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Girmay Zahilay

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Girmay Zahilay
Member of the King County Council
from the 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 8, 2020 (2020-01-08)
Preceded byLarry Gossett
Personal details
Born1986 or 1987 (age 37–38)
Sudan
Alma materStanford University (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (JD)
ProfessionAttorney

Girmay Zahilay (GRR-my ZAH-hill-eye)[1] is a Sudan-born Ethiopian-American politician and attorney who serves as a member of the King County Council from District 2 in Seattle, Washington. He was elected in 2019 and defeated longtime incumbent Larry Gossett.

Early life and education

Zahilay and his brother were born in Sudan to Ethiopian refugees who had escaped a military conflict. He was three years old when his family immigrated to the United States, settling in the Rainier Valley.[2] Zahilay moved between public housing arrangements in several neighborhoods in South Seattle, including the International District and Skyway, while his mother Abie worked double shifts as a nursing assistant. The family also stayed at a homeless shelter in Downtown Seattle between moves to public housing in NewHolly and Rainier Vista.[3][4]

He graduated from Franklin High School in Seattle and was a research intern at the University of Washington Department of Biology.[5] He majored in biology at Stanford University, where he served as president of the Black Student Union. Zahilay earned a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania and worked as an intern at the Office of the White House Counsel during the Obama administration.[2]

Career

Zahilay worked for the Congressional Hunger Center and New York City Coalition Against Hunger as a community organizer after graduating from college.[3] He then moved to jobs at law firms Skadden Arps in New York and Perkins Coie in Seattle.[2] Zahilay also founded a non-profit, Rising Leaders, that aims to provide mentors for underserved middle school students.[2]

He announced his County Council District 2 campaign in February 2019, becoming the first challenger to six-term incumbent Larry Gossett since 2005.[6] Zahilay campaigned on the expansion of public housing and the replacement of youth incarceration with other methods.[3] Gossett, who had also attended Franklin High School and had led his own Black Student Union at the University of Washington, trailed Zahilay in the primary election by a 37 percent margin.[7] Zahilay defeated Gossett in the November 2019 general election, becoming the youngest member of the King County Council.[8][9] He was sworn in to represent District 2 on January 8, 2020, and was selected to chair the council's Law and Justice Committee.[10]

References

  1. ^ Jimenez, Esmy (November 4, 2019). "Seattle voters contend between political newcomer or civil rights legend". KUOW. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d Gutman, David (August 9, 2019). "King County Council's Larry Gossett fighting for his political life against Girmay Zahilay, first-time candidate who calls him a hero". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Smith, Rich (June 7, 2019). "Larry Gossett Faces His First Serious Challenger in Girmay Zahilay". The Stranger. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  4. ^ Burkhalter, Aaron (September 25, 2019). "Meet the King County Council District 2 Candidates: Girmay Zahilay". South Seattle Emerald. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  5. ^ Hansen, Lily (December 3, 2019). "'A Seattle-only focus is no longer going to cut it'". The Daily. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  6. ^ Harrison Green, Marcus (February 27, 2019). "Seattle attorney to challenge Larry Gossett for King County Council seat". The Seattle Times. p. B8.
  7. ^ Gutman, David (October 13, 2019). "Larry Gossett faces toughest election yet against Girmay Zahilay for King County Council". The Seattle Times. p. B1. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  8. ^ Brownstone, Sydney (November 7, 2019). "From sharecropper's son to Black Panther to politician, County Councilmember Larry Gossett reflects on his legacy". The Seattle Times. p. A1. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  9. ^ Santos, Melissa (November 5, 2019). "Newcomer Girmay Zahilay soundly defeating Larry Gossett in race for King County Council". Crosscut.com. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  10. ^ Gutman, David (January 8, 2020). "Girmay Zahilay begins work on King County Council as Larry Gossett era ends". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
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