Claudia’s Unmatched Record of Results

Because of her record of accomplishments and collaborative approach, Claudia has been selected by her peers and organizations to serve in leadership positions, including as:

• Mayor of Bellevue;
• Chair of King County Council for three years during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Chair of multiple regional committees, including the Regional Affordable Housing Committee;
• Sound Transit Board Vice Chair for King County (the highest-ranking board member from King County) and Chair of System Expansion Committee (in charge of light rail expansion program); and,
• Immediate Past President of the four-county Puget Sound Regional Council and Past Chair of the Transportation Policy Board

 

She has also been honored with awards and accolades, in recognition of her dedication and proven action that spans communities and sectors, including:

 

• Transportation Hall of Fame member, inducted by Transportation Choices Coalition
• 2023 “Public Sector Champion” Award from Housing Development Consortium
• 2022 Woman of the Year by WTS Puget Sound – Transportation Professional Organization
• 2019 MLK Labor Elected Leader of the Year
• 2019 Transportation Executive of the Year by Puget Sound Business Journal
• 2015 Washington Democrats Elected Official of the Year

Called a “transit die-hard,” Claudia knows that transportation is a cornerstone for a good quality of life and economic opportunity. She is credited with delivering light rail to the Eastside, and her leadership on the Sound Transit Board and beyond has changed the face of transit, providing transportation options for hundreds of thousands of riders across King County. A uniquely effective driver for transportation options, Claudia was inducted into the Transportation Choices Hall of Fame.

After a tragic traffic fatality in Bellevue during her term as Mayor, Claudia has also become a fierce advocate for improved transportation safety, successfully pushing to reduce serious injuries and fatalities at the city, county, and regional levels.

Claudia:

• Championed the East Link light rail, then negotiated the contentious agreement to build the 10-station, 14-mile light rail extension that was partially opened in 2024 and is slated for completion at the end of 2025.
• Crafted and helped pass one of the nation’s largest voter-approved transit expansion programs (ST3) in the modern era: a $56 billion package that is poised to deliver 62 miles of new light rail, commuter rail expansion to Lakewood, and bus rapid transit lines along the entirety of I-405 and from Bothell to Shoreline along SR 522.
• Spearheaded reforms within Sound Transit that are needed to deliver on the system’s expansion and goals, including the formation of a new expert panel called the Technical Advisory Group.
• Laid out the vision and pushed the agency to open the Bellevue to Redmond starter line in the face of delays to light rail along I-90. Read more in this Seattle Times Op-Ed.
• Championed the 42-mile Eastrail regional trail from Renton to Woodinville, including launching a public-private partnership and spearheading a grant proposal that has resulted in tens of millions in private, local, state, and federal investment for the benefit of the region.
• Passed policy to give young people ages 18 and under free transit across King County following the passage of the state-level transportation package in 2021.
• Convened the first equity cabinet and passed new traffic safety, climate, and housing policies as president of the four-county regional metropolitan planning agency.
• Sponsored Bellevue’s Vision Zero policy and championed the adoption of new safety policies at Puget Sound Regional Council and King County.

Claudia is committed to building a King County where people of all backgrounds– including students, working families, seniors, and veterans–are able to live and work.

As Founder and Chair of the Regional Affordable Housing Committee and Governing Board Member of King County Regional Homelessness Authority, she has brought together cities, employers, housing non-profits, and communities to develop transparent and accountable housing affordability plans. Her efforts have already resulted in thousands of new affordable homes and will drive hundreds of thousands more, putting roofs over the heads of the hard-working people and families of King County.

Claudia: 

• Convened the Regional Housing Committee, which brought county, city, private, and public sector partners together for the first time ever to agree to ambitious goals; as a result, every jurisdiction will include affordability in their cities’ comprehensive plans on the way to the goal of 308,677 net new housing units by 2044.
• Championed building transit-oriented housing at Sound Transit, resulting in 3,473 total homes built or in progress.
• Led the adoption of the first Regional Housing Strategy as President of Puget Sound Regional Council, that set regional and local actions to preserve, improve, and expand housing availability in the region, as well as guide and support future growth plans.
• Struck an agreement with the Mayors of Kirkland and Redmond while the Mayor of Bellevue to provide a full suite of homelessness shelters in East King County, in the process championing the first-ever permanent shelter for men and the first-ever permanent supportive housing in the area.
• Led the creation of a Regional Affordable Housing Dashboard to improve transparency and drive action guided by measurable outcomes.
• Sponsored successful legislation to use $100 million for affordable housing over 20 years – all without raising taxes – by accessing a new financing tool authorized by the Washington State Legislature. Read more in the Seattle Times.
• Supported and passed an $84 million Transit-Oriented Development bond to build homes near transit, including light rail.
• In conjunction with state, city and nonprofit partners, helped to save the Highland Village housing complex, saving homes for over 80 low income residents and families who would otherwise have been displaced.

