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Teresa Mosqueda

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Teresa Mosqueda
Image of Teresa Mosqueda
King County Council District 8
Tenure

2024 - Present

Term ends

2028

Years in position

1

Predecessor
Prior offices
Seattle City Council Position 8 At-large
Successor: Tanya Woo
Predecessor: Tim Burgess

Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 7, 2023

Education

Bachelor's

University of Washington, 2002

Graduate

Evergreen State College, 2006

Personal
Birthplace
Denver, Colo.
Contact

Teresa Mosqueda is a member of the King County Council in Washington, representing District 8. She assumed office on January 1, 2024. Her current term ends on January 1, 2028.

Mosqueda ran for election to the King County Council to represent District 8 in Washington. She won in the general election on November 7, 2023.

Biography

Teresa Mosqueda was born in Denver, Colorado. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Washington in 2002 and her master's degree in public administration from Evergreen State College in 2006. Mosqueda's professional experience includes working as a consumer advocate for the Washington Affordable Care Act Exchange Board, Children's Alliance, and the Washington State Labor Council.[1][2]

Mosqueda has been affiliated with the following organizations:[2]

  • OPEIU Local 8
  • Washington State Labor Council
  • Raise Up WA Coalition
  • Stop Wage Theft Coalition
  • Farmworker Coalition
  • Health Coalition for Children and Youth
  • Healthy Washington Coalition
  • Path to Power program
  • MEChA

Elections

2023

See also: Municipal elections in King County, Washington (2023)

General election

General election for King County Council District 8

Teresa Mosqueda defeated Sofia Aragon in the general election for King County Council District 8 on November 7, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Teresa Mosqueda
Teresa Mosqueda (Nonpartisan)
 
55.0
 
33,921
Sofia Aragon (Nonpartisan)
 
44.7
 
27,553
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
194

Total votes: 61,668
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for King County Council District 8

Teresa Mosqueda and Sofia Aragon defeated GoodSpaceGuy in the primary for King County Council District 8 on August 1, 2023.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Teresa Mosqueda
Teresa Mosqueda (Nonpartisan)
 
57.6
 
28,966
Sofia Aragon (Nonpartisan)
 
37.6
 
18,900
Image of GoodSpaceGuy
GoodSpaceGuy (Nonpartisan)
 
4.4
 
2,216
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.5
 
234

Total votes: 50,316
Candidate Connection = 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Mosqueda in this election.

2021

See also: City elections in Seattle, Washington (2021)

General election

General election for Seattle City Council Position 8 At-large

Incumbent Teresa Mosqueda defeated Kenneth Wilson in the general election for Seattle City Council Position 8 At-large on November 2, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Teresa Mosqueda
Teresa Mosqueda (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
59.4
 
149,589
Image of Kenneth Wilson
Kenneth Wilson (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
40.2
 
101,168
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.4
 
881

Total votes: 251,638
Candidate Connection = 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 Seattle City Council Position 8 At-large

The following candidates ran in the primary for Seattle City Council Position 8 At-large on August 3, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Teresa Mosqueda
Teresa Mosqueda (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
59.4
 
113,052
Image of Kenneth Wilson
Kenneth Wilson (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
16.2
 
30,862
Kate Martin (Nonpartisan)
 
11.6
 
21,997
Image of Paul Glumaz
Paul Glumaz (Nonpartisan)
 
5.4
 
10,228
Alexander White (Nonpartisan)
 
1.3
 
2,474
Bobby Miller (Nonpartisan)
 
1.3
 
2,438
Image of Jesse A. James
Jesse A. James (Nonpartisan)
 
1.1
 
2,051
Jordan Elizabeth Fisher (Nonpartisan)
 
1.0
 
1,810
George Freeman (Nonpartisan)
 
0.8
 
1,575
Image of Alex Tsimerman
Alex Tsimerman (Nonpartisan)
 
0.5
 
961
Brian Fahey (Nonpartisan)
 
0.5
 
887
 Other/Write-in votes
 
1.1
 
2,075

Total votes: 190,410
Candidate Connection = 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.


Endorsements

To view Mosqueda's endorsements in the 2021 election, please click here.

