Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales is resigning

Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales is resigning, she announced Wednesday, criticizing the way the rest of the council has been operating.

Morales once belonged to a progressive council majority but has been isolated politically since 2023’s elections brought change to City Hall, with more centrist, law-and-order council members now holding sway.

In an open letter to her constituents in District 2, which includes Yesler Terrace, the Chinatown International District, Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley and Rainier Beach, Morales said she would be stepping down Jan. 6.

Morales was first elected in 2019 after a close loss to then-Councilmember Bruce Harrell in 2015. She won re-election last year, and Harrell is now mayor.

She declined an interview request Wednesday. In her open letter, she called representing the people of Seattle “my greatest honor” and touted accomplishments like passing a “bill of rights” for the city’s renters.

“However, I am worried about the future of this institution, and my place in it,” the outgoing council member wrote.

“For the last 11 months, this Council has eroded our checks and balances as a Legislative department and undermined my work as a policymaker.”

Morales then listed eight examples of the council’s conduct, saying her colleagues have interfered with the ability of nonpartisan staff to provide objective policy analyses; stifled First Amendment rights by having protesting public commenters arrested; and “passed 11 bills to increase the punitive nature of our criminal legal system without any additional meaningful accountability for our police department,” among other points.

Morales cast the only “no” vote when Harrell and the council adopted a 2025 budget last month, saying the plan would cut funds for social services while increasing funds for police, jails and homeless encampment removals. In April, the council rejected a signature Morales proposal to help community groups build denser real estate projects with affordable housing.

Morales currently chairs a council land-use committee, where major zoning changes proposed by Harrell will be considered next year.

In a news release Wednesday, Council President Sara Nelson thanked Morales “for her dedicated service” to her District 2 constituents.

“We worked together to pass a number of important pieces of legislation,” Nelson said. “I wish her and her family well on the next chapter.”

Nelson and other council members will need to appoint a temporary replacement to represent District 2 until a special election can be held next November. Morales’ 4-year term would normally have run through 2027.

In an emailed statement, Harrell thanked Morales “for her dedicated work” on behalf of District 2, said he knows she will “remain an engaged leader and advocate” for South End communities and wished her “all the best.”

Morales is stepping away just as she gains an ally; newcomer Alexis Mercedes Rinck joined the council Monday after unseating Tanya Woo in a special election Nov. 5 and is politically aligned with Morales. Now it may be Mercedes Rinck operating the council’s left wing mostly on her own.

Sharon Maeda, a longtime South End leader and activist, said Morales supporters are sad to see her go, rather than upset with her for quitting.

“This wasn’t expected but nobody was surprised,” because Morales has been rowing against the current at City Hall recently, Maeda said in a phone interview. “I saw the sparkle go out of her eyes these past months.”

Morales called her resignation “a very difficult decision,” taking into account her responsibility to her constituents “and to the Council as an institution.”

But she swore to protect the health and safety of Seattle residents and says she no longer believes she can do that by serving on the council.

“I also have a personal responsibility to my family, who deserve to see me show up whole,” Morales added. “This role has caused my mental and physical well-being to deteriorate, and this is an unfortunate reality for many women in particular who serve in public office.”

Morales will be taking time to spend with her children and care for her ailing father, she wrote. But she won’t be “going anywhere” in the long run and will later seek new opportunities to work for community needs, she added.

The City Charter gives the council a deadline of 20 calendar days to fill a vacant seat. In this case, that period will begin Jan. 7, and more information on the process will be available soon, Nelson’s news release said.

“We look forward to considering the great leaders from District 2 who are willing to put themselves forward during this critical period,” Nelson said, mentioning the zoning changes and public safety as key work topics.

Maeda, the Morales supporter, said she wonders whether the council might re-appoint Woo, who served as a temporary council member this year after being appointed to fill former Councilmember Tersesa Mosqueda’s seat.

Woo saw eye to eye with the council majority but has lost two elections in a row, to Morales last year and Mercedes Rinck this year.