As a public safety professional and elected official, Claudia has prioritized proven solutions within the criminal justice system that are effective, efficient, and human. She believes in a “yes and” approach, from crime prevention and response, to behavioral health supports, to make King County communities safe and healthy.

Claudia:

• Led reform efforts as Director of King County’s Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention, supporting a full spectrum of responses including not only safe, secure, and humane detention but also education and youth success programs to avoid the need for criminal system involvement, diversion and community support programs to prevent recidivism, and other needed responses through the criminal justice system.
• Advocated for a modern and humane youth detention facility, while also supporting data-driven efforts to drive down the need for juvenile detention.
• Supported the Crisis Care Centers Levy, later approved by voters, which will establish a countywide network of five walk-in centers, expanded mobile crisis response, training for the behavioral health workforce, and other investments to support behavioral health and people’s recovery.
• Supported the six-year Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy to provide senior centers support, housing, employment and other essential human services.

Healthy communities require protecting the air, water, and land that makes the region so special, and taking action every day to mitigate the effects of climate change. Claudia has done just that, working so the county continues to lead on environmental and community health.

Claudia:

• Sponsored legislation that directed the development of a Climate Action Toolkit that all jurisdictions can use to create locally-tailored climate action plans.
• Fought for and passed policy that pushes the Puget Sound Regional Council to be transparent and accountable to climate goals.
• Actively engaged cities and utilities to keep the water clean and is spearheading the work to rebuild and upgrade the county’s aging wastewater treatment system as Chair of King County’s Regional Water Quality committee.
• Sponsored legislation to help keep PCBs and PFAS – or “forever chemicals” – out of King County’s waterways to improve environmental health for people and wildlife, particularly Southern Resident Orcas.
• Led the passage and sponsorship of legislation in which 70% of voters approved the 2020-25 King County Parks, Recreation, Trails and Open Space Levy, investing in regional trails including the Green River Trail, Interurban Trail South, and the Lake to Sound Trail.
• Supported recovery efforts for the endangered Kokanee salmon, native to Lake Sammamish, including funding a successful pilot project that proved the benefits of removing milfoil to limit predation of fry.
• Co-sponsored and passed legislation to update King County’s green building code for county-owned, leased, and financed buildings, as well as infrastructure like county roads.
• Led the development of the Climate Action Toolkit and advocated for more funding for climate-friendly transit, and more transit-oriented development countywide.

Claudia was selected by her colleagues to serve as Chair of the King County Council in 2020, right before King County became ground zero for the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. She was re-elected twice more and chaired the Council through the height of the pandemic – one of the most challenging times in King County’s history. In 2022 as a result of the County’s collective work, American City & County recognized King County employees for their comprehensive and robust work to reduce the severity of COVID-19 in King County.

Claudia:

• Led the legislative branch through a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, keeping King County government open, running, and accessible to the people.
• Oversaw and passed multiple emergency supplemental budgets totaling billions of dollars that directed essential public health, housing, and economic relief dollars across King County.
• Advocated for $11.2M for a relief grant program to support immigrants and refugees who were excluded from receiving other COVID-era emergency relief funds.

Every kid in King County should have the best start in life and equitable access to an education that allows them to learn, explore, and access resources for personal and economic growth. With Claudia’s leadership, the County is an active partner in this work, partnering with the state, cities, and school boards, to provide kids from every County community with opportunities to reach their full potential.

Claudia:

• Crafted a plan to invest approximately $318 million for new early learning facilities, K-12 programs, college, and career supports for youth in underserved communities using the 15-year Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account (PSTAA).
• Led the development and passage of the $716 million, 7-year Doors Open cultural access levy – the largest locally funded arts levy of its kind in the nation – as a co-sponsor, which will invest in science, heritage, arts & culture organizations that are centers of vibrancy, education, and connection across the county, supporting educational and economic development.
• Directed funding to support education institutions and organizations like Outdoors for All, KidsQuest, and Lake Washington Technical College.