Seattle Councilman Morales announces his abrupt departure

Seattle City Council member Tammy Morales announced that she is resigning from the city council effective January 6, although her term does not end until 2027.

“It has been my greatest honor to represent the people of Seattle, particularly South Seattle, and I will miss the opportunity to work with all of you on behalf of our neighbors,” Morales said in her announcement. “I am proud of the work we have done over the course of my term, including passing the historic Racial and Social Equity Ordinance, our Tenants Bill of Rights, and securing over $350 million in investments in D2 and all over the city.”

Morales was re-elected to the Seattle City Council in 2023 as District 2 representative, defeating challenger Tanya Woo by 403 votes. She has been a member of the Seattle Council since 2019 and first ran for council in 2015, but lost to then-incumbent Bruce Harrell by just 344 votes. Four years later, she defeated Mark Solomon in 2019 by nearly 6,000 votes.

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According to Publicola, Morales began seriously considering leaving the council in September after she “went home and yelled at her family” following a confrontation on the council.

Morales’ departure came amid numerous accusations that the current city council was not working in good faith with the rest of the city.

“I worry about the future of this institution and my place in it,” Morales said. “Over the last 11 months, this council has undermined our controls as a legislative department and undermined my work as a policymaker.”

In her farewell speech, Morales argued that the council had hindered staff from providing objective policy analysis, suppressed First Amendment rights in public comment through arrests, and intimidated commenters with an established police presence when considering controversial legislation. She claimed that the council had “suppressed the will of the voters” through alternative ballot initiatives and that the newly elected council as a whole lacked basic, institutional knowledge.

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She continued to criticize the current City Council, saying it has attempted to defund an important program for people of color while also passing 11 separate bills that “reinforced the punitive nature of our criminal justice system.”

Morales has also been vocal in his opposition to the council’s proposals for budget cuts, which have primarily impacted social services, while the council is also increasing funding for prisons, police departments and cleaning services.

“This was a very difficult decision,” Morales added. “I have thought a lot about my responsibility to my constituents and the council as an institution. As an elected representative, I swore an oath to the Constitution of the United States, Washington and our city charter. The most important tasks include protecting people’s health, safety, environment and general well-being. I can no longer in good conscience say I can do this by remaining on this council.”

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According to Publicola’s conversation with Morales, several of the new council members treated her as a personification of the previous city council.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Morales said. “I just need some time to think about how I can best serve the city I love and find the next opportunity to repair the damage that has been done to black and brown communities, access to power and to democratize resources and plan for the seventh generation.”

Morales was the only progressive representative on the council until Alexis Mercedes Rinck was added last month to replace Teresa Mosqueda. The council will now look for another person to represent Seattle’s District 2. Whoever is appointed will have to stand for election next year.

Frank Sumrall is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here and email him here.