Julie Hsieh (Mercer Island City Council Position 7, Washington, candidate 2025)

Julie Hsieh

Nonpartisan

Candidate, Mercer Island City Council Position 7

Elections and appointments

Next election

November 4, 2025

Education

Bachelor's

Stanford University, 1998

Medical

Baylor College of Medicine, 2003

Personal

Profession

Founder and CEO

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal LinkedIn

Julie Hsieh is running in a special election to the Mercer Island City Council Position 7 in Washington. Hsieh is on the ballot in the special general election on November 4, 2025.^[source]

Hsieh completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Julie Hsieh provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 6, 2025:

• Bachelor's: Stanford University, 1998
• M.D.: Baylor College of Medicine, 2003
• Profession: Founder and CEO
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign website
• Campaign endorsements
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Instagram
• Campaign YouTube
• Campaign YouTube video
• LinkedIn

Elections

General election

The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.

Special general election for Mercer Island City Council Position 7

Julie Hsieh and Adam Ragheb are running in the special general election for Mercer Island City Council Position 7 on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate
		Julie Hsieh (Nonpartisan)
	Submit photo	Adam Ragheb (Nonpartisan)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= 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.

Endorsements

To view Hsieh's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Julie Hsieh completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Hsieh's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Julie Hsieh, and it’s an honor to be a candidate for Mercer Island City Council, Position 7. At the heart of Public service is the will to serve, putting others above self. Throughout my life, I have embraced that will to serve— whether as a family doctor, an artist and gallery owner, or through volunteer work on Mercer Island.

I have a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University, M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine, and completed my family medicine residency at UC Irvine.

As a family doctor, I took care of patients at my clinic in Bellevue from 2007-2014. Beyond medicine, I’ve learned through my work as an artist and owner of Yuan Ru Art Center that creativity brings us together. My vast volunteer work in our schools and greater community (Rotary Club of Mercer Island, Farmers Market, Mercer Island Visual Arts League) has allowed me to see the unique needs of our community firsthand, and I believe public service is about listening and acting on what we hear from our community. Whether organizing community events, supporting local nonprofits, or advocating for children's programs, I’m deeply committed to improving the lives of everyone who calls Mercer Island home.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• With my background in family medicine, taking care of newborns to seniors, one of my priorities is supporting youths and seniors. I'll champion funding for Mercer Island Youth and Family Services, a vital city program providing mental health counselors at our 6 public schools, supporting senior programs, combatting food insecurity, and helping with rent assistance. I’ll advocate for programs that provide the care and support our seniors need, helping them live independently, safely, and with dignity.
• Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness includes investing in emergency response systems, and keeping our streets safe, so everyone feels secure in their homes and neighborhoods. I’ll work with our Police and Fire Departments to enhance traffic and pedestrian safety, regulate e-scooters and e-bikes, and support programs like the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). I support the new Public Safety and Maintenance Facility to ensure our police and first responders have a safe, modern space to serve us all and keep us safe. Our police are working out of temporary trailers without a secure holding cell or sally port, hence without a path to re-accreditation with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC).
• Revitalizing Town Center. We have an exciting opportunity to make Town Center a true community hub, where residents can gather, shop, dine, and celebrate the vibrancy of Mercer Island. -Streamline permitting to make it easier for local businesses to open, expand, and innovate. -Improve parking access and flow so that visiting Town Center is convenient for everyone. -Foster retail diversity by working with property owners and the Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce to attract a wider range of shops and services. -Collaborate with local businesses to ensure their needs are heard and addressed as the Town Center evolves. A vibrant, accessible Town Center will boost our local economy, support small businesses, and enhance our quality of life.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Washington State law requires Mercer Island to expand middle housing options. This challenge is also a chance to respond to real needs. Seniors have told me they want to downsize and stay on the Island, but they can’t find a home that fits their stage of life. Young families want to move here for our excellent schools and vibrant community, but 2 million-dollar starter homes are out of reach.​ I will work with the community to balance affordability with character, ensuring new housing keeps our Island character and preserves MI values. Ignoring the state mandate by not complying with the law will cost us increased taxes in lawsuits and risk of state regulations superseding the City's authority.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

At the heart of Public service is the will to serve, putting others above self. Throughout my life, I have embraced that will to serve— whether as a family doctor, an artist and gallery owner, or through volunteer work on local boards and organizations on Mercer Island. I am collaborative, committed to our community, and compassionate.

I am grateful and honored to be endorsed by 5 Mercer Island Mayors (Wong, Jarrett, Clibborn, Newman, Bertlin), Deputy Mayor Rosenbaum and 3 sitting City Councilmembers (Reynolds, Weiker, Weinberg), 7 past and current planning commissioners, and many Mercer Island leaders and community members. Mercer Island leaders see in me, a leader for the future of Mercer Island.

I am proud to be endorsed by Eastside Business Alliance, Sierra Club, Alliance for Gun Responsibility, 41st Democrats, and more.

I pledge to take on the challenge to make Mercer Island a livable place for all, move forward with the time, and adapting and responding adequately and creatively to the changing circumstances. This is the vision that unites us: a stronger, more connected community for all Islanders.

What legacy would you like to leave?

We have an exciting opportunity on Mercer Island to make Town Center a true community hub, where residents can gather, shop, dine, and celebrate the vibrancy of Mercer Island. A vibrant, accessible Town Center will boost our local economy, support small businesses, and enhance our quality of life. I've been endorsed by Eastside Business Alliance and I'm a member of Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce. As a small business owner myself, I am a pro-business candidate and building a strong financial base is important to the financial sustainability of Mercer Island.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I am grateful to be endorsed by 5 Mercer Island Mayors (Wong, Clibborn, Jarrett, Newman, Bertlin), Deputy Mayor Rosenbaum and 3 sitting city council members (Reynolds, Weiker, Weinberg), 7 past and current planning commissioners, and many Island leaders and community members. MI leaders see in me, a leader for the future of Mercer Island.

I am proud to be endorsed by Eastside Business Alliance, Sierra Club, Alliance for Gun Responsibility, National Women's Political Caucus of Washington, Seattle King County Realtors, Washingtonians for a Brighter Future, 41st Democrats, and King County Democrats.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Other survey responses

Ballotpedia identified the following surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Hsieh completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.

• VoteWA Profile

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