King County Exec Dow Constantine won’t run again. Race to succeed him begins

After four terms in office, King County Executive Dow Constantine has announced he will not seek reelection next year. Already two members of the King County Council are possible contenders for his job.

Constantine was first elected in 2009, after serving in the state Legislature and on the King County Council. In a statement Thursday he said it’s time for new leadership.

After next year he will step down from running a county that has changed dramatically during his tenure.

In an interview with KUOW, Constantine cited visible examples of his priorities around the environment, transit, and social services. They include the Maury Island Marine Park on Vashon Island, which replaced a gravel mine. He also pointed to the new water taxi dock on the waterfront, and the upcoming network of crisis care centers funded with a 2023 levy that he proposed.

RELATED: What King County voters say about $1.25 billion crisis care center levy

Constantine called voter approval to fund the light rail expansion from Everett to Tacoma in Sound Transit 3 “perhaps the single greatest achievement of my last 15 years, getting that passed” as chair of the regional Sound Transit board.

He noted that he even sought changes to the U District light rail station design “to make sure they saved the Neptune Theater.”

“I drew out a picture of what could eventually be there on a little scrap of paper when I was sitting in the Sound Transit boardroom with Mayor Mike McGinn," Constantine said. "That’s how long ago that was, and there it is in three dimensions.”

He said his top priorities for his final year in office include opening the planned crisis care centers, getting Sound Transit 3 built, and the “civic campus” project he’s proposed “where we’re seeking to redevelop 7-8 blocks of downtown Seattle into a vibrant 24-hour neighborhood.”

Constantine said once he leaves office, his future plans will likely focus on building new infrastructure as well as conservation.

“I’m very interested in continuing our work of city building, of region building, of creating the infrastructure both physical and institutional as well as preserving the natural infrastructure that allows people to live successful lives here,” he said.

Constantine said he came into politics as an activist working to preserve open space.

“In this office I’ve been able to really advance that cause to save forests and farms and shorelines," he said. "All of that appeals to me. I am very much not retiring.”

Constantine said his biggest frustrations during his time in office have included the difficulty of making strides against homelessness, and resistance to alternatives for the “criminal legal system.”

“We’ve housed tens of thousands of people, we’ve prevented tens of thousands from becoming homeless,” he said. Despite those efforts, housing costs and low vacancy rates continue to push more people in King County into homelessness.

“That is something that we’re getting better at, but it is a very long road,” he said.

He called the criminal legal system “wildly expensive and not very effective,” adding that “we’ve really not succeeded in moving away from using that one solution for many problems.”

He said his final year in office will take place under a dramatically different federal government.

“My third term was consumed with the twin crises of Covid and the first Trump administration,” Constantine said.

He said that was a reminder of the importance of maintaining a strong local government to make progress on transportation, environmental protections, and help for people with mental health and substance use issues, “even in the face of federal resistance or a very different agenda happening in Washington, D.C.”

So far, two members of the King County Council could seek to take Constantine’s place. Claudia Balducci (District 6) represents Bellevue and Kirkland. She has announced her campaign. Girmay Zahilay (District 2) represents Seattle's University District south to Skyway. Zahilay said he is “strongly considering” a run.