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County executive election in King County, Washington (2025)
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| 2025 King County elections |
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| Election dates |
| Filing deadline: December 6, 2024 (conservation district) & May 9, 2025 (county) |
| Primary election: August 5, 2025 General election: February 11, 2025 (conservation district) & November 4, 2025 (county) |
| Election stats |
| Offices up: King Conservation District, county executive, county council, Port of Seattle Commission, and superior court judges (special) |
| Total seats up: 14 |
| Other municipal elections |
| U.S. municipal elections, 2025 |
Girmay Zahilay defeated Claudia Balducci in the nonpartisan general election for county executive of King County, Washington, on November 4, 2025. The county executive leads county employees, manages the biennial budget, and delivers services to county residents.[1]
This was the first election since 2009 in which former incumbent Dow Constantine was not on the ballot. Constantine resigned in March 2025 to become CEO of Sound Transit. The King County Council appointed Shannon Braddock interim county executive on April 1, 2025. Braddock did not run for election following her appointment.[2][3]
Zahilay and Balducci advanced from the primary on August 5, 2025. They defeated six other candidates, with Zahilay receiving 44.2% of the vote and Balducci 29.8%. Though the position was officially nonpartisan, both Zahilay and Balducci were Democrats.[4]
Zahilay and Balducci served on the King County Council. The Cascadia Advocate's Henry Leyden wrote, "[Balducci and Zahilay] have repeatedly voiced agreement on values, principles, and policy directions. Both are emphasizing housing, public safety and transportation as priorities in their campaigns, and both would govern as progressives. That has led many Democratic activists and nonprofit leaders to conclude that King County will be in good hands regardless of which frontrunner prevails."[5]
Despite these similarities, Democrats and progressive organizations split their endorsements between the two. Notable endorsements for Zahilay included Gov. Bob Ferguson (D), Washington Attorney General Nick Brown (D), U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D), and Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates.[6] Notable endorsements for Balducci included Washington Auditor Pat McCarthy (D), U.S. Rep. Marilyn Strickland (D), The Seattle Times, and SEIU Local 925.[7]
Zahilay was a business attorney and was elected to King County Council District 2 in 2019. The council unanimously appointed him chair on January 14, 2025.[8] He said he was running "because he believes we can extend safety and opportunity to every resident. ... He will work to attract major employers while nurturing a supportive landscape for small businesses. He will champion safe neighborhoods so that small businesses can thrive and cut red tape so they can prosper. He will support strong labor standards and good pay, and do everything possible to promote a healthy workforce."[9][10]
Balducci was a labor attorney and was elected to King County Council District 6 in 2015. She said, "We deserve to feel and be safe in our communities – which is why I have delivered public safety solutions from support for law enforcement to crime prevention, and behavioral health responses. Our communities are growing increasingly expensive – which is why I fight for expanded access to affordable housing and convenient, sustainable transportation options. I’m excited for the opportunity to bring my experience, perseverance and proven record to the office of County Executive."[11][12]
The county executive serves four-year terms. However, the winner of this election only served a three-year term following the passing of Amendment 1 in 2022, which moved King County elections from odd years to even years. The winner of the county executive election in 2028 returned to serving a four-year term.[13][14]
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for King County Executive
Girmay Zahilay defeated Claudia Balducci in the general election for King County Executive on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Girmay Zahilay (Nonpartisan) | 53.2 | 258,558 |
 | Claudia Balducci (Nonpartisan) | 45.5 | 221,087 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.2 | 5,910 | ||
| Total votes: 485,555 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for King County Executive
The following candidates ran in the primary for King County Executive on August 5, 2025.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Girmay Zahilay (Nonpartisan) | 44.0 | 202,007 |
| ✔ | | Claudia Balducci (Nonpartisan) | 29.8 | 136,479 |
 | Derek Chartrand (Nonpartisan) | 11.5 | 52,626 | |
| John Wilson (Nonpartisan) | 8.1 | 37,109 | ||
| Rebecca Williamson (Nonpartisan) | 2.1 | 9,459 | ||
 | Amiya Ingram (Nonpartisan) | 1.8 | 8,353 | |
 | Bill Hirt (Nonpartisan) | 1.6 | 7,209 | |
 | Don Rivers (Nonpartisan) | 0.9 | 4,205 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 1,224 | ||
| Total votes: 458,671 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Voting information
What was the voter registration deadline?
- In-person: November 4, 2025
- By mail: Received by October 27, 2025
- Online: October 27, 2025
What was the mail-in ballot return deadline?
- In-person: By 8:00 p.m. on November 4, 2025
- By mail: Postmarked by November 4, 2025
Was early voting available to all voters? Yes
What were the early voting start and end dates? October 16, 2025 - November 4, 2025
Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required? No
When were polls open on Election Day? 8:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Candidate comparision
Candidate profiles
This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- King County Council, District 6 (Assumed office: 2016)
- Mayor of Bellevue (2014-2015)
- Bellevue City Council (2003-2013)
Biography: Balducci received a bachelor's degree from Providence College and a J.D. from Columbia University. She practiced labor and employment law at various law firms and served as a labor analyst, labor negotiator, and HR manager for the King County government.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for King County Executive in 2025.
