I am writing to share some important news: I am running for re-election to the King County Council!

While I am excited about this renewed opportunity to serve, I want to acknowledge that it comes at a difficult moment. When I began this journey into political life, the situation in our country was different from what it is today. In 2023, a second Trump Administration was a daunting possibility. Today, it is a reality that is threatening the safety and well-being of so many, especially our immigrant and transgender neighbors. It is a reality that threatens state and local governments with depriving them of funding if they don’t succumb to the pressures of the federal administration. It is a reality that sees masked federal agents violating the constitutional rights–and even taking the lives–of people in our communities.

Particularly at a time like this, I believe it is crucial to have leaders in state and local government who will be uncompromising in defending and advancing our community’s values in the face of an increasingly chaotic and authoritarian federal administration. This is an important part of the work I have been doing on the county council: strengthening our county’s policies to protect immigrant communities; working to protect our health and human services infrastructure from the impacts of cruel federal funding cuts; and standing up for our transgender community members.

But I know there will be much more work to do over the next few years to protect our community and our county from the excesses of the Trump Administration. And there is much more work to do on the local issues I have been prioritizing: ensuring our criminal and civil legal systems are operating effectively and fairly so we can enhance community safety; stabilizing and strengthening our homelessness response system so we can reduce the number of people living unhoused in our region; protecting our public health clinics and investing in our county hospital, Harborview Medical Center, so we can preserve access to health care; and improving the safety and reliability of our Metro transit system.

I am committed to continuing this work of defending our community’s values while advancing progressive local policies, and that is why I’ll be asking my neighbors in District 4 to give me the opportunity to continue representing them on the King County Council. I am honored to launch this re-election effort with the support of leaders like Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and Governor Bob Ferguson, as well as many other state and local elected officials and labor organizations.

I know you share my belief in the importance of local leadership committed to our county’s values and so I invite you to be a part of this campaign. One important way to do so is through a financial contribution, and I invite you to invest in this campaign through the link below.

I also invite you to visit my re-election campaign website: www.electjorgebaron.com. I look forward to keeping you up to date on this re-election effort and on other ways you can help. I thank you in advance for your support.

With deep gratitude,

Jorge