and Land Use Committee discussion of Black Panther Park.

The Local Services and Land Use Committee (LSLU) discussed legislation I have sponsored to officially name Black Panther Park (formerly Skyway Park).  Black Panther Park officially opened in Skyway earlier this year <<date>> after a decade of hard work by Nyema Clark, founder of Nurturing Roots in cooperation with King County Parks and Stone Soup Gardens. 

Black Panther Park is a part of the King County Parks system.

The Local Services and Land Use Committee also discussed construction and building standards including Electric Vehicle charging standards. No vote was taken this week. LSLU will meet again on July 15.

Thursday June 18 – Board of Health

The Board of Health received briefings on sexual health and, also on maternal mortality. You can see these briefings here. Click on video for Board of Health June 18.

June 15-19: Community

Wednesday, June 17 – Urban Family Picnic and Block party

Councilmember Rhonda Lewis speaks during the Urban Family Safe Summers Block Party.

My team and I joined the Urban Family Safe Summers Block party. Urban Family sponsors this event to celebrate the last day of school and encourage a safe summer. See Paul Patu from Urban Family speak about the purpose of the Block Party here.

Urban Family welcomed local leadership to give remarks on public safety. I spoke about the need to ensure we stay connected, provide youth employment opportunities and reduce gun violence. 

The Block Party also welcomed Mayor Wilson, Seattle Councilmember Eddie Lin, Senator Rebecca Saldana. It was covered by Converge Media.

The event featured rappers, poets, drummers and fire dancers, and highlighted youth performance.

Councilmember Rhonda Lewis and Seattle Police Detective Denise "Cookie" Bouldin during the Urban Family Safe Summers Block Party.

 Thursday, June 18 – Juneteenth Flag-Raising

Click on the image above to see the raising of the Juneteenth flag by Executive Zahilay, CM Lewis and distinguished community leaders.

I joined King County DAJD employee Angela Toussaint, and community leaders Eddie Rye, Randy Ford, Pastor Leslie Braxton and the National Pan-Hellenic Council to commemorate Juneteenth with an official King County flag-raising.

Singers Talaya and Isaiah performed as, together, we raised the Juneteenth flag in celebration of freedom.

CM Lewis speaks at the King County Juneteenth Flag Raising.

Does your neighborhood or community group have a plan or a good idea to protect our waterways from pollutants, toxins or other contaminants? Apply for a Waterworks grant to fund your project’s success!

Application information – click here.

Eligibility information – click here.

King County is a great place for Celebrating Juneteenth. . .

Summer of Soul Juneteenth Festival
Noon to 8 p.m., Friday, June 19, 2026
Jimi Hendrix Park

Northwest African American Museum:
Celebrate Juneteenth at NAAM: A Movement of Joy
Friday, June 19, 2026
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
AAM & Judkins Park

Juneteenth Celebration
11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 19, 2026
Sullivan Center at Tukwila Village

Juneteenth Free Entrance Day at Washington State Parks

All Day Friday, June 19, 2026

For more Juneteenth Events, check out this link.

I will continue to provide updates on my work as your representative. I invite you to reach out, let me know what your thoughts are and what you think District 2 could look like in the future

District 2 - a great place to live, lead and make history!  Together!

District 2 (D2) is comprised of 273,758 constituents living in Skyway, Rainier Beach, Columbia City, Rainier Valley, Central District, Capitol Hill, Montlake, Eastlake, U-District and Ravenna. It is a beautiful district full of talent and diverse heritages and families. 22% of the D2 population is foreign-born, 28% multi-lingual and 52% rent their homes. Forty-one of Seattle Public Schools’ 109 schools are in District 2.

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Rhonda Lewis
King County Councilmember, District 2
206-477-1002
Rhonda.Lewis@kingcounty.gov
kingcounty.gov/lewis