Most influential: GirMay Zahila – Seattlemag

When Girmai Zahilai arrived in Seattle as a 2-year-old refugee, his family lived in public housing and homeless shelters. He was born in a Sudanese refugee camp of Ethiopian parents running from the Civil War. Now, 35 years later, Zahlay is running the home financing fee at affordable prices in King County for working -class families of over $ 1 billion.

As chairman of the powerful committee for the budget management and the fiscal council of the King County, he holds the strings of the bag of the entire district budget, including housing initiatives.

In 2024, he successfully introduced a plan to create a regional housing initiative worth $ 1 billion. This is a long way for the “skinny child with a funny name” (to entice the phrase made by President Barack Obama to describe), and to whom Zahila is often compared.

As chairman of the budget, Zahilay also applied the $ 1.2 billion property tax to build mental health centers in King County. Voters approved the plan in 2023

“All the policies that interest us, all the values ​​that interest us are implemented through the budget. If we do not have attached dollars to the things that interest us, they no longer exist, “says Zahlai of his progressive budget. “We want to make sure we finance homes at affordable prices for everyone. We want to fund mental health. We want high quality, reliable transport. We support safety against arms violence. “

Zahila’s supporters say he tempered his ambitions with modesty, active listening and the ability to compromise.

“He has this incredible humility,” says the democratic activist and former US ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein Susie Levine. “And what I appreciate for him is that it is actually difficult to make him talk about himself. What he wants to talk about is the community. He always puts the community in the first place and the leaders of the community first. He wants to tell the stories of others. As a politician who runs for a position, you sometimes have to tell your story. What I love is that he actually elevates community leaders and community members to illustrate his history. “

His diplomacy was crucial for the passage of the regional housing initiative, uniting the public sector, non -profit organizations, profits, unions and residents to support it.

“I want to partner with every possible one, if it means we can build homes for major workers,” says Zahilai. “It’s amazing to see the coalition we were able to build. I think it starts with relationships. You have to talk to the people who are most affected. You need to find out what would work for them. I am able to focus specifically to people who are more affected. “

Many progressive voters also turn to legislators such as Zahylai for leadership because of fears of what they predict will be the Dragon White House. “Personally for me,” Zahlai says of his intercession against the White House with an anti -luralistic history. “I don’t think (they) want my story to be part of American history. I am the son of refugees. We were able to receive accessible public housing, to go to great public schools. (They) do not want this to be part of American history. “

Zahilai remains ambitious if it is grounded. He is a leading candidate for replacement of King Dow Constantine County CEO, who will retire in three terms at the end of 2025, making Konstantin the most long -term CEO of King County so far.

“This job is greater than I can even imagine,” Zahilai says. “One thing at a time. It will be a hard enough hill to climb to win these elections. It’s also just a greater platform than I could hope in the work I want to do. “

As a naturalized citizen, he has no right to run for president. This is the only restriction on its ambitions