(The Center Square) – King County is guaranteed to have a Democrat as the next county executive, as County Councilmembers Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay advance to the general election as the two top vote-getters.
Zahilay received 40.4% of initial primary votes, with Balducci trailing behind by double digits with 30.3%. However, King County Assessor John Wilson garnered 9.3% of votes despite suspending his campaign last month amid stalking accusations.
Both candidates have similar platforms targeting affordable housing, behavioral health programs, and expanding comprehensive public safety strategies that address root causes of crime.
Zahilay’s previous accomplishments as a council member include increasing the minimum wage in unincorporated King County to $20.29 in 2025; leading the renewal of the King County Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy; and assisting in the creation of the $2 million community-based gun violence prevention program.
Zahilay previously told The Center Square that he will lobby for general tax reform at the state level to allow King County not to rely heavily on property and sales taxes.
If elected in November, Zahilay would be the first immigrant King County executive. The 38-year-old fled Sudan with his parents when he was only 3 years old and grew up in south Seattle.
“A campaign is never about one person,” Zahilay wrote in a social media post on Tuesday night. “This decisive victory, which we are confident will grow over the coming days, shows the power of teamwork.”
Before being elected to the King County Council in 2015, Balducci was known as a major figure in the county’s transportation work since her time as a Bellevue City Council member and mayor from 2004 through 2015. While the mayor of Bellevue, she prioritized transportation safety after a tragedy in which a driver turned toward oncoming traffic and was struck by a vehicle that ended in the death of a toddler in a stroller.
In a press release following Tuesday’s results, Balducci touted her previous experience as a tough campaigner, winning three elections to the Bellevue City Council before taking on a powerful 20-plus-year King County Republican incumbent and winning with over 59% of the vote.
“Building broad coalitions of support, raising the resources required to be competitive, and connecting with voters on the issues that matter most to them [that is] the same winning strategy she will bring to the 2025 General Election,” Balducci’s campaign wrote in a statement.
Balducci previously told The Center Square she would “not say ‘no’ to progressive taxes” in order to shore up funding. She added that county residents who have lived and contributed to the county for years should be able to continue to do so without the burden of the county relying entirely on their property taxes.
The candidates will face off in the Nov. 4 general election.
