Jeanie Chunn, a longtime advocate for small businesses and workers’ rights, has entered the Seattle City Council District 2 race just before the filing deadline this past May.
Chunn’s candidacy follows the resignation of Tammy Morales, who held the position before Mark Solomon was appointed temporarily to serve until the new council member is elected in November.
The winner will serve the remaining two years of Morales’ original term, making the District 2 council seat critical to Seattle’s political landscape.
District 2 is recognized as Seattle’s most diverse district, and Chunn’s credentials reflect her strong progressive stance.
Three other candidates are also vying for the position.
They include Assistant City Attorney Eddie Lin, transportation advisor Adonis Ducksworth, and union steward Jamie Fackler, who have been campaigning since earlier in the year, giving them an advantage in fundraising efforts.
Chunn’s personal story brings a unique perspective to her campaign.
Born into the restaurant business, her mother was bartending just a day before Chunn was born.
After moving to Seattle in 1999 to attend the University of Washington, she faced the challenges of being a single mother.
Chunn successfully navigated these difficulties while working her way up in the restaurant industry, demonstrating a commitment to hard work and resilience.
“That’s not really reality for folks anymore, unless they’re spending 50, 60% of their income on their rent,” Chunn told The Urbanist.
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic led to Chunn’s layoff from Sea Creatures restaurant group, prompting her to form a coalition to support small restaurant owners.
She subsequently joined the Independent Restaurant Coalition, through which she advocated for crucial changes such as free outdoor street permitting, caps on delivery app fees, and vaccination requirements for indoor dining.
Chunn’s commitment to workers’ rights extended to her work with Working Washington on the Pay Up legislation, which established minimum wage and protections for app-based workers.
She also collaborated with Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda on the JumpStart payroll tax, focusing on protecting its directed purpose for affordable housing and the Green New Deal.
In her advocacy, Chunn has fought for full minimum wage for restaurant workers, successfully eliminating the sub-minimum wage in states like Washington, DC and Michigan.
Her dedication led to her appointment on the Labor Standards Advisory Committee, reinforcing her commitment to ensuring appropriate funding for Seattle’s Office of Labor Standards.
“We know that there’s wage theft happening that we can’t get to because the Office of Labor Standards is under-resourced,” Chunn emphasized.
Additionally, Chunn has worked on food insecurity issues during her time at Northwest Harvest.
“We need to be advocating for policy changes that actually get to the system of reasons that we have food insecurity and, namely, racism and poverty,” she stated.
Chunn’s strong commitment to housing reform is evident in her support for Proposition 1A, which funded social housing in Seattle, winning by a significant margin in February.
Her opponents showcase varied stances on this issue, with Fackler also supporting 1A, while Lin voted for an alternative measure and Ducksworth has remained uncommitted.
Chunn strongly believes in ensuring that the social housing project is adequately funded, sharing her personal experience living in a cooperatively-owned property that exemplifies the benefits of community.
“We have the most amazing community.
We are living an example of this every single day, and we are seeing the success of it,” Chunn affirmed.
Beyond housing, Chunn is focused on developing evidence-based public safety initiatives in District 2, which has been grappling with a rising gun violence rate.
She highlighted her motivation to run for office as a response to the events of the past year and a half, particularly actions taken during the Trump Administration.
“I just felt like I needed to be involved,” Chunn said.
“I felt like I needed to be part of the solution and remind people that we can build a community that’s rooted in compassion and care.”
Chunn is supportive of measures introduced by Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck aimed at addressing local impacts of federal policy, such as the establishment of a Select Committee.
Adding to her community-centered approach, Chunn has developed a resource call sheet for restaurant owners to utilize in emergencies, providing alternatives to police involvement when appropriate.
Furthermore, she has sponsored de-escalation training for restaurant workers to empower them during critical situations.
Chunn sees addressing gun violence as a top priority and is interested in implementing recommendations from recent audits.
“I think that we need a candidate who’s not afraid of SPD and working with them to ensure that we can keep our community safe and also working alongside community-based organizations that are doing really amazing work like Community Passageways,” she said.
Supporting alternative responses to crises, Chunn advocates for extending the CARE team’s capabilities to respond to non-violent calls without police.
“I think it’s an amazing program,” she stated.
“I think that re-tasking that to people that are actually trained in behavioral health is extraordinarily important to get the services that are actually needed to the community.”
In contrast, Chunn opposes several recent public safety policies, claiming they do not enhance community safety.
She specifically criticized contracts that provide raises to police personnel without corresponding accountability improvements.
She is also interested in exploring ways to enhance police accountability, citing effective models such as a community-based accountability council.
Chunn’s concerns extend to the implementation of new surveillance technologies, which she believes may not yield positive outcomes for Seattle’s communities.
“I definitely have concerns about surveilling our communities,” Chunn said.
“I don’t think it’s a good use of resources.
I think that I would rather see those resources directed to actual evidence-based solutions.”
Emphasizing the need for increased housing density, Chunn supports the Seattle Comprehensive Plan, viewing it as an opportunity to enhance the city’s capacity for growth.
She believes that the South End has disproportionately absorbed growth and expressed concern about the relative stagnation in district population growth.
Rejecting the trend of encampment sweeps, Chunn advocates for common-sense policies that prioritize supportive services for the unhoused instead of punitive measures.
“I would work closely with the people that are closest to the problems to have them help me identify what is the solution that is actually working,” she indicated.
Additionally, she supports programs that assist individuals in staying in their homes, including aid for utility and medical bills.
Chunn is firmly against proposals aimed at weakening tenant protections or changes to the city council’s Ethics Code, especially amid ongoing housing and homelessness crises.
“I cannot believe that, given the housing crisis that we’re in and homelessness issue that we have in Seattle, we’re trying to move more people out of their homes,” she expressed.
On transportation issues, she highlighted the need for a cohesive plan in areas like Grand Street Commons, insisting that knowledge from previous successful studies should be utilized.
“Why was it shelved in the first place?” Chunn questioned.
Her engagement with progressive values is clearly indicated throughout her campaign platform.
Chunn advocates for new forms of progressive revenue, viewing the JumpStart payroll tax as one aspect of a broader fiscal strategy that ensures corporations contribute their fair share to municipal needs.
“I think that it’s high time that corporations pay their fair share in supporting our beautiful city,” she stated.
Her support for affirmative action further underscores her commitment to equity and inclusion in policy-making, emphasizing the importance of actionable change rather than performative gestures.
As she rallies support from constituents, Chunn expresses a strong desire to leverage her skills and coalition-building capacity to serve the residents of District 2.
“I feel like women of color, when we get to the place that we… have some stability, we go back and get our people,” Chunn noted.
“And that’s why I’m here.
I see what’s happening to our city, and now that I have some stability and my children are grown, I have the capacity and the bandwidth.
I’m here and I’m saying, No more.
You need to listen to us.
We also need resources, and I won’t let you leave us behind.”
Chunn’s strong progressive platform reflects her dedication to community, housing, safety, and equitable solutions for the diverse population of Seattle’s District 2.
image source from：https://www.theurbanist.org/2025/06/07/jeanie-chunn-wants-to-reverse-d2s-neglect-in-seattle-council-bid/
