April 24, 2019

Abel Pacheco Jr. (MPA ’12) appointed to Seattle City Council

Abel Pacheco Jr. (MPA ’12) will serve as a Seattle City Council member for the next seven months, the council decided Monday, appointing him to fill the District 4 seat vacated by former Council member Rob Johnson.

According to The Seattle Times, there were 11 qualified applicants for the temporary post. Pacheco was nominated by Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, who highlighted his work on racial equity in his job at the University of Washington, his involvement on volunteer boards, and his lived experiences as a person of color.

“I’m excited to bring a fresh perspective to the Seattle City Council and put to use the skillset instilled in me at the Evans School,” Abel said. “At a time of so much political division, it’s time to bring together a diverse coalition of stakeholders to find solutions to our most challenging problems.”

Abel is currently a candidate for office in District 4, but he said following his vote that he would no longer seek election. Abel will serve until Nov. 26, when the results of the Nov. 6 election are certified and the winning candidate in District 4 will take over. The district includes Eastlake, Wallingford, the University District and Northeast Seattle.

Read more about his appointment. Congratulations Abel!

Image (above): Abel Pacheco Jr., Seattle’s newest city council member, being sworn in Monday afternoon.