Preservation of the built environment is a key quality of life issue. It is a primary component of sustainable development and serves as a valuable planning tool that helps build strong, livable communities. Many voters, especially Historic Seattle members, seek to understand the positions of political leaders who will be responsible for protecting our historic places and thoughtfully balancing the preservation of Seattle’s unique character with other public goals.
2025 Candidates’ Survey – Seattle Mayor and City Council
Historic Seattle is conducting a survey of those running for Seattle Mayor and City Council Positions 8 and 9 (both at-large) and for District 2.
Scroll down past the questions on this page to view responses from candidates.
We will publish individual responses as we receive them on this page through November 3 (Election Day is November 4). The candidates were asked the following five questions:
1. What’s your favorite historic place in Seattle and why do you think it’s important?
2. The City of Seattle is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan. What role does historic preservation play in planning and land use beyond designating landmarks and historic districts?
3. There is a significant relationship between historic buildings and affordable housing (including naturally occurring affordable housing) that has existed in Seattle for more than a century. They are the fundamental building blocks of most of the city’s neighborhoods. What programs or incentives would you create to promote the preservation of affordable housing in conjunction with rehabilitating historic buildings?
4. BIPOC (black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities need greater investment in preservation of the places and spaces that are significant to them, and this can be directly tied to growing generational and community wealth. How would you work to identify potential strategies and implement them?
5. There are hundreds of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings in the Seattle and some of them are historic. Seismically retrofitting these historic buildings is a green investment, but more importantly an investment in community and public safety—saving housing, offices, restaurant, retail, health care facilities, cultural venues, and places of worship. Do you see this need, and how do you plan to support it, particularly since the City of Seattle has been actively working on encouraging property owners to upgrade URM buildings? What incentives can be made available to make retrofits more affordable?
Candidates’ Responses Received To Date:
We are publishing individual responses as we receive them on this page through November 3 (Election Day is November 4).
Seattle City Council Position 9 At-Large
Response from candidate Sara Nelson; received 10/17/25 (PDF)