SEATTLE — In an historic year for turnover on Seattle City Council, Sara Nelson has been named the new council president.
Five new councilmembers were sworn in Tuesday. With previous Council President Debora Juarez having not run for reelection, Nelson was unanimously elected by her fellow councilmembers as the successor in that role.
“I thank my colleagues for entrusting me with the duties of council president,” Nelson said in a news release. “Good governance is the foundation of good policy and we’ll work together, collaboratively and deliberatively, to deliver results for the people of Seattle.”
Nelson was elected to the at-large position in 2021, beating out challenger Nikkita Oliver by a 54% to 46% margin. Prior to that, she founded Fremont Brewing with her husband, and served as a legislative advisor to then-Councilmember Richard Conlin between 2002 and 2013.
In 2023, she helped lead efforts to pass legislation to make public drug use a misdemeanor in Seattle. She also spearheaded the formation of the Seattle Film Commission, in an effort to “strengthen the city’s film industry ... and advance the City’s economic development priorities in the creative economy.”
She’ll now take on a new leadership role as council president. She’ll be responsible for appointing committee chairs, presiding over council meetings, and in the event the mayor is absent, assuming that role’s duties as well.
New councilmembers sworn in on Tuesday included Rob Saka, Maritza Rivera, Joy Hollingsworth, Cathy Moore, and Bob Kettle. Tammy Morales and Dan Strauss were each sworn in for their second terms, while Teresa Mosqueda officially resigned as a result of her winning her election to King County Council.
In the weeks ahead, councilmembers will work to name an interim councilmember who will finish out the remainder of Mosqueda’s term.
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