Seattle’s incoming city attorney Erika Evans promises vigilance on federal interference

Erika Evans won the race for Seattle City Attorney by 35 points over her opponent, the current city attorney Ann Davison. The Seattle Times called her victory on election night. Since then, Evans said she’s been busy preparing for a smooth transition.

But to her disappointment, Evans said Davison has never contacted her to concede or offer congratulations — in contrast to Mayor Bruce Harrell, who on Nov. 13 publicly conceded and congratulated mayor-elect Katie Wilson on her victory in a close race.

Evans said she thinks elected leaders have a responsibility to create a smooth handoff during a transition, and to be receptive to the will of the voters.

“I think that’s a part of leadership,” she said. “It might not feel good, it might be uncomfortable, but it’s the right thing to do.”

Evans said a deputy in the office has assisted with the transition. Davison’s campaign didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Evans' victory is notable for its margin — and because it represents a milestone for the city. Evans said she’s excited to be the first person of color and the first Black woman to serve as city attorney for Seattle.

“Having different lived experiences, navigating as a Black female lawyer, it’s different I think than some folks’ experiences,” she said. “And I think that matters when we are at the table talking about issues that affect our community.”

Evans previously worked in the city attorney’s office under its former elected leader Pete Holmes. She also worked as federal prosecutor pursuing violent crime and terrorism, as well as civil rights cases — “a dream job,” she said. But she resigned over changes imposed by the Trump administration.

“After Trump took office it was a very clear rollback in civil rights,” she said. “I was getting those executive orders that were inconsistent with the oath we took as assistant United States attorneys. Being told that our interpretation of the law is limited to the interpretation of Attorney General Pam Bondi. Being told to report on colleagues doing diversity work in the office. That’s not the oath I took.”

Evans said the top priorities she heard from voters were public safety and protecting the city from federal overreach. One of her most immediate goals, she said, will be the reestablishment of a community court in collaboration with the city’s municipal court and public defenders. Those courts offer services as an alternative to prosecution.

Davison pulled out of community court to use her office’s own diversion alternatives, partly over concerns that people were not showing up. Evans said she’ll learn from that past version and study the community courts currently in use in Auburn, Tacoma, and Bellevue.

“I think a huge piece is making sure we’re providing the right response for folks going into community court,” she said, as well as providing the accountability that she said was “missing” before.

She said her transition will also bring fairly immediate changes around the city’s use of SODA and SOAP ordinances intended to keep people accused of crimes out of areas of drug use or prostitution. Evans made clear on the campaign trail that she disagrees with using these orders to banish people charged with offenses from specific areas of the city.

Evans said while judges can still issue the “keep out” orders, she doesn’t plan to request them or to charge anyone with violating them. Evans said she does hope to partner with state and federal prosecutors to stop “folks that are trafficking and putting fentanyl out at high levels.”

She said her election can also bring an end to Davison’s conflict with Seattle Municipal Court Judge Pooja Vaddadi. In 2024, the City Attorney’s Office accused Vaddadi of “biased rulings” and “disregarding the rules of evidence,” and blocked her from hearing criminal cases through the use of so-called “blanket affidavits” of prejudice.

Evans said it’s routine to use the affidavits to seek removal of an individual judge on a case-by-case basis, but filing them in every case effectively “unseats the judge.” The decision then prompted Judge Vaddadi to file a complaint against Davison with the Washington Bar Association.

“That’s not normal,” Evans said, calling the episode an unnecessary distraction.