Incumbent: No
Political Office:
- King County Council, District 2 (Assumed office: 2020)
Biography: Zahilay received a bachelor's degree from Stanford University and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. He served as a business attorney before founding Rising Leaders, Inc. in 2015, which was a mentorship nonprofit for low-income middle school students.
Show sources
This information was current as of the candidate's run for King County Executive in 2025.
Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses
Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
No candidate in this race completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign advertisements
This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.
Nonpartisan Claudia Balducci
View more ads here:
Nonpartisan Girmay Zahilay
View more ads here:
Election competitiveness
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
We provide results for polls from a wide variety of sources, including media outlets, social media, campaigns, and aggregation websites, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.
Endorsements
Click the links below to see official endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites for any candidates that make that information available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.
Election spending
Campaign finance
Candidates in this election submitted campaign finance reports to the Washington Public Disclosure Commission. Click here to access those reports.
Satellite spending
- See also: Satellite spending
Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.[15][16][17]
If available, this section includes links to online resources tracking satellite spending in this election. To notify us of a resource to add, email us.
| By candidate |
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Election context
King County executive election history
2021
General election
General election for King County Executive
Incumbent Dow Constantine defeated Joe Nguyen in the general election for King County Executive on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Dow Constantine (Nonpartisan) | 54.7 | 312,663 |
 | Joe Nguyen (Nonpartisan) | 44.4 | 253,609 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.9 | 4,874 | ||
| Total votes: 571,146 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for King County Executive
Incumbent Dow Constantine and Joe Nguyen defeated Bill Hirt, GoodSpaceGuy, and Johnathon Crines in the primary for King County Executive on August 3, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Dow Constantine (Nonpartisan) | 51.9 | 241,478 |
| ✔ | | Joe Nguyen (Nonpartisan) | 32.6 | 151,757 |
| Bill Hirt (Nonpartisan) | 10.9 | 50,553 | |
 | GoodSpaceGuy (Nonpartisan) | 2.8 | 12,877 | |
| Johnathon Crines (Nonpartisan) | 1.5 | 6,884 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 2,075 | ||
| Total votes: 465,624 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2017
General election
- ☑ Dow Constantine (i)
- ☐ Bill Hirt
Primary election
- ☑ Dow Constantine (i)
- ☑ Bill Hirt
- ☐ Stan Lippmann
- ☐ Goodspaceguy
2025 battleground elections
- See also: Battlegrounds
This was a battleground election. Other 2025 battleground elections included:
- Conway School District, Arkansas, elections (2025)
- Mayoral election in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2025)
- Virginia House of Delegates elections, 2025
Help inform our readers
Take our candidate survey
- See also: Survey
At Ballotpedia, we believe that everyone deserves meaningful, reliable, trustworthy information about their candidates. We also know that good information—especially at the local level—is hard to find. That's why Ballotpedia created Candidate Connection.
We ask all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. Our survey helps voters better understand how their candidates think about the world and how they intend to govern—information they need to feel confident they're picking the best person for the role.
If you are a candidate, take our survey here. Or you can ask a candidate to take the survey by sharing the link with them.
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Candidates, share endorsements here. Readers, share endorsements you know about here.
About the county
Demographics
The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.
| Demographic Data for King County, Washington | ||
|---|---|---|
| King County | Washington | |
| Population | 2,269,675 | 7,705,281 |
| Land area (sq mi) | 2,115 | 66,455 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White | 62.2% | 73.5% |
| Black/African American | 6.5% | 3.9% |
| Asian | 18.3% | 8.8% |
| Native American | 0.6% | 1.2% |
| Pacific Islander | 0.8% | 0.7% |
| Other (single race) | 4.4% | 4.8% |
| Multiple | 7.2% | 7.1% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 9.8% | 12.9% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate | 93.4% | 91.7% |
| College graduation rate | 53.4% | 36.7% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income | $99,158 | $77,006 |
| Persons below poverty level | 8.4% | 10.2% |
| Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2020). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2015-2020). | ||
| **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
See also
| King County, Washington | Washington | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Girmay For King County, "What is the King County Executive?" accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ King5, "Dow Constantine to lead Sound Transit as new CEO," March 27, 2025
- ↑ King County, "King County Council votes to confirm Shannon Braddock as acting Executive," April 1, 2025
- ↑ Everett Post, "King County executive race is on: Zahilay leads Balducci in initial primary count," August 6, 2025
- ↑ The Cascadia Advocate, "The contest to pick a new King County Executive is heating up with ballots due to drop soon in the August Top Two election," July 1, 2025
- ↑ Girmay For King County, "Endorsements," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Claudia Balducci For King County Executive, "Endorsements," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ King County, "Zahilay selected as Chair of the King County Council for 2025," January 14, 2025
- ↑ Girmay For King County, "Policy Priorities," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Girmay For King County, "About," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Claudia Balducci For King County Executive, "Home," accessed September 25, 2025
- ↑ Claudia Balducci For King County Executive, "About Claudia," accessed September 28, 2025
- ↑ KUOW, "King County officials will get shorter terms next election cycle," November 10, 2022
- ↑ King County, "Ballot measures," accessed September 28, 2025
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Outside Spending," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Total Outside Spending by Election Cycle, All Groups," accessed December 12, 2021
- ↑ National Review.com, "Why the Media Hate Super PACs," December 12, 2021
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