The Votes Have All Been Counted – Voters Want Change

By Jordan Royer, Vice President, Pacific Merchant Shipping Association

Every election has a theme. The one that just completed this month in Washington State appears to be a theme of change. At the Port of Seattle, we will welcome two new commissioners. In Seattle, we have a new Mayor, new City Council member, and a new City Attorney. In fact, the City Attorney-Elect, Ann Davison, is the first Republican to be elected city-wide since 1987. And while it is easier to gauge voter sentiment and messaging in city elections – particularly for Mayor, the results across the board resulted in change.

Of course, bucking the “change” trend is Tacoma. The Port of Tacoma Commission will be unchanged, as all incumbents will return and the Mayor won with a wide margin.

The two new commissioners at the Port of Seattle are Hamdi Mohamed and Toshiko Hasegawa. Ms. Mohamed recently worked for Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Toshiko Hasegawa is the Executive Director of the Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs. Her father is also long-time State Senator Bob Hasegawa. While they may be new to the port commission, they both have lots of political experience and connections that can be beneficial to the port.

The interesting dynamic will be in policy discussions between the two commissions at the NW Seaport Alliance. There are lots of differences in culture and philosophy between the two cities of Tacoma and Seattle. There has been a natural competition between the two cities over the last 100 years for railroads, museums, stadiums, and containers.

It also should be noted that Mohamed and Hasegawa are replacing two Commissioners, Stephanie Bowman and Peter Steinbrueck, who have each contributed much to the maritime community. Commissioner Bowman was instrumental in creating the NW Seaport Alliance. Commissioner Steinbrueck has been a leader on the environment and the preservation of maritime industrial lands in support of good paying family wage jobs. We should all thank them for their service.

So change is coming. Will it be what the voters asked for? We’ll have to wait and see.