WORKING WASHINGTON ENDORSES:
Lorena González for Seattle City Council, Position 9

Candidate evaluations:

Lorena González:  13.9 / 15
Issues: 5, Resume & Experience: 5, Ratings: 3.9

Pat Murakami: 7.8 / 15
Issues: 3, Resume & Experience: 2, Ratings: 2.8

Lorena González has earned our endorsement by being a standout leader on issues that affect workers, both in the workplace and in the community.

González was one of two key councilmembers who helped drive the passage of Seattle’s landmark secure scheduling law. She engaged the issue deeply from the beginning, attending a kickoff event hosted by Working Washington where she listened closely to the experiences of fast food and coffee workers struggling with unstable and unpredictable schedules — and her commitment didn’t flag after that. She helped drive council consensus towards a landmark scheduling law, the strongest in the nation, and even joined workers’ celebration after it passed.

Gonzalez has also been a leader on a range of other issues that affect working people outside of work, including immigrant rights, police accountability, gender equity, and more. With this record of accomplishment, when she said she would move forward a citywide paid family leave law if the State Legislature didn’t act, everyone recognized she could get it done. And that had a lot to do with moving the Legislature to follow through and pass statewide family leave this year.

Her opponent, Pat Murakami has slim experience on workers’ rights issues. However, she has a long record as a self-styled neighborhood activist, consistently opposing investments in affordable housing and other necessary public services. Several years ago, Murakami even helped marshal opposition to block the siting of a community center for day laborers.

The choice for workers is clear. Lorena Gonzalez deserves your support.