2017

See also: Municipal elections in Seattle, Washington (2017)

Seattle held general elections for mayor, city attorney, and two at-large seats on the city council on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on August 1, 2017. The top two vote recipients after the final count of the primary vote advanced to the general election. The filing deadline for this election was May 19, 2017. Teresa Mosqueda defeated Jon Grant in the general election for the Position 8 seat on the Seattle City Council.[3]

Seattle City Council, Position 8 General Election, 2017
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Teresa Mosqueda 59.99% 117,332
Jon Grant 40.01% 78,257
Total Votes 195,589
Source: King County, "November 7, 2017 General Election," accessed November 28, 2017

The following candidates ran in the primary election for the Position 8 seat on the Seattle City Council.[3]

Seattle City Council, Position 8 Primary Election, 2017
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Teresa Mosqueda 31.59% 53,676
Green check mark transparent.png Jon Grant 26.87% 45,652
Sara Nelson 21.48% 36,495
Rudy Pantoja 5.12% 8,704
Sheley Secrest 4.98% 8,467
Charlene Strong 4.45% 7,562
Hisam Goueli 3.18% 5,407
Mac McGregor 2.03% 3,444
Write-in votes 0.29% 486
Total Votes 169,893
Source: King County, "2017 election results," accessed August 15, 2017

Endorsements

General election

The following table displays group endorsements issued in Seattle's 2017 general election. Click [show] on the box below to view endorsements.

Primary election

The following table displays group endorsements issued in Seattle's 2017 primary election. Click [show] on the box below to view endorsements.

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Teresa Mosqueda did not complete Ballotpedia's 2023 Candidate Connection survey.

2021

Candidate Connection

Teresa Mosqueda completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mosqueda's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I grew up in the region, am a third-generation Mexican-American/Chicana, and daughter of educators and activists. I grew up going to rallies and making handmade signs supporting peace and calls for justice

I grew up understanding the importance of healthy communities that champion equity. Prior to serving on the City Council, I was proud to help lead Initiative 1433 to provide paid sick and safe leave for all workers in our state and to help pass health care reform in the WA and serve on the Affordable Care Act Exchange Board on behalf of working families, women, POC, and immigrants. I have worked on progressive agendas to ensure the right to a union, lift up low-wage workers, protect immigrant rights, and I intend to continue this trend. On the City Council, we have led tripling the investments in housing, passing better wage requirements for gig and low-wage workers, brought together labor, business, housing, transportation, racial equity and environmental justice advocates to pass the JumpStart Seattle progressive revenue plan and implemented COVID relief in 2020. I am proud of these accomplishments, but there is more to do to create equitable communities and this is what drives me to run again.

  • One of my top three issues is building affordable housing and housing the homeless. In housing - we must build more housing in the city so fewer people are getting displaced and pushed out of the city or into the streets. The lack of affordable housing is causing more workers, and high numbers of workers of color specifically, to be pushed further away from their place of employment and community, causing Seattle to be the third highest mega commuter city in the country. To address this I am proud that JumpStart secured an additional $135 million per year for affordable housing, shelters, homeownership opportunities and more to address the housing and homelessness declared states of emergency.

