Ballots Are Out: Vote by August 5 to Build Worker Power in Our Primaries!

Jul 18, 2025 | Political endorsements

It’s time for the primary election in Washington State! Make your voice heard: ballots are out now and due by Tuesday, August 5.

Voting (and making sure others vote!) is a fundamental part of building our collective political and governing power. Take a minute to:

  • Locate your ballot: If you’re registered to vote in Washington State, your primary election ballot is in the mail. If you haven’t received your ballot by Monday, July 21, make sure you’re registered to vote and request a replacement ballot ASAP, but no later than Monday, July 28. You can still register to vote in person until 8pm on Tuesday, August 5!
  • Vote for UAW-endorsed candidates: At the end of this email, you can find the full list of UAW-endorsed candidates in statewide, county, and local elections, as well as descriptions written by our local’s members supporting our endorsements.
  • Turn in your Democracy Vouchers! This election finance reform program for Seattle races is a great way to support democracy and costs you nothing to do right now. You are eligible to use four Democracy Vouchers of $25 each if you are a Seattle resident, 18 or older, and a US citizen OR a green card holder. Access your Democracy Vouchers online or request new ones here, then Vote for Prop 1 on your ballot to continue funding this program!
  • Join fellow 4121 members and workers from other unions at our campaign phonebanking and canvassing events this weekend through Election Day! Everyone is welcome, regardless of voting eligibility. Training on talking to your fellow voters will be provided! RSVP for our campaign events here, such as:
    • TODAY (Fri 7/18) at noon: Hybrid phonebank for UAW-endorsed Prop 1 to preserve Seattle’s Democracy Voucher Program!
    • TOMORROW (Sat 7/19) at 11am: Canvass for UAW-endorsed Edwin Obras for WA State Rep at Puget Sound Park in Burien!
    • SUNDAY (7/20) at 11am: Canvass for UAW-endorsed Katie Wilson for Seattle Mayor at University Playground Park in the U-District!

The outcome of these elections will directly affect our efforts to expand access to public transit, affordable housing, and childcare; win collective bargaining rights for more student workers; secure higher ed funding; protect our rights as tenants, workers, and protestors; and more—in Seattle, in Washington State, and beyond.

Through our Political Work Group, UAW members across Seattle, King County, and Washington State have researched candidates’ records, reviewed their responses to our questionnaires, and conducted interviews to identify the candidates we believe will best support us on our core issues. This process resulted in a strong slate of endorsed candidates that, if elected, will fight for causes that are most important to us. 

This summer, the Political Work Group meets weekly on Tuesdays from 11am–noon on Zoom. Want to help shape our political efforts this summer? To get involved, fill out this form or email political@uaw4121.org.

UAW 4121 Endorsements

State Senate

Legislative District No. 48, State Senator: Vandana Slatter

Members across the state enthusiastically endorse Vandana Slatter for Senate in the 48th Legislative District! 

Members are excited about endorsing a representative who:

  • received her Doctor of Pharmacy from UW and who so intimately understands the importance of supporting and funding higher education workers, and scientific research,
  • has stood with our members at UW, WSU, and WWU during contract fights over the last several years,
  • passed a bipartisan Senate Resolution 8651 last year to recommit our state to scientific enterprise and evidence based decision making,
  • has fiercely fought for and defended student aid, including WA college grants for graduate and professional students. 

As an immigrant herself, Slatter is also a strong advocate for protecting our immigrant and undocumented members, which is especially important at this time. Vote Vandana Slatter for State Senator for the 48th Legislative District!

State House

Legislative District No. 33, State Representative Position No. 1: Edwin Obras

Edwin Obras has earned UAW members’ endorsement to continue representing the 33rd Legislative District in Washington state! 

In his interview with members, Edwin spoke about fighting for progressive revenue and protecting higher education funding in our state. In his first year, he signed on to co-sponsor our bill HB 1570 to expand collective bargaining rights to certain student workers at Regional Universities. If re-elected, his priorities for his next session include supporting workers’ rights. Edwin focused a lot on housing affordability in his area (Burien/SeaTac) which is seeing rising costs, counter to his opponent, who testified against rent stabilization. 

Vote to retain Edwin Obras in representing our 33rd Legislative District!

County

King County Executive: Girmay Zahilay

UAW members have endorsed Girmay Zahilay for King County Executive. 

Currently in his sixth year on the King County Council, and serving as the body’s Chair, Zahilay is a dedicated urbanist and labor advocate focused on affordability, housing density, public transit, and the safety of pedestrians and transit riders. In his role as District 2 County Councillor, Girmay has consistently demonstrated his values with proposals such as: 

  • minimum wage increases,
  • a guaranteed basic income pilot,
  • a crisis care centers levy,
  • and a workforce housing proposal (which would hinge on the County Executive’s authority). 

When he was a child, Zahilay’s family arrived in King County as refugees from South Sudan, and he credits the county’s public safety net for their well-being. This background gives him a deep understanding of the importance of protecting and uplifting underserved and immigrant communities, especially in the context of the current federal administration. 

UAW members believe that Zahilay’s council experience, demonstrated commitments, and personal history make him a deserving candidate for your vote as King County Executive this August!

