King County Executive candidates tackle safety, housing, transit at Chamber Lunch
At our October session of Chamber Lunch, we hosted a fast-moving King County Executive candidate forum with Councilmembers Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay. Moderated by John Carlson (Kemper Development Company), Saghar Amini (Habitat for Humanity Seattle–King County), and Chris Daniels (KOMO News), the discussion focused on public safety, homelessness, housing supply and permitting, regional transit, and federal funding pressure ... all issues central to Bellevue’s economy and quality of life.
Miss out? Read the recap below, or watch the footage here!
Public Safety, Case Backlogs, & Victim Support
Both candidates acknowledged case backlogs and staffing gaps across the criminal justice system, with a new state-mandated reduction in public defender caseloads driving near-term staffing needs. Zahilay said the system must function end-to-end and supported adding prosecutors to move serious cases faster, and Balducci emphasized the new county criminal justice sales tax — arguing that unallocated dollars should prioritize core public safety functions, including prosecutors and victim services.
“I support the Prosecutor's proposal to add resources in her office for extreme risk protection orders to help stop youth gun violence [and] to have more victim advocates, because we put 14% of our money in this system towards victims, and 86% of it towards things that are dealing with the actions of offenders.” — Councilmember Claudia Balducci
Homelessness Strategy & the Drug Crisis
On homelessness, candidates converged on “housing plus services," maintaining Housing First as one tool while insisting on accountability and neighborhood impact measures. Zahilay called for individualized plans, measuring outcomes like public disorder and 911 calls.
Regarding drug policy, Balducci opposed any government distribution of illegal drugs, while both candidates supported harm reduction that connects people to treatment and reduces deaths.
“Some people need low barrier access in order to have a starting point for their recovery journey.” — Councilmember Girmay Zahilay
With a median King County home price of $855,000 and an estimated $250,000 income needed to afford it, both candidates stressed supply, homeownership pathways, and permitting reform to tackle the housing issue. Zahilay cited community land trusts, down payment assistance, zoning for missing middle housing, and committed to organizing a permitting and regulation review task force within 60 days of taking office.
Balducci emphasized scaling affordable homeownership, aligning regional housing targets with local plans, expanding use of federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, leveraging public land, and engaging employers.
On potential federal funding conditions tied to immigration enforcement access, both candidates rejected trading local values for dollars, citing constitutional concerns and coordination with the Attorney General.
On youth justice, Zahilay stated he does not support closing the youth detention facility and wants therapeutic improvements within the existing secure site. Balducci said a secure facility will remain necessary for the most serious cases, noting the current building was designed to scale down as need decreases.
Regarding the King County Regional Homelessness Authority, Zahilay called for a reset to rebuild regional buy-in, accountability, and structure if partners reconsider their roles.
Next Steps
Bellevue employers depend on predictable public safety, attainable housing, and reliable mobility. This forum made it clear that the next King County Executive will need to re-balance criminal justice resources, accelerate housing production, streamline permitting, and keep Sound Transit commitments within budget. (No pressure, right?)