  • My second key message centers around creating a livable and equitable Seattle. A healthy community is where residents feel safe, empowered, and have the resources and infrastructure for self determination and protection from harm. This includes being safe and healthy in our communities, especially for Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC) communities. To invest in our community’s health and safety, we must work to expand the capacity of community solutions that move us away from past harmful policing and a reliance on the criminal legal system. This includes deep investment in upstream restorative community-health oriented solutions. As we move away from our reliance on the criminal legal system to address issues that are a pu
  • The third key message of my campaign focuses around building a strong economy. The COVID-19 crisis wreaked havoc on our community and local economy. I am proud to have led the passage of the JumpStart progressive revenue bill through a broad coalition of labor, business and community, that brings in over $214 million a year for housing, equitable development and Green New Deal investments. This is the most progressive revenue package that has passed the city council. With the expected infusion of reliable revenue and serving as Budget Chair, I protected against austerity cuts and preserved core services for our most vulnerable, while positioning us to protect and reopen our economy in a more equitable way. JumpStart allowed direct cash supp
I've dedicated my career to making sure no one gets left out or left behind. I've stood with working families, women, people of color, immigrants and the lowest wage individuals to ensure the most pressing issues facing our city are addressed. With your continued support, we can make sure all our neighbors recover from the COVID public health crisis and economic slowdown. My areas of passion in public policy include driving solutions for homelessness and affordable housing, creating more educational and childcare opportunities, creating good living wage jobs and opportunities for small businesses, and investing in our health, transportation options, and infrastructure.
A lot of what inspired me to run four years ago was the inequality and disparities we see around Seattle, from housing, to job opportunities, to wealth. I had faith in my ability to bring people together, to lead, and my capability to make a difference. I have a drive to create real change for the people who have been excluded from governmental decisions. I am community-driven, and committed to finding solutions that work for everyone, not just the wealthy elites. My priorities and areas of passion center around building back a strong, equitable Seattle. This means increasing affordable housing, creating resilience in our economy, constructing a society where all residents feel safe and empowered.
The two people I look up to in life and throughout my political career have always been my parents. Growing up with parents who were educators and social justice activists has instilled in me the importance of accessible and equitable public education. My father is a professor of political economy and social change at Evergreen State College, he is emeritus status currently. My mother was policy/fiscal analyst for the state at the Higher Education Coordinating Board and started her career in early learning teaching in the Headstart program. They instilled in me a desire to constantly fight for what is right and I will always look up to them as a guiding force behind my actions. These experiences helped shape my commitment to fight for system changes to ensure access to good union jobs, healthcare and retirement for all, access to high quality education and early learning for all, and equity for the oppressed and underrepresented.
Women, Race, & Class by Angela Davis. I think it’s extremely important to use an intersectional lens to write policy.
One of the most important qualifications for an elected official to have to achieve this standard is the ability to listen to and communicate with their constituents about their priorities. My approach to policy is to make sure we are leading with the lived experiences of those affected by injustice and inequality which can only be done by listening and communicating effectively with the public. As a mother, and a woman of color, I have rejected the status quo policy making that lists our issues on the back burner. Policies that truly reflect the needs of our most vulnerable demographics and invest in and lift up BIPOC communities, working families and women can be the great equalizer of our generation. Elected officials must have the ability to relate to and listen to their constituents to enact substantial change for the good of their community as a whole.
Additionally, progressive local governance in particular requires a commitment to approaching policy with an intersectional lens to address gaps that may exist across multiple axes. Many of the problems that Seattle needs to address stem from inequity and injustice, including homelessness, addiction, poverty, and gentrification. As we address these systemic problems we must go deeper than covering them with a band-aid: we need to end them at their source. Elected officials should understand this approach and create policies that reflect this reality.
I was raised in a household with parents who taught me the importance of social justice, solidarity, and community. My career has been dedicated to driving public policies focused on equity, opportunity, and justice. I believe I have a proven track record working with diverse coalitions and delivering for communities that have been marginalized, overlooked, or unseen. I am extremely proud of my commitment to developing intersectional community driven solutions, and implementing workable solutions that center on social equality for the diverse groups of stakeholders in our city.
I've worked to advance progressive bold housing, environmental, and labor policy by bringing people together to find common ground to improve the lives of our community. Building off my past work with the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, I have brought together diverse voices through alliances and coalitions to find common ground at the policy making table. In doing so I have championed new building efficiency standards for city buildings, included more labor and environmental requirements in housing development, supported efforts to move away from fossil fuel reliance in buildings and homes in a way that ensures a just transition for workers as well. I championed the Jumpstart Seattle progressive revenue bill that includes over $235 million dollars a year for housing, equitable development, economic resilience and Green New Deal priorities over the next twenty years. I did this by working with others, finding common ground, being driven by my progressive values and delivering on progressive priorities.
As a public servant, community stakeholders must lead the conversation that direct policy. With a public health background, I believe someone elected to this office must consider the direct impact of legislation on the material conditions of our constituents: education access, healthcare, food stability, housing security, and livable wages. A city that thrives is a city with a robust social safety net meant to create a more level playing field for every resident-- that’s why I’m committed to serving you for another four years to create a housed, healthy, and equitable Seattle.

I would like to leave a legacy of progressive politics characterized by action and successful policy that creates material goods for our most vulnerable and marginalized communities. I am already so proud of what I’ve accomplished in the last four years:

Led and passed the most progressive tax in Seattle through JumpStart which prevented austerity cuts, bringing in over 235 million a year for housing, homeless services and equitable development priorities, and helped to set the stage for more progressive revenue discussions as well.
Allocated millions to small business emergency relief funds
Led the City’s COVID emergency relief bill to provide direct flexible cash support to workers, businesses, immigrants & refugees left out of federal relief, enhanced rental assistance, food assistance, and childcare support.
Passed groundbreaking legislation for workers like expanded paid sick leave and guaranteed minimum wages for ap-based drivers on Lyft/Uber platforms, passed the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights, and protected Hotel Workers with a suite of bills to create reasonable workloads, guaranteed healthcare, and protection from harassment, passed hazard pay for grocery workers, and appreciation pay for childcare workers.
Tripled the investments in housing while the chair of housing over the last four years.

