Girmay Zahilay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Girmay Zahilay
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| Member of the King County Council from the 2nd district |
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| Assumed office January 8, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Larry Gossett |
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| Born |
Girmay Hadish Zahilay
May 6, 1987 Sudan |
| Education | Stanford University (BA) University of Pennsylvania (JD) |
| Profession | Attorney |
Girmay Hadish Zahilay (born May 6, 1987) is an American politician and lawyer. He is a member of the King County Council in Seattle, Washington. The King County Council helps make important decisions for King County, like managing public services and the budget. Girmay Zahilay was first elected to the council in 2019. He won against a long-serving council member, Larry Gossett.
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Early Life and Education
Girmay Zahilay was born in Sudan. His parents were refugees from Tigray, a place in Ethiopia where there was a war. When he was three, his family moved to the United States. They settled in the Rainier Valley area of Seattle.
His family often moved between different public housing places in South Seattle. These included areas like the International District and Skyway. His mother, Abie, worked very hard as a nursing assistant to support them. Sometimes, his family also stayed at a homeless shelter in Downtown Seattle.
Girmay Zahilay went to Franklin High School in Seattle. After high school, he studied biology at Stanford University. While there, he was the president of the Black Student Union. He then earned a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania. During his studies, he worked as an intern for the White House Counsel during the time Barack Obama was president.
Career
After college, Girmay Zahilay worked as a community organizer. He helped people in need at places like the Congressional Hunger Center. He also worked for law firms in New York and Seattle.
Zahilay also started a non-profit organization called Rising Leaders. A non-profit is a group that helps people without trying to make money. Rising Leaders helps connect middle school students who need support with mentors. Mentors are experienced people who guide and advise younger people.
King County Council Service
In 2019, Girmay Zahilay was elected to the King County Council. He represents District 2, which covers many neighborhoods in Seattle. These include the University District, Capitol Hill, and parts of South Seattle and Skyway. He officially started his role on January 8, 2020. He was also chosen to lead the council's Law and Justice Committee.
Zahilay decided to run for the King County Council in February 2019. He was the first person to challenge the long-serving council member, Larry Gossett, in many years. Zahilay promised to work on expanding public housing. He also wanted to find better ways to help young people instead of just putting them in youth incarceration. Girmay Zahilay won the election in November 2019. He became the youngest member of the King County Council.
Committee Work
Girmay Zahilay led the Law and Justice Committee starting in 2020. In 2022, this committee joined with another one. It became the Law Justice Health and Human Services Committee. In 2024, he was named the leader of the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. This committee handles how the county spends its money.
Zahilay has also been a part of other important committees. These include committees for Local Services, Employment, Transportation, and the Board of Health. He also represented the King County Council on regional transportation groups.
Community Programs
Girmay Zahilay has helped start several programs to help the community.
He worked with local groups to create a pilot program for guaranteed basic income. This program gave $1,000 each month to families with very low incomes for a year. The goal was to help these families with their basic needs.
In 2021, Zahilay helped get $10 million for a community center in Skyway. Skyway is an area that needed more services for its residents. The county council also set aside $6 million to improve bus service in Skyway. This included a special van service that people could call for rides. Zahilay also supported building a tiny house village in Skyway. This village with 35 small homes opened in 2021 to help people find housing.
Zahilay also worked on a plan to help people with addiction and mental health issues. He helped propose the Crisis Care Centers Levy. Voters approved this plan in April 2023. It will help build five treatment centers for people needing behavioral health support. It will also help train more people to work in mental health care.
Running for County Executive
On December 2, 2024, Girmay Zahilay announced he plans to run for King County Executive. This is a very important leadership role for King County. The election will be in 2025.
