Former Seattle City Councilmember Debora Juarez appointed back to D5 seat

(The Center Square) – Former Seattle City Councilmember Debora Juarez is back as the city’s District 5 representative for a 16-month term.

On Monday, seven out of the eight members of the Seattle City Council voted to appoint Juarez to the vacant seat.

The District 5 seat, representing the Northgate, Greenwood, Lake City and Crown Hill neighborhoods, has been vacant since July 7 after Cathy Moore resigned due to health and personal reasons. She served for just over a year and a half.

Juarez was the most notable applicant due to her previously serving as the District 5 representative from 2015 through 2023. She declined to run for reelection in the 2023 general election.

Her previous experience as a city council member includes chairing the committee to build the new Climate Pledge Arena without taxpayer dollars. She also was a member of the Sound Transit Board of Directors where she advocated for transit-oriented development at the Northgate Station as part of the Sound Transit Link light rail line 1 route.

Juarez also works as a legal and political advisor with tribal leadership through organizations including the National Congress of American Indians and the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians.

After being officially appointed, Juarez said she wanted to serve in local government again after seeing the current state of the world. She mentioned the June incident in which U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla was handcuffed by federal agents after interrupting a Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s press conference.

“I had one goal and I meant it when I said that I did not want to feel like a coward [and] that I took the emotion to feel brave and have confidence, because of California Senator Alex Padilla when he was thrown on the ground and handcuffed – because that’s the world we’re living in right now,” Juarez said after her appointment

Juarez’s appointment is the third appointment the Seattle City Council has made since January 2024.

In January, the Seattle City Council appointed Mark Solomon with the Seattle Police Department to the vacant District 2 seat after five rounds of voting. Solomon filled the seat after Tammy Morales stepped down. Notably, he lost the seat to Morales during the 2019 general election, collecting 40% of votes.

In January 2024, Tanya Woo was appointed by the city council to the District 8 seat.

Juarez will serve on the city council until November 2026, when District 5 residents will elect someone to finish the remainder of Moore's term through the end of 2027.