City of Seattle

Mayor: Katie Wilson

Business as usual is failing to close the vast economic disparities between working people and the extremely wealthy in the Puget Sound area, while Trump and his regime continue escalating attacks on research, higher education, immigrants, and workers’ rights. This is a pivotal moment in Seattle, and UAW members are excited to endorse Katie Wilson for Mayor. 

Her fresh vision for Seattle includes massive expansions of affordable and social housing, public transit, and childcare, as well as building a city that centers workers. Wilson not only has the progressive policies and worker and tenant priorities that our members are looking for in candidates but also the organizing track record to get things done. We know this because she’s been a longtime ally of our union, organizing alongside us for community support with the Transit Riders Union when we fought for a U-PASS for all employees at UW (and won!). 

Vote for Katie Wilson for Mayor of Seattle!

City Attorney: Erika Evans

Erika Evans has earned UAW members’ endorsement for City Attorney. 

Erika has promised to:

  • put workers first, particularly through working with other city offices (such as the Office of Labor Standards) and with local unions to ensure that employers in violation of labor laws are investigated properly and held to account;
  • create a new Anti-Hate and Bias Crimes Unit in the City Attorney office focused on identifying and proactively prosecuting hate crimes in the city, which would ensure that instances of hate and bias crimes (which currently are inadequately addressed) are properly handled; 
  • and leverage her extensive experience with constitutional law to take a proactive stance on protecting Seattle residents from the widespread illegality of the current federal administration’s sweeping actions. 

If elected, she will be the best partner to have in the City Attorney office for our union and for all Seattle residents, which is why members decided to enthusiastically endorse Evans for this role. Vote Erika Evans for City Attorney!

City Council District No. 2: Jamie Fackler

UAW members are proud to endorse Jamie Fackler for Seattle City Council District 2: we give a Fack! 

Jamie Fackler is a union member and steward with Protec17 (one of largest unions of city employees) and will bring his expertise as a building inspector to reform our permitting process, making it easier to build affordable and social housing without compromising on climate goals or safety. Fackler organized and canvassed alongside our UAW members to pass Prop 1A to fully fund our Seattle Social Housing Developer last February: in fact, he is the only candidate in the race who voted to both establish and fund Seattle social housing. Fackler unequivocally opposes homeless sweeps and prioritizes road safety, climate initiatives, and addiction services. Further, Fackler has already proven himself a strong ally of our union by joining us at our April Kill the Cuts rally, and worked with us on many issues through the King County Labor Council. 

Let’s get this union leader elected to city council by voting for Jamie Fackler by August 5!

City Council Position No. 8: Alexis Mercedes Rinck

UAW members voted to proudly endorse Alexis Mercedes Rinck for City Council Position 8. 

Rinck was the only councilmember to openly support Seattle’s social housing initiative, Proposition 1A. In her first year on council, she initiated the Federal Response Task Force to help prepare against attacks from the Trump Administration, including introducing the Seattle Shield Initiative, which raises taxes on wealthy large businesses to pay for human services. As a Seattle renter herself, she understands the struggles many of our members face and is committed to enhancing renter protections and affordability. 

She has stood with UAW 4121 on picket lines in the past, so we encourage you to stand with Rinck in the polls this August.

City Council Position No. 9: Dionne Foster

UAW members endorsed Dionne Foster for Seattle City Council Position 9. 

As the Executive Director of the Progress Alliance of Washington, Foster has played key roles in protecting labor and immigrants, and supporting progressive revenue efforts. Foster’s Progress Alliance has:

  • fought to block a rollback of Seattle’s gig worker protections championed by her opponent in 2024; 
  • pass, and subsequently defend, Washington’s capital gains tax and Climate Commitment Act; 
  • and establish unemployment benefits for undocumented workers alongside the Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network. 

Foster consistently demonstrates her commitment to protecting workers and immigrants in our community, and these commitments—at a time of federal rollbacks—are exactly what we need. Vote for Dionne Foster by August 5!

Proposition No. 1, Property Tax for Democracy Voucher Program: Yes

UAW members recommend a YES vote on Proposition 1 to renew our Democracy Voucher Program. 

Seattle’s Democracy Voucher Program allows working class candidates to run for elected office by giving them and their supporters access to public funding: every Seattle voter can designate $100 of public funds to candidates of their choice. Democracy Vouchers give Seattle voters more choices and help counter the millions of dollars that big businesses like Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks pour into our local races. 

Voting Yes for Prop 1 ensures the Democracy Voucher Program will continue to be funded. The proposition increases the average property tax from about $8 to about $12.50 a year, but this is a small price to pay for a program that successfully lives up to its name.

School

Seattle School District No. 1, Director District No. 4: Joe Mizrahi

UAW members have endorsed Joe Mizrahi for Seattle School Board District 4. 

Mizrahi is a member and elected leader of his union, UFCW 3000, and he brings his grassroots organizing experience to ensuring that the needs of underserved Seattle students and families and their access to specialized programs and mental health services are heard loud and clear. Mizrahi is a champion for progressive revenue and rejects inequitable austerity measures for dealing with budget shortfalls. As a voice for labor on the School Board, he would be a key ally for teachers’ and other school employee unions during negotiations. 

We are excited to ensure that labor continues to have a strong advocate on the Seattle School Board. Vote for Joe Mizrahi by August 5!