Stronger Together

King County council member Claudia Balducci stands out as the clear choice for King County Executive. With extensive leadership experience and a proven record of success, Balducci is committed to sustainable results-oriented solutions. Known for fostering collaboration, making strategic decisions, and prioritizing safety and equity, she has consistently demonstrated an ability to unite communities and tackle complex challenges through practical and effective approaches. Her leadership reflects integrity and underscores the value of good governance.

25 years of public service

Prior to serving on the King County Council, Balducci served three terms on the Bellevue City Council, including two years as mayor, and held key roles with King County, such as labor negotiator and director of Adult and Juvenile Detention. In 2015, she made history by defeating a six-term Republican incumbent to earn a seat on the King County Council.

If elected, Claudia Balducci would achieve a historic milestone as the first woman elected to serve as King County Executive, marking a significant step forward in recognizing women's leadership and commitment to public service.

At a time when fundamental rights are under threat, Claudia Balducci stands as a leader for progress and a strong advocate for women, working families, and marginalized communities. Her career has been defined by her commitment to fairness, inclusivity, and the belief that everyone deserves a seat at the table. Claudia has led efforts to expand affordable housing, social justice, public transit, and access to vital services for all King County residents. Her experience, dedication, and thoughtful leadership reflect the qualities King County needs to build a more equitable future. 

Housing Solutions 

Balducci is committed to addressing homelessness and housing shortages in King County through comprehensive and strategic initiatives focused on housing supply, subsidies, and stability. She advocates for leveraging government resources, such as surplus land from Sound Transit, a strategy that has already facilitated the creation of over 3,000 new homes. 

Her focus on housing stability includes advancing tenant protections, preventing homelessness, and promoting long-term housing security. During her first term on the County Council, Balducci led efforts to establish and fund a regional task force to address the housing crisis. This initiative resulted in the formation of the Affordable Housing Task Force under the Growth Management Planning Council, bringing together elected officials, developers, nonprofits, employers, and advocates to identify opportunities and confront the region’s housing challenges.

Emergency Housing

Claudia Balducci is dedicated to reducing unsheltered homelessness. She has partnered with public, private, and nonprofit organizations to lead impactful housing initiatives, including the Porchlight Men's Shelter in Bellevue and the permanent supportive housing project at Plymouth Crossing. Additionally, she supported the six-year Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy, which provides funding for senior centers, housing, employment opportunities, and essential services for vulnerable populations. Balducci also strongly supported the voter-approved Crisis Care Centers Initiative, which will establish five crisis centers by 2030, expand mobile crisis teams, enhance behavioral health training, and strengthen recovery programs.

Equal Opportunity and Civil Liberties 

Claudia Balducci has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to justice and equality. Her career began with a legal internship at the Northwest Women’s Law Center (now Legal Voice), where she advocated for survivors of domestic abuse and worked to combat discrimination against women and the LGBTQI+ community. As a labor attorney, she advanced workplace equity for women and continues to serve vulnerable populations through her volunteer work with the Refugee Women’s Alliance. 

Throughout Balducci’s tenure on the King County Council, she has demonstrated her commitment to advancing women’s equality by ensuring access to economic opportunity, safe housing, reliable transportation, and supportive services. She has worked to create policies that remove barriers for women and families, allowing them to thrive in our region. One of her most significant accomplishments has been her leadership on affordable housing, an issue that disproportionately impacts women, particularly single mothers and survivors of domestic violence.

Public Safety and Social Justice

As the Director of King County’s Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention, Balducci implemented significant reforms aimed at prioritizing rehabilitation and community-based initiatives to lower recidivism and improve long-term outcomes. 

King County Council, led by Balducci, worked with the county executive, community members, and experts to enhance public safety and address racial disparities in policing. These reforms focused on de-escalation, protection, and preserving constitutional rights. Additionally, Balducci introduced council-approved legislation to establish a countywide task force on transit safety, following the tragic death of transit operator Shawn Yim.

Child Care and Early Learning

Balducci is clear that affordable, accessible childcare and early education are essential for supporting women’s workforce participation and children’s long-term success. As an advocate for affordable childcare, Balducci played a leading role in the Best Starts for Kids program. Working with community and labor leaders, she helped preserve childcare facilities, retain skilled educators, and support the childcare workforce. 

Transit

Balducci has been a staunch visionary and leader in advancing mass transit expansion, with a focus on light rail to connect communities and support climate goals. In 2021, alongside her role as King County Council Chair, Balducci was elected President of the Puget Sound Regional Council. She also chaired the Sound Transit System Expansion Committee and served on the Sound Transit Board, helping to implement the region's transformative light rail program effectively.

Commitment to Environmental Sustainability 

Balducci has been a consistent leader in advancing legislation and policies that promote sustainable and responsible growth in King County. She sponsored legislation to develop a Climate Action Toolkit, supporting city climate initiatives. Balducci has also prioritized transparency and accountability from the Puget Sound Regional Council and has championed efforts to eliminate harmful chemicals from waterways. Additionally, she has played a key role in the development and preservation of King County parks, trails, and open spaces.

Streamlining Legal Immigration

In 2021, Balducci sponsored a groundbreaking program to assist immigrants with citizenship applications, which was approved by the council and became the first of its kind in the nation.

Friend of the Arts 

In 2023, with Balducci’s leadership the Council approved a transformational arts and culture levy called Doors Open, which promises to revitalize under served communities, enrich the cultural landscape and King County’s well being.  

Claudia Balducci demonstrates a strong commitment to collaboration, strategic decision-making, and delivering impactful results. Her proven ability to implement smart, inclusive solutions highlight her effective leadership and dedication to the broader community. During this time of federal funding crisis and assault on our rights, it's paramount that we choose a proven and bold leader. Claudia Balducci is the clear choice to lead King County into the future.

The KCFDW Difference

This endorsement represents more than just our organizational support—it connects Claudia to a network of Democratic women committed to advancing progressive values and supporting candidates who will fight for policies that improve women's lives and strengthen our communities. An endorsement from KCFDW signals to voters that Claudia Balducci has been vetted by an organization dedicated to advancing women's interests and supporting candidates who will tackle the big challenges facing our region with honesty, expertise and thoughtfulness.

 Sponsored by King County Federation of Democratic Women (a political action committee organized in Washington State as a non-profit corporation). Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. Address: 4957 Lakemont Blvd SE PMB  C4-17 Bellevue WA 98006.

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March 8, 2024 

Governor Inslee signed House Bill 1455, sponsored by Rep. Monica Stonier (D-Vancouver), to prohibit child marriage in Washington state. Child marriage primarily affects girls, subjecting them to coercion to wed adult men to conceal potential sex crimes or due to pregnancy. As the U.S. federal criminal code does not classify sex with a child aged 12 to 15 within marriage as a crime, child marriage has been exploited for child trafficking. Rep. Stonier emphasized that raising the legal marriage age to 18 enhances young individuals' autonomy and closes a harmful legal gap. The bill received bipartisan approval in both the House and Senate. 

 Sponsors: Stonier, Berry, Farivar, Rude, Fey, Reed, Morgan, Thai, Fosse, Pollet, Macri, Bateman

Companion bill sponsors:   Sponsors: Stanford, Dhingra, Rolfes, Saldaña, Shewmake 

Nov 13, 2023 Excerpts

 The White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research intends to bring in members of executive departments across the federal government to work holistically on this issue; deliver concrete recommendations on how to advance women’s health research within its first 45 days; set priority areas where additional investments could have the biggest impact; and facilitate collaboration between the scientific private sector, philanthropic groups and the government to create new research initiatives.  

Photo - Anna Rose Layden, Getty Images