Seattle City Council appoints Tanya Woo to fill vacancy

Details: At Tuesday's meeting, the Seattle City Council chose Woo from eight finalists, which they had previously narrowed down from a pool of 72 qualified applicants.

• Woo received five votes among the eight sitting city council members.
• After being appointed, Woo was sworn in immediately.

What they're saying: Woo publicly said after the vote that she wants to build more collaboration and communication on the council.

• Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson said her priority in picking a new councilmember was finding someone who "knows the issues" and is well versed in the topics the council is working on.
• Nelson added that the appointment was temporary, and voters could weigh in on a longer-term replacement for Mosqueda in November.

Of note: Woo ran against Councilmember Tammy Morales in District 2 last November, losing by less than two percentage points.

Background: Woo has volunteered with the Chinatown-International District Community Watch, which conducts night walks and outreach in the neighborhood.

• She also led protests in 2022 against a county proposal to significantly expand an existing homeless shelter in SoDo, close to the Chinatown-International District.

What's next: A November special election will decide who will serve the remainder of Mosqueda's unexpired term, which runs through 2025.