Kent for Districts: Campaigning for Equitable Representation in Kent, Washington
Photos by Susan Fried
Recently, on The Day with Trae, host Trae Holiday spoke with Mónica Mendoza-Castrejón, Co-Chair of Kent For Districts. Mendoza-Castrejón came on the show to discuss the Kent for Districts campaign, which aims to establish district-based elections in Kent, Washington.
“Kent, currently has an ‘at large’ election system, all seven council members are, represented at large, they're voted in by everyone in the city,” Mendoza-Castrejón said.
With a little over 70,000 registered voters and a little over 130,000 residents in Kent, there are no districts. The city was ranked as one of the most diverse cities in the United States, ranking fifth in national diversity metrics.
“There's just one part of Kent that has a disproportionate influence on who gets elected into city council, and it just so happens to be that it's in the least diverse part of Kent,” Mendoza-Castrejón said.
The campaign is calling for equitable representation, not just by those who get elected, but also by the voters.
“There are some parts of Kent that have never had representation,” Mendoza-Castrejón said. “In the valley of Kent, where there are more apartments and renters, there has never been someone who lives in the area, representing on council.”
Mendoza-Castrejón has been working on different campaigns since she moved back to Kent with her husband five years ago. Born and raised in South King County to Mexican farmworker parents, she knows firsthand the struggles of many Black and brown candidates who've run before in Kent for council. Her husband, Cliff Cawthon, ran for office in 2021; he lost to Toni Troutner.
“Black and brown candidates who've run before in Kent, might have a last name that sounds non-Anglo, or they have darker skin or the issues that they're advocating for more of black and brown communities, or working class communities,” Mendoza-Castrejón said. “There's just this historical trend for many years, where they keep losing, and we noticed that there's one part of Kent that, you know, has a disproportionate influence on elections. We were like, let's do something about it.”
Mendoza-Castrejón was initially inspired by what happened in Yakima 12 years ago.
“Many Latina folks who tried to run before for city council kept losing, and the neighborhoods were segregated,” Mendoza-Castrejón said. “It was like this white part of Yakima, and you know, the Latina part. There was an attempt to do an initiative that ultimately failed, and then the ACLU[American Civil Liberties Union] with other community members came in, sued the city.”
After that, when districts were implemented, three Latinos got elected. This would be the second city in Washington state to have a district-based model, after Seattle in King County, according to Mendoza-Castrejón.
“This is a ballot initiative campaign, we're gathering signatures right now to put it on the ballot,” Mendoza-Castrejón said. “We need a little over 11,000 signatures to put it on the ballot, then it would be voted in, you know, by the voters of Kent. After that there would be a redistricting commission formed.”
Kent for Districts is a joint effort within the Kent community; they are knocking on people's doors, gathering signatures at libraries, and even attending events to inform people about their campaign.
For more information or to support the Kent for Districts campaign, go to kentfordistricts.com.
For more on campaigns you can support in Seattle, tune into Trae every weekday at 11 a.m. on all Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae YouTube Channel.
