OCTOBER 19, 2022
On Tuesday, October 18th, the Seattle Redistricting Commission voted 4-1 to support the so-called Malaba Map that fractures Magnolia into two separate districts. Former Mayor Greg Nickels cast the lone “no” vote.
In a surprise twist, the O’Sullivan-Shah Map that kept Magnolia whole in a newly configured 6th District was pulled from consideration by both Commissioners O’Sullivan and Shah, the map’s proponents and authors. The reasoning was that the map placed Fremont into the 7th District, and the outcry from the Fremont neighborhood was persuasive. Four Commissioners also believed the Seattle Redistricting Justice group effectively demonstrated city-wide support for the RJS map. The draft Malaba Map can be accessed here.
The Magnolia Chamber of Commerce continues to support the O’Sullivan-Shah Map and wants it back into consideration for the final vote on October 25th. Notably, the final map must be reviewed, edited as needed, approved by King County Elections and other auditing departments and personnel, and filed with the city clerk. To see the timeline remaining in the redistricting process, please click here.
Magnolia residents and businesses who want to keep the neighborhood, Interbay along 15th Avenue W., and all three bridges that provide access in and out of Magnolia, MUST continue to advocate the Commission for the O’Sullivan-Shah Map. We have one week to advocate for “One Magnolia.” Comments supporting the O’Sullivan-Shah Map are simple: please reconsider the O’Sullivan-Shah Map, as it best recognizes Magnolia as a community of interest. Provide your comments here.
Thank you for your ongoing interest in this issue and your advocacy for keeping Magnolia whole and as “One Magnolia.”