Debora Juarez
2025 - Present
2026
0
Debora Juarez is a member of the Seattle City Council in Washington, representing District 5. She assumed office on July 28, 2025. Her current term ends on November 4, 2026.
Juarez ran for re-election to the Seattle City Council to represent District 5 in Washington. She won in the general election on November 5, 2019.
On July 28, 2025, the Seattle City Council appointed Juarez to represent District 5, replacing Cathy Moore.[1]
Biography
Juarez was born on the Puyallup Reservation in Tacoma, Washington. She received her bachelor's degree from Western Washington University, and her J.D. from Seattle University School of Law. Her experience as an attorney includes working as a public defender, as a staff attorney for the Native American Project and serving as a judge for Seattle and King County. She was also appointed executive director of the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs and has worked in private practice.[2]
Elections
2019
See also: City elections in Seattle, Washington (2019)
General election
General election for Seattle City Council District 5
Incumbent Debora Juarez defeated Ann Davison in the general election for Seattle City Council District 5 on November 5, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Debora Juarez (Nonpartisan) | 60.6 | 19,532 |
 | Ann Davison (Nonpartisan)  | 39.1 | 12,588 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 114 | ||
| Total votes: 32,234 | |||
| = 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 Seattle City Council District 5
The following candidates ran in the primary for Seattle City Council District 5 on August 6, 2019.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Debora Juarez (Nonpartisan) | 45.1 | 11,085 |
| ✔ | | Ann Davison (Nonpartisan) | 26.7 | 6,564 |
 | John Lombard (Nonpartisan) | 13.0 | 3,201 | |
 | Tayla Mahoney (Nonpartisan) | 7.1 | 1,742 | |
| Mark Mendez (Nonpartisan) | 6.3 | 1,558 | ||
 | Alex Tsimerman (Nonpartisan) | 1.5 | 376 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.2 | 50 | ||
| Total votes: 24,576 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2015
The city of Seattle, Washington, held elections for city council on November 3, 2015. A primary took place on August 4, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was May 15, 2015. All nine council seats were up for election.[3][4] In the Position 5 race, Sandy Brown and Debora Juarez advanced past Debadutta Dash, Mercedes Elizalde, Kris Lethin, Hugh Russell, David Toledo and Halei Watkins in the primary election on August 4, 2015. Juarez defeated Brown in the general election.[5]
| Seattle City Council Position 5, General election, 2015 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Debora Juarez |
64.3% | 15,058 |
| Sandy Brown | 35.1% | 8,224 |
| Write-in votes | 0.54% | 126 |
| Total Votes | 23,408 | |
| Source: King County, Washington, "City of Seattle Council District No. 5", accessed November 3, 2015. | ||
| Seattle City Council Position 5 Primary Election, 2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Debora Juarez |
39.3% | 6,635 | |
| Sandy Brown |
19.9% | 3,360 | |
| Halei Watkins | 14.4% | 2,431 | |
| Kris Lethin | 7.7% | 1,307 | |
| Mercedes Elizalde | 5.8% | 985 | |
| Debadutta Dash | 5.7% | 968 | |
| David Toledo | 5.7% | 959 | |
| Hugh Russell | 1.4% | 231 | |
| Write-in | 0.2% | 27 | |
| Total Votes | 14,718 | ||
| Source: King County Elections, "Official primary election results," accessed August 12, 2015 | |||
Campaign themes
2019
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Debora Juarez did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.
2015
Juarez's website highlighted the following campaign themes:[6]
Transportation
- Excerpt: "North Seattle needs a champion to bring the proposed second light rail station (on NE 130th Street, serving the Lake City and Bitter Lake areas) to reality. North Seattle’s lack of advocates on the current city council has also led to poor east-west transit through the district as well the district losing out on federal transportation grants for a bike-pedestrian bridge over I-5."
Housing
- Excerpt: "While rising rents and house prices mandate action to build a substantial new supply of affordable housing, this action should be taken city-wide through the promotion of mixed-income housing. In order to minimize the effects a growing population will have on the character of Seattle’s neighborhoods, the city should allow increased density in highly targeted areas surrounding transit and services, as well as look at relaxing the regulation on “infill units” like mother-in-law apartments."
Public safety
- Excerpt: "As an attorney, judge, and long-time resident of North Seattle Debora has been a pioneer of innovative solutions to combat crime. Debora was a pioneer of drug courts and diversion programs, which reduce crime by helping to break the cycle of addiction that leads to many violent and property crimes."
See also
| Seattle, Washington | Washington | Municipal government | Other local coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ the Urbanist, “Seattle Council Appoints Debora Juarez to Fill District 5 Vacancy" accessed August 6, 2025
- ↑ Debora Juarez campaign website, "Meet Debora," accessed July 23, 2015
- ↑ City of Seattle, "Law, Rules and Information for Filers," accessed September 19, 2014
- ↑ City of Seattle, "Seattle City Council Districts," accessed December 31, 2014
- ↑ King County Elections, "Official primary election results," accessed August 12, 2015
- ↑ Debora Juarez campaign website, "Issues," accessed July 23, 2015
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Cathy Moore |
Seattle City Council District 5 2025-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by - |
Seattle City Council District 5 2016-2023 |
Succeeded by Cathy Moore |
| |||||||||
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State of Washington Olympia (capital) |
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