After Seattle Mayor Ed Murray was allegedly involved in a scandal involving child sexual abuse, the floodgates for who would become the next mayor of the city of Seattle opened. When many candidates began putting their name in the race, one candidate stood out to me: Nikkita Oliver.
Oliver is not a stranger to Seattle, and she is not a big-brand politician. Graduating from Seattle Pacific University in the Seattle neighborhood of Queen Anne and then receiving her Master's of Education and Juris Doctorate from University of Washington, Oliver has been with us, the people of Seattle, since beginning college, and continues to dedicate her life to helping our city. Whether that means being a teacher to Seattle children, working as a pro-bono lawyer, or fighting policies that hurt the marginalized peoples of Seattle, Nikkita Oliver truly has shown us that she is capable of being a progressive leader for our city.
However, it is not just Oliver's past dedication and work that has made her name stand out to me, but also the ideas she has based her campaign on. She understands that there is a huge deficiency in affordable housing and a large amount of homelessness. She also understands that raising rent prices and gentrification are pushing life-long Seattle residents out of the city. Other than this, Nikkita Oliver, as mayor, would push for more resources for schools, progressive tax reformation, and fight against discrimination. As a member of the Seattle Peoples Party, Oliver is a part of a grassroots political movement belonging to the citizens of Seattle. The party seeks to reform the current political system and make it more easier for civilian participation in local politics.
As an organizer in both the Seattle's No Youth Jail and Black Lives Matter movements, Nikkita Oliver was, dare I say, destined to help change the shape of Seattle. She believes in accountability, and transparency, in politics and beyond. Oliver has also been very vocal about police brutality, and the lack of attention it has received from political leaders in the city (such as Ed Murray).
Unfortunately, Nikkita Oliver didn't receive enough votes to stay in the running for mayor of Seattle, and instead, citizens will have to choose between Jenny Durkan and Cary Moon. Thus, Nikkita Oliver technically cannot be considered for the next mayor of Seattle. However, I personally believe that she should be the next mayor. And although she cannot hold the title, her loss at a mere 2,000 votes behind Cary Moon means that Seattle is ready for a change, and the progressive movements that Oliver stands for are not going anywhere.
I believe that Nikkita Oliver isn't done with Seattle yet, and we can look forward to what she will do to help our city for years to come.