(Image: agh4sea.com)
A Capitol Hill architect with progressive and urbanist bona fides is launching a longshot campaign to lead the city.
Andrew Grant Houston — known as Ace — announced his campaign for Mayor of Seattle Tuesday morning:
His decision to run comes after years of advocacy for more housing at all income levels and a lack of response to the climate crisis this past September, when the Puget Sound registered the worst AQI score the region has ever seen. Andrew is a queer Black and Latino Architect, small business owner, and activist with a vision of transforming Seattle into one of the most vibrant, sustainable cities in the world: a city where no one has to sleep outside, where local businesses and culture thrive, and where orcas start to visit once again.
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Houston currently serves as the interim policy manager in the office fo Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda. Last week, CHS reported on the surprise announcement that Mosqueda, whose background in labor and progressive policies have been popular on Capitol Hill, will focus on reelection to the council and not a run for the mayor’s office.
Houston, 31, is the founder and head of design of the House Cosmopolitan firm and a member of Futurewise, AIA Seattle, Share The Cities, and The Sunrise Movement.
While the mayor’s office is a nonpartisan position, Houston is a member of the 43rd District Democrats.
In the neighborhood, he as been busy with the Pike/Pine Urban Neighborhood Council, a community group that is frequently asked to weigh in on planned development in the area.
He has never held elected office.
In his announcement, Houston describes “a vision for a healthier, less stressful Seattle; where creativity and culture thrive” and “a Seattle with opportunities and memories around every corner, vibrant local shops on tree-lined avenues, and an unparalleled live music scene.”
“A Seattle with a real commitment to combating displacement, increasing the quality of life for every Seattle resident, and shifting power into the hands of the public,” his announcement reads.
Houston joins a small but sure to grow field of challengers hoping to be among the two top candidates on the November 2021 ballot. SEED Seattle’s interim director Lance Randall announced his candidacy last year. William Kopatich, described as a “Top Salesman at Carter Subaru” in his Linkedin profile, has also filed to enter the race.
Mayor Jenny Durkan’s announcement that she will not seek reelection after finishing her single term this year has thrown 2021 open as a big year in Seattle politics with both of the council’s citywide positions and the mayor’s office clearly up for grabs.
The 2021 race will also be the first time the city’s Democracy Voucher program — hoped to empower a greater diversity of candidates to keep up in expensive campaigns — will be extended to include the city council races and the run for the mayor’s office. Houston said Tuesday that his campaign is planning to participate in the program.
In addition to vouchers, Houston said he also hopes to collect ideas from constituents. “The goal is to make policy changes in the next 8 years that have a positive impact for the next 80,” his campaign site reads.
CHS will talk with Houston soon to learn more about his campaign and hopes for leading Seattle.
You can learn more, support the campaign, and submit your ideas at agh4sea.com.
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Welcome to the race! Looking forward to it!
good luck to Ace. I don’t agree with his politics so likely won’t vote for him, but I’m glad to have a voice of urbanism in the race.
I watched him on Converge Media yesterday. Nice guy but C’mon on, can we at least have some candidates who are more professional? He looked sloppy (says a lot about how unserious he is), and he spoke in that annoying millineal vocal uptone kind of voice (I’m not a boomer btw). Lance Randall the day before seemed to have much more depth and came across as more Mayoral. He also seems to know more about all neighborhoods and would be a problem solver, unlike Durkan.
What’s to know about neighborhoods besides that’s where people are supposed to live? Keeping them separated via income doesn’t make any real since except to an elite mindset. Cities are supposed to be melting pots of culture and income and ideas etc…it’s how we become something bigger than ourselves. I love the idea of mixed income housing! Every time low income housing is separated out it seems to create projects type situation that is a suck on everyone and leaves lower income people in substandard living conditions. I don’t know how far many people have gotten outside the are but a little research can show how a “ghetto” is made. I’ve traveled a lot (call it vagabond wondered if you prefer) I’ve seen a lot of different approaches and seen what seemed to be making a difference and what was same game thinking that has proven itself to not work. Not treating people different by separating them via income and then public resources seems to create the happiest places. We all have something to learn from each other.
I hope someone is focusing on helping people without homes register to vote! I know it’s harder when you don’t have a place but I also know you still have an absolute right to do so! Register, vote, be active and participate in your own future. don’t let the NIMBY mob have all the say in what will happen to or for you in the future! If you have a home and want to help a homeless person help them navigate how to have a voice in the process, help them be prepared to cast a vote for themselves!