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Seattle councilmember Lisa Herbold won’t run for reelection in 2023

Seattle city councilmember Lisa Herbold announced Friday that she will not run for reelection in 2023.

Herbold made the announcement in a post to her blog.

“I will not be running for reelection in 2023. Above my love of public service to the constituents of District 1, I don’t want the Council to lose a progressive voice on the Council,” Herbold said, in part. “The 2022 elections last month were good for progressives. I feel like it’s time to do my part to create an open seat election in District 1. I believe that an open seat can better drive turnout and deliver District 1 to another progressive.”

Later in the blog post, Herbold mentioned not wanting the 2023 race for Seattle city attorney to turn out the way the 2021 race did, when “a very strong and proven progressive didn’t advance to the general, forcing a choice between a carceral system abolitionist and a Republican,” she said.

In 2021, city attorney candidate Nicole Thomas-Kennedy ran on an abolitionist platform; the eventual winner of the race, current city attorney Ann Davison, is a Republican.

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