King 5
Teresa Mosqueda takes strong lead in primary race for Seattle City Council at-large position

SEATTLE — Incumbent Teresa Mosqueda leads the primary race for the Seattle City Council Position 8.

Mosqueda has 57% of the votes as of Thursday afternoon.

Trailing is Kenneth Wilson with 18% of the vote, followed by Kate Martin.

A total of 10 candidates faced off in the primary election for the at-large position on the council.

The top two primary candidates advance to the general election in November.

Mosqueda raised at least $176,000 in donations and Democracy vouchers, well past any of her opponents.

Mosqueda was elected to the council in 2017 as a first-time candidate. She grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is a third-generation Mexican-American, and describes herself as the "daughter of educators and social justice activists."

The incumbent said she wants to "continue the work we’ve started to promote healthy communities, lift-up working families, build more affordable housing, and create an economy that works for all."

Among Mosqueda's proposed legislation is the recently-upheld payroll tax that will tax businesses that spend $7 million or more on payroll in the city.

Mosqueda proposed the JumpStart Seattle tax in 2020 as a way to generate revenue to help the city recover from the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

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