This year, in response to the 2020 Census, new boundaries are being drawn in Seattle for our State legislative districts, our King County Council districts and our City Council districts. The new lines divide Wallingford quite differently for each of these three levels of government.
State Legislature Districts Redistricting has already been completed for the State Legislature and the County Council. The new district boundary for the State Legislature now divides Wallingford along the east-west line of N/NE 45th St. Folks who live to the south of N/NE 45th will stay in the 43rd Legislative District while folks north of N/NE 45th will now be in the 46th District.
County Council Districts The new district boundary for the County Council cuts the other direction, north-south. Folks who live west of 1st NE are in the 4th Council District while folks to the east are in the 2nd Council District.
City Council Districts The redistricting for the City Council is now underway. An “independent” commission was appointed by the City Council and the Mayor, who then hired the King County GIS Center as the consultant to develop the preliminary maps. Their work was seen as very technical and not political. They produced four maps with equal populations in each district which the commission will now review with city residents and request comments during an outreach program. The details of that program have not yet been released but will be published on Wallyhood when they are known.
Currently all of Wallingford south of N/NE 50th is in City Council District 4 while north of N/NE 50th is in District 6. All four of the proposed maps sort Wallingford out differently from the current map. The first of the four maps expands District 4 to include Wallingford north of N/NE 50th but excludes an irregular shaped portion west of Stone Way south of 41st, no doubt as a fine tuning adjustment of population numbers. The second map makes the largest change to Wallingford representation, moving all of it into District 6, along with a slice of the University District west of Roosevelt NE. The third map leaves the north boundary of District 4 at 50th but moves everyone west of Stone Way into District 6. The fourth map cuts Wallingford at Stone Way and at N/NE 45th, sending west of Stone Way and north of N/NE 45th to District 6 while the rest remains in District 4. Maps of each of these proposals are provided below. In the maps the rose color is District 4 and the tan color is District 6.
You can see and download the set of the entire city maps at the City website for the Redistricting Commission.
Technical Note – Your current representatives
State Legislative District 43 State Legislative District 46
Senator Jamie Pedersen Senator David Frockt
Representative Frank Chopp Representative Gerry Pollet
Representative Nicole Macri Representative Javier Valdez
County Council District 4 County Council District 2
Jeanne Kohl-Welles Girmay Zahilay
City Council District 4 City Council District 6
Alex Pedersen Dan Strauss
Thank you very much for sharing this info! I didn’t know this. Want to make sure I’m calling *my* state representatives!
For city council, maps 2, 3 and 4 seem to be drawn to ensure a lifetime appointment of Alex Pedersen (or his NIMBY brethren) by bringing Broadmoor into District 4. Map 1 includes an even bigger swath south of the ship canal (and west of Lake Union), which seems weird.
For Wallingford, Map 2 might make the most sense. Putting the whole neighborhood into District 6, along with Tangletown, Fremont and Ballard, and allowing Wallingford to elect a councilperson that represents us, and not just Laurelhurst and Wedgwood.
Wow. Agree…Map 2 with Wallingford/Meridian/Fremont/Phinney together gibes with how (I think) most people live on a day to day basis, and common interests.
Broadmoor and Madison Park in the same district with Wallingford does not, to say the least.
I do sort of love that Sawant currently represents Broadmoor.