Newly-elected SeaTac City Councilmember Jake Simpson was sworn in at the Nov. 23, 2021 regular Council meeting by Municipal Court Judge Robert Hamilton.
King County elections certified Simpson as the winner for Council Position #2, beating incumbent Stanley Tombs by 977 votes, 2,725 to 1,748. Simpson replaces Tombs, who was appointed to the Council on June 23, 2020, and whose term ended with King County Elections’ certification of the Nov. 2, vote on Nov. 23, 2021.
Below is video of Simpson’s swearing in ceremony by Judge Hamilton from the council’s online Zoom event (NOTE: the date stamp of Nov. 9, 2021 on the video is inaccurate – this happened on Nov. 23, 2021):
Simpson was born and raised in South King County, and attended Kentwood High School and Green River Community College. He lives in SeaTac with his wife and 5-year-old daughter. Currently, Simpson works as an organizer with SEIU 1199NW, the healthcare workers union. For more than a decade he worked at small businesses as a professional cook and began his organizing career with UNITE HERE Local 8 as a rank-and-file leader. In addition to his professional work experience, Simpson volunteers at local food banks, shelters and elementary schools.
In November, three of the seven Council seats were on the General Election ballot. Newly elected Councilmember Simpson will fill an unexpired term ending Dec. 31, 2021, and then again will fulfill his full-term, which runs from Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2025.
The City of SeaTac has seven Council Positions. The City Councilmembers are the leaders and policy makers elected to represent the community and to concentrate on policy issues that are responsive to the needs and wishes of the residents and businesses. The SeaTac Council makes various policy, land use, and budget decisions for the City.
The City Council appoints a full-time City Manager to oversee the daily operations of the City and to advise, implement, and administer the policies adopted by the City Council.
Congrats Jake!