- Creating bikeable communities requires electing bike champions to city, county and state offices.
- We studied the candidates running for office in the Nov. 4 election in King County, Seattle, and Bellevue to select the most bike-friendly.
- We encourage you to read our endorsements and vote for the candidates below.
This November, the general election is pivotal for the future of bicycling due to hostility toward bike infrastructure funding at the federal level.
Ballots for the fall general election will begin arriving in mailboxes in late October. We encourage all Washington state voters to review our endorsements before casting ballots. Washington Bikes has vetted candidates and endorsed the individuals who support our vision of a Washington state where all communities are connected by bike. Please read our endorsements below, and please vote.
We’d like to highlight three pivotal campaigns in King County:
Claudia Balducci for King County Executive
The phrase bike champion is synonymous with the name Claudia Balducci. Whether it’s pushing for policies to keep King County trails open and safe 24 hours a day, or articulating a vision for the Eastrail and championing its completion, Balducci has shown during her tenure on the King County Council that she is a champion for people who bike, or want to.
As County Executive, Balducci will implement the Safe Systems Approach framework she penned last year and turn it into policy that makes King County a national leader in traffic safety. Read more about Balducci in our spring endorsement blog.
Implement the Levy in Seattle: Vote Ducksworth, Harrell, Rinck, and Foster
We support Adonis Ducksworth for City Council District 2 in South Seattle because he’s spent the last decade talking to the community about street upgrades and protected bike lanes for the city. Electing a bike champion to District 2 is essential for ensuring that the projects funded in the Seattle Transportation Levy are fast-tracked.
Vote for Duckworth, the candidate most aligned with our vision of a safe and connected Bike Network in District 2.
Earlier this election cycle, WA Bikes endorsed Mayor Bruce Harrell, City Council District 8 (Citywide) Alexis Mercedes Rinck, and City Council District 9 (citywide) Dionne Foster. Harrell was the architect of the historic Seattle Transportation Levy that voters approved in 2024 and which includes $133.5 million for better biking. During his first term as Mayor, Seattle added over 19 miles of portected bike lanes. Let’s return Harrell to office as we enter the most important phase of the Levy: rapidly implementing the bike connections it funds.
For our citywide council picks, we are excited by Foster’s and Rinck’s commitments to transportation safety and their understanding of the need for better biking in Seattle. We need these voices on council! Read our full write-ups of the Harrell, Rinck and Foster endorsements on the WA Bikes website.
Elect a Supermajority of Bike Champions to the Bellevue City Council
Remember last year when a majority of Bellevue City Council members stated that bike lanes should be on arterial streets only as a “last, last, last resort”? We do. The result was the cancellation of plans to add bike infrastructure to some of Bellevue’s most dangerous streets.
Bellevue residents deserve better. That’s why we have endorsed a slate of candidates who understand that people should be able to safely bike on arterial streets. Due to the resignation of two Council members, five of the seven Council seats are on the ballot. That means we have the opportunity to elect a supermajority of bike champions.
The two appointees, Claire Sumadiwirya (position 5), and Vishal Bharkava (position 1) articulated support for bikes on arterials. So did Pradnya Desh (position 4), and Naren Brier (position 2), both outstanding candidates who also happen to be running against two long-time council members whose vision for biking in Bellevue is way out of alignment with people who care about street safety
Mayor Lynne Robinson (position 6) is a multi-term council member who has methodically supported Bellevue’s progress on bike infrastructure. We hope that with a new council, Bellevue can reverse the anti-biking policy and move forward to make the city more bikeable, safe, and sustainable.
Let’s Elect More Bike Champions Across the Puget Sound Region
This year we endorsed bike friendly candidates in 21 cities across south and central Puget Sound. That speaks to the growing movement for better biking! Now let’s get them elected. Vote by November 4!