There is still more left to do. Having your support in this campaign for re-election would be an honor.
As a young child, my parents would take me to community meetings, host organizing gatherings in our home, we went to rallies, protests and strike lines over the years. They took time to teach me and my little sister about social justice and standing up for what is right, fighting back on cuts to public service and attacks on workers, questioning inequity and the status quo, and realizing how the US has a role in international oppression, wars and global poverty. My first historical event that I remember was in the mid-80s when President Regan was ramping up military support for paramilitaries in Central American and when I was a child I remember attending rallies and protests in organized by the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador to call attention to atrocities, death of children, families and clergy.

My first job was working as a childcare provider at age 14 in our local gym full time after school. My first job after college was at SeaMar Community Health Centers working as the manager of seven staff who provided assistance to low-income, Spanish speaking seniors to provide health, nutrition, and social service assistance. I was there from 2002-2004.
My favorite book would have to be “Women, Race, Class” by Angela Davis. In her book, Davis sheds light on the axes of oppression that can all be at play simultaneously. Working to understand systems of violence that affect People of color, women, low-income individuals has been pertinent since she wrote this essential piece in the 70s and only has become more relevant as the racial and gender wealth gap has widened and as we come to study systemic bias against queer folks. Expanding on the understanding of intersectionality with respect to class, race, gender, and sexuality is essential in our efforts as elected officials to strive for equity and Angela Davis has massively contributed to my journey in becoming a better advocate and ally.
You are my sunshine - because I put my daughter to sleep with that song every night, and she just went to sleep.
I have dedicated my career and life to this fight and struggle for equitable access to housing, food, childcare, job security and healthcare. Knowing that all we have been fighting for and winning on is at risk because of the economic and hosing instability caused by the pandemic is heartbreaking. It's to address these struggles and fight for continuity of what we’ve won and for a more equitable recovery that I am seeking reelection.
One of the most important qualifications for an elected official to have to achieve this standard is the ability to listen to and communicate with their constituents about their priorities. My approach to policy is to make sure we are leading with the lived experiences of those affected by injustice and inequality which can only be done by listening and communicating effectively with the public. As a mother, and a woman of color, I have rejected the status quo policy making that lists our issues on the back burner. Policies that truly reflect the needs of our most vulnerable demographics and invest in and lift up BIPOC communities, working families and women can be the great equalizer of our generation. Elected officials must have the ability to relate to and listen to their constituents to enact substantial change for the good of their community as a whole.
Additionally, progressive local governance in particular requires a commitment to approaching policy with an intersectional lens to address gaps that may exist across multiple axes. Many of the problems that Seattle needs to address stem from inequity and injustice, including homelessness, addiction, poverty, and gentrification. As we address these systemic problems we must go deeper than covering them with a band-aid: we need to end them at their source. Elected officials should understand this approach and create policies that reflect this reality.
What did the mama buffalo say to the baby buffalo when he went off to school?
Bison.

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.

2017

Mosqueda's campaign website listed the following themes for 2017:

Protect the Rights of All Seattle Residents
In these challenging times, Seattle must both be the first line of offense and the last line of defense when it comes to protecting our residents. Every community we care about is under threat from the Trump Administration: women, people of color, immigrants, seniors, workers, the LGBTQ community, and more. Our health care, environment, and education system are under attack and we must stand firm against these threats. We need to both protect the rights of every Seattle resident, and move forward to create a more equitable Seattle—one where everyone is given the opportunity to succeed. We must defend workers’ rights, protect our health care, stand up for seniors and the most vulnerable, protect Seattle’s environment, and invest in our communities.

Create Stable, Affordable Housing
Everyone in Seattle deserves a safe, healthy, and affordable place to call home —and the lack of safe and affordable housing is one of the most pressing issues facing our city. Although Seattle’s booming economy has brought great benefits, there are too few homes—especially affordable homes—to accommodate our growing population. Our housing crisis needs a multi-faceted solution. We need a comprehensive approach, and a proven coalition-builder to help address Seattle’s housing needs, and I am ready to act now.

