District 5 votes Nov. 3: Jenks vs. Kang, and what the North Seattle seat has been voting on

North Seattle voters will pick a new District 5 councilmember on Tuesday, Nov. 3. It is the only City Council seat on the ballot this year, and the winner serves through 2027 before running again next fall for a full four-year term, KNKX reported.

The seat opened when Councilmember Cathy Moore resigned in 2025 for health and personal reasons. The Council appointed Debora Juarez, who had represented the district before Moore, to hold it until voters chose who would finish the term, according to KNKX.

The candidates

Nilu Jenks won the August primary with about 54 percent of the vote, KNKX reported. She is political and partnership director at FairVote Washington and has lived in Lake City since 2019. Her endorsements include The Stranger, the King County Democrats and King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. KNKX quoted her saying she is running "because I think blue cities should show that they can govern."

Julie Kang received about 33 percent in the primary. She is an educator who has held leadership roles at Seattle University and the University of Washington, and a co-founder of Pacific International Bank. Her endorsements include The Seattle Times editorial board, Councilmember Robert Kettle and former Council President Sara Nelson, according to KNKX.

Where they differ

Public safety has been the center of the race. KNKX reported that both candidates want more police in North Seattle and support a stronger CARE department, the city's civilian crisis response team. They split on police surveillance cameras: Jenks opposes the cameras along Aurora Avenue North and elsewhere and would rather invest in detectives and undercover work, while Kang now supports keeping and, where warranted, expanding them, and enforcing the Aurora "SOAP" (Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution) zone.

At an earlier forum, The Urbanist reported, Kang raised concern that the transit sales tax increase on this year's ballot would hurt affordability, while Jenks focused on bus frequency and reliability. Both said they support the overall direction of Mayor Katie Wilson's housing growth plan, with Jenks pushing to move faster. The Urbanist reported in July that each had raised a little over $100,000.

What our records add: how the District 5 seat has voted

Whoever wins will take over a seat with an active record this year. City Clerk records for Juarez show:

• RV permit package (Oct. 20): Juarez voted yes on all six bills of Councilmember Dan Strauss's vehicle residency package, including the 6-3 votes on the permit program (CB 121283) and its funding (CB 121282), at the Oct. 20 meeting.
• Transit measure (July 21): she voted with the 9-0 majority to send the Seattle Transit Measure to the ballot (CB 121226).
• Gun violence resolution (Sept. 15): she voted yes on Resolution 32217.
• Street closures (June 30): she co-sponsored, with Councilmember Rob Saka, an emergency ordinance authorizing the transportation director to close streets to maintain or enhance public safety (CB 121233, Legistar). It passed 9-0 and was signed July 8. Separately, KNKX reported that the mayor ordered more permanent barriers on Aurora this year after neighborhood complaints.
• Lake City Community Center (Sept. 22): she sponsored CB 121291, passed 9-0, authorizing agreements for redeveloping the Lake City Community Center into a new community center with affordable housing and an underground garage.

See the full list of legislation filed from the seat on our District 5 page.

What's next

Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 3 or placed in a drop box by 8 p.m. that day. Voter information is available from King County Elections. The winner joins the Council as it finishes the 2027-2028 budget, with a final vote scheduled for Nov. 20, according to the Select Budget Committee schedule. Until then, Juarez continues to hold the seat.