Mayoral Candidate Cary Moon: Coming To A Seattle Neighborhood Near You

SEATTLE, WA — At 4:30 p.m. last Friday, when candidate-filing week officially closed, 21 hopefuls for Seattle mayor had registered to appear on the August primary ballot. That's more than double the number of candidates who ran in 2013, and this will be the first time without an incumbent in the race in more than a decade.

One of the people running is Cary Moon, a longtime Seattle urban activist and a downtown resident. Rumors of a well-funded candidate stepping up to challenge Mayor Ed Murray popped up the day after a sex abuse lawsuit was filed against Murray. Two weeks later, Moon launched her campaign, the same week as former mayor Mike McGinn did.

Murray has since dropped out of the race, but that didn't make Moon the instant front-runner. Other strong candidates in the race, as of this writing, include McGinn, activist Nikkita Oliver (who was endorsed last week by Seattle Councilwoman Kshama Sawant), former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan, state. Sen. Bob Hasegawa and state Rep. Jessyn Farrell.

Moon hopes to edge out the other contenders with a detailed prescription for Seattle's various problems — with housing affordability literally at the top. And, like a presidential candidate visiting every county in Iowa, Moon wants to visit with as many neighborhood and civic groups around the city as she can before the primary to talk about her approach. So far, Moon has visited groups in neighborhoods like Beacon Hill, Phinney Ridge, Lake City, and the U-District - a combo of house parties and public events, her campaign manager, Diane Bedwell, says. If you want Moon to visit your neighborhood, she's eager for invites.

Patch recently spoke with Moon about a wide range of issues and why she decided to join the race.

Patch: When did you decide to run for Seattle mayor?
Cary Moon: It was in January at the women's march, which was really inspiring. The whole feeling of energy and togetherness, and that we have so much power; we have such a constructive, creative vision, and we should be acting on that. I thought that what we need is courageous leadership that's not beholden to special interests.

P: When you decided to run, what was the first thing you did?
CM: I put together a cohesive platform because I wanted to make sure people understand the issues I stand for. I don't want to build political support and then wait and see ... I want to build a commitment to the platform.

P: What's an example of something that you think the current administration is not getting right?
CM: Housing affordability. The city has not done a deep enough analysis of the problems. I did a deep dive into what happens in world-class cities that experience growth and how global capital affects that [Moon is referring to a series she co-wrote with The Stranger writer Charles Mudede]. The city pretends like [rising housing prices] is good and natural and there's nothing we can do to stop it. That's not the right analysis; lower-income people and even middle-income people are being pushed out of the city because housing is unaffordable. There are people who have good jobs but are insecure in housing ... if you don't feel secure in your home, you're not able to live life [fully].

["We can’t passively sit by as big businesses and commercial property speculators extract wealth from our communities and impoverish us all. Instead, we must establish an assertive strategic plan for our growth in order to ensure that every young person has access to a ladder to success, despite their zipcode ... " Moon told the Seattle Democratic Socialists of America in a candidate questionnaire.]

P: What do you think about the sex abuse lawsuit against Murray? Has it changed the race for you in any way?
CM: [Moon told Patch that the lawsuit was new and the ramifications were unclear when she entered the race]. I think it will eventually fade into the background. But now that Murray has left, the focus is on, do we want a Chamber of Commerce candidate, or do we want a deep outsider candidate or a change agent?

P: What are the three biggest issues (aside from housing affordability) you think are facing Seattle right now?
CM: 1) The regressive tax code. We have got to fix economic inequality by having a more progressive tax code and really focusing on building a strong small business economy. 2) Transit; if people aren't completely linked, they are cut off from community and work, and they're forced to drive more. I think we have to get ahead of housing affordability and transit at the same time. 3) Of course homelessness is a big issue. The root causes like housing affordability and income inequality have to be addressed, as well as other issues like a lack of social services.

P: We've seen a lot of backlash from surrounding cities to so-called Seattle policies, like expanding light rail (and resulting car tab fee increases) or adding safe-use injection sites. How would you work with cities around Seattle on some of these issues?
CM: I understand their frustration, and I respect their set of values. In our state, people in Seattle have a reputation for being condescending and demeaning to people who choose a different lifestyle. Understanding [the values of people outside of Seattle] is a good first step. I would want to build a collective vision around solutions and do it with listening; that's all we can do.

P: Are you devoting all your time right now to running for mayor?
CM: Running for mayor is a full-time job. So, I would welcome the chance to talk to any neighborhood groups or community groups in Seattle and have a constructive dialogue around building a city that builds prosperity for everyone. It's going to take all of us together to figure out how to do that. I want to meet directly with people to construct a dialogue around that. Invite me over!

Learn more about Moon's positions on everything from wages to traffic to racial inequality on her campaign website.

Image via Cary Moon