Build A Local Economy That Works for All
In Seattle, we have a booming economy—it’s one of the reasons our city has experienced so much growth over the past decade. However, as we grow, we need to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to succeed and share in that prosperity. In Seattle, we should encourage the growth of our small businesses, promote good living wage jobs, ensure educational opportunity for all, grow economic stability, and build trust and respect for all in our community. That’s how we create a thriving local economy that works for all, not just the wealthy few.[38][39]

—Teresa Mosqueda (2017)

See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Teresa Mosqueda for Seattle City Council Pos. 8, "About," accessed June 22, 2017
  2. 2.0 2.1 Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on October 4, 2021
  3. 3.0 3.1 King County, Washington, "Who has filed: 2017 candidate filing," accessed May 19, 2017
  4. Alliance for Gun Responsiblity, "ALLIANCE FOR GUN RESPONSIBILITY VICTORY FUND ENDORSES JENNY DURKAN FOR SEATTLE MAYOR, LEGISLATIVE AND LOCAL CANDIDATES THROUGHOUT WASHINGTON STATE," September 18, 2017
  5. Democracy for America, "http://democracyforamerica.com/site/page/democracy-for-america-endorses-cary-moon-for-seattle-mayor," September 7, 2017
  6. Equal Rights Washington, "Endorsements," accessed October 16, 2017
  7. King County Democrats, "Our Candidates," accessed August 28, 2017
  8. The Seattle Times, "Moon grabs key Dem nod in Seattle mayor’s race amid Durkan’s union endorsements," August 24, 2017
  9. M.L. King County Labor Council, "2017 Endorsements," August 24, 2017
  10. Seattle Education Association, "WEA PAC," accessed October 16, 2017
  11. Seattle Weekly, "Sweep the Sweepers! Our Endorsements For the Nov. 7 Election," October 18, 2017
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 The Stranger, "Labor Split Begins as Cary Moon Gets First Union Endorsement in Mayoral Race," August 25, 2017
  13. SEIU 925, "2017 Candidate Endorsements," accessed September 19, 2017
  14. The Seattle Times, "Seattle Times endorsements for the Nov. 7 general election," September 7, 2017
  15. The Stranger, "The Stranger's Endorsements for the November 7, 2017, General Election," October 11, 2017
  16. UFCW 21, "UFCW 21 Largest Private Sector Union Endorses Moon for Mayor," September 29, 2017
  17. The Seattle Times, "Moon backpedals on ‘right to shelter,’ dents Durkan’s labor lead in Seattle mayoral race," September 29, 2017
  18. KING 5, "Local businesses endorse former US Attorney Jenny Durkan for Seattle mayor," May 30, 2017
  19. M.L. King County Labor Council, "2017 Endorsements," June 22, 2017
  20. Metropolitan Democratic Club of Seattle, "Home," accessed July 11, 2017
  21. Seattle Democratic Socialists of America, "Dispatches," accessed June 23, 2017
  22. Seattle Education Association, "WEA PAC," accessed June 23, 2017
  23. Washington Hospitality Association, "Seattle restaurants and hotels endorse Jenny Durkan, Sara Nelson and Scott Lindsay," June 19, 2017
  24. Seattle Subway, "2017 Primary Endorsements," accessed September 19, 2017
  25. The Seattle Times, "Editorials," accessed July 11, 2017
  26. Seattle Met, "Labor Groups Divided on Endorsements for Mayor," July 12, 2017
  27. Sierra Club PAC Washington State, "Endorsements 2017 Primary," accessed July 25, 2017
  28. The Stranger, "Kshama Sawant Will Endorse Nikkita Oliver for Mayor, Jon Grant for City Council," May 17, 2017
  29. The Stranger, "The Stranger's Endorsements for the August 1, 2017, Primary Election," July 12, 2017
  30. The Urbanist, "2017 Primary Endorsements," July 6, 2017
  31. UFCW 21, "2017 Primary Election Candidate Endorsement Recommendations," July 11, 2017
  32. Washington Conservation Voters, "Endorsements," accessed June 23, 2017
  33. 32nd District Democrats, "2017 Election Endorsements," March 10, 2017
  34. 36th District Democrats, "Executive Board Makes Recommendations for 2017 Primary!" May 21, 2017
  35. 37th District Democrats, "2017 Election Endorsements," accessed July 25, 2017
  36. 43rd District Democrats, "2017 Endorsement Results," June 21, 2017
  37. 46th District Democrats, "46th District Endorsements," accessed June 23, 2017
  38. Teresa Mosqueda for Seattle City Council Pos. 8, "Issues," accessed June 22, 2017
  39. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Political offices
Preceded by
Joe McDermott
King County Council District 8
2024-Present
Succeeded by
-
Preceded by
Tim Burgess
Seattle City Council Position 8 At-large
2017-2024
Succeeded by
Tanya Woo