Elections
Licata ran for Seattle City Council in 1997 after Charlie Chong announced he would not seek reelection to finish the term of retired councilmember Tom Weeks. [6] In the September primary,Licata came in first among seven challengers,with 36%,advancing to the general election with city transportation staffer Aaron Ostrom,who earned 24%. [7] Licata was seen as a progressive longshot,as Ostrom outraised him and received endorsements from five city councilmembers and two newspapers. [1] [7] [8] In the November general election,Licata defeated Ostrom 52% to 48%. [8] [9]
Licata was reelected to the council four times,winning in landslides. In 2001,Licata defeated Peter Olive,a credit union employee who barely campaigned,with 77% of the vote. [9] [10] In 2005,he earned 78% of the vote against real estate agent Paul Bascomb,who only raised $6,500 compared to Licata's 100,000. [9] [11] Licata's closest reelection bid was in 2009,earning 58% of the vote against King County parks manager Jessie Isreal. [9] [12] In 2013,he earned 88% of the vote against Edwin B. Fruit,a Socialist Worker's Party candidate saying that Seattle could be another Cuba.
Tenure
Upon his election to the City Council,he instituted poetry readings titled Words Worth in his committee meetings,believing that the personal insight of poetry could enlighten the routine of government. [13] Licata initiated Seattle's "Poet Populist" position in 1999 which engaged the public in voting each year for a local poet to lead public events,read in public schools and libraries. [13] The mayor adopted an official process for selecting a City Poet in 2015 as the Seattle Civic Poet program. The Seattle Office of Arts &Culture (ARTS) regularly announces new poets in partnership with the Seattle City of Literature.
In 2007,Licata supported Initiative I-91,which prohibited the city from supporting sports teams unless such investments had a fair return,which facilitated the relocation of the Seattle SuperSonics from Seattle to Oklahoma City. In addition,Licata stated in 2007 that the absence of the SuperSonics from Seattle would leave a "near zero" economic impact to the city. [14] He later stated that his remarks were "smug and wrong (Licata newsletter July 2006)" but the damage had been done. While the public investment into arenas and stadiums can be debated,it can not be debated that the Sonics supported 1,300 jobs and were responsible for $188 million in local economic activity. "On September 24,2012,Licata voted No on a proposed SoDo basketball arena,which was eventually approved 6-2 by the remaining Council members. [15] That proposed arena was subsequently rejected in favor of rehabbing the existing Seattle Center arena later named the Key Arena and now named the Climate Pledge Arena,currently home to the Seattle Storm WNBA team and the Seattle Kraken NHL hockey team. [16]
Licata was one of two City Council members who supported rebuilding the Alaskan Way Viaduct in 2008,and later supported a tunnel alternative.
Licata sponsored Seattle's law requiring that all Seattle employers with more than four full-time equivalent employees provide paid sick leave. [17]
During part of his 18 years on the council,Licata served as Council President. [3] In 2003,authored a children's book,Princess Bianca and the Vandals,a fantasy/adventure book dealing with environmental issues. [2] The Nation 's "Progressive Honor Roll of 2012" chose Licata as its "Most Valuable Local Official" in the United States. [3] [18]
