Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison is seeking reelection in this year’s general election in Washington, facing former federal prosecutor Erika Evans.
Evans dominated the primary election, receiving 55.8% of the vote compared to Davison’s 33.4%. Evans earned 42,667 more votes than Davison.
The city attorney role primarily involves defending the city in civil litigation while also pursuing prosecution for misdemeanor criminal offenses.
In addition to making significant progress addressing the backlog of criminal cases that accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic, Davison’s tenure as city attorney has been characterized by the creation of the city’s SOAP and SODA zones.
“Stay Out of Drug Areas,” known as SODA zones, prevent people from reentering designated parts of the city if they’ve been connected to drug crimes. “Stay Out of Area of Prostitution,” or “SOAP,” zones ban people from specific areas within the city if they have been convicted of crimes related to sex trafficking.
The SODA zone bill was introduced in partnership with Davison, while the SOAP zone bill was created by Seattle City Council member Cathy Moore (District 5). According to the Seattle Municipal Court, 67 SODA zones and 27 SOAP zones have been issued since the bills passed last year.
Davison, known as the “law-and-order” candidate, was first elected as Seattle City Attorney in 2022 after defeating Nicole Thomas-Kennedy by nearly 10,000 votes. She campaigned on the assertion that her first term was effective against crime, citing a crime drop throughout Seattle. Property crime remains high, but homicides have fallen by 41%, while shootings overall have dropped by 29%.
Davison is endorsed by Seattle City Councilmembers Sara Nelson, Bob Kettle, Joy Hollingsworth, Maritza Rivera, and Mark Solomon. Former Governors Christine Gregoire and Gary Locke have also endorsed her, alongside U.S. Representative Adam Smith.
Evans Takes Anti-Trump Position Ahead of General Election
Davison’s challenger, Erika Evans, was an assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington for four years. She left the position after disagreeing with President Donald Trump and his administration’s policies.
As the state continues challenging the federal government in court over numerous decisions, Evans has campaigned on the platform that the City of Seattle needs more protection from the federal administration, and that she is better suited to provide it compared to Davison.
Evans has been endorsed by Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, and Pete Holmes, the city attorney for Seattle for three terms before Davison won the position.
The 55.8% to 33.4% primary result representing overwhelming Evans advantage, with the 22.4 percentage point margin and 42,667 vote differential suggesting Davison faces extraordinarily difficult path to reelection given that primary voters who favored Evans are likely to maintain those preferences in the general election.
The city attorney role combining civil litigation defense and misdemeanor prosecution creating dual responsibilities, with the position requiring both legal expertise representing Seattle in lawsuits and criminal justice philosophy shaping how the office pursues charges against individuals accused of minor offenses.
The COVID-19 criminal case backlog representing significant challenge Davison inherited, with courts operating at reduced capacity during the pandemic creating accumulated cases that required systematic processing affecting both defendants awaiting resolution and victims seeking justice for crimes committed against them.
The SOAP and SODA zones representing Davison’s signature policy initiatives establishing geographic exclusion areas, with the controversial programs preventing individuals from entering designated neighborhoods based on prior criminal convictions creating civil liberties concerns about restricting freedom of movement.
The “Stay Out of Drug Areas” designation targeting individuals with drug crime connections, with the zones attempting to disrupt open-air drug markets by excluding dealers and users from areas experiencing concentrated narcotics activity though critics argue the approach merely displaces rather than solves drug problems.
The “Stay Out of Area of Prostitution” zones banning sex trafficking convicts from specific areas representing similar geographic exclusion strategy, with the program attempting to reduce prostitution in particular neighborhoods though advocates for sex workers argue the zones endanger vulnerable individuals by forcing them into more isolated dangerous locations.
The Cathy Moore partnership on SOAP zones while Davison spearheaded SODA zones demonstrating council collaboration, with Moore representing District 5 including Northgate and Lake City where prostitution has been visible issue prompting her legislative initiative that Davison’s office enforces through criminal proceedings.
The 67 SODA zones and 27 SOAP zones issued since passage representing substantial geographic restriction implementation, with the numbers indicating aggressive utilization of the new enforcement tools though questions remain about whether the zones effectively reduce crime or simply push problems to adjacent neighborhoods lacking exclusion orders.
The “law-and-order” characterization positioning Davison as tough-on-crime candidate, with the label appealing to voters frustrated with visible disorder, property crime, and public safety concerns while potentially alienating progressives who favor rehabilitation and alternatives to criminal justice system involvement.
The 2022 victory over Nicole Thomas-Kennedy by nearly 10,000 votes demonstrating Davison’s prior electoral success, with that race representing ideological clash where Thomas-Kennedy’s abolitionist approach to prosecution faced voter rejection in favor of Davison’s traditional law enforcement orientation.
The first-term crime reduction claims providing Davison’s primary reelection argument, with the statistics attempting to demonstrate that her prosecution approach and policy initiatives have made Seattle safer even as critics dispute whether causation can be attributed to city attorney actions versus broader trends.
The 41% homicide reduction and 29% shooting decrease representing significant improvements in the most serious violent crimes, with the statistics providing compelling evidence that Seattle has become less dangerous during Davison’s tenure though property crime persistence undermines the comprehensive safety improvement narrative.
The property crime remaining high acknowledgment revealing limits of Davison’s success, with car thefts, burglaries, and retail theft continuing to plague residents and businesses despite the violent crime reductions creating political vulnerability where voters experiencing property victimization question the effectiveness of current policies.
The Seattle City Council endorsements from Sara Nelson, Bob Kettle, Joy Hollingsworth, Maritza Rivera, and Mark Solomon representing moderate and conservative council members, with the coalition excluding progressive councilmembers whose absence signals ideological divide where left-leaning officials oppose Davison’s law-and-order approach.
The former Governors Christine Gregoire and Gary Locke endorsements providing establishment Democratic credibility, with both ex-governors representing pragmatic centrist wing of the party lending legitimacy to Davison’s candidacy despite progressive criticism that she governs too conservatively for liberal Seattle.
U.S. Representative Adam Smith’s endorsement adding congressional support from moderate Democrat, with Smith representing suburban King County districts where voters skew more conservative than Seattle proper making his backing potentially valuable with swing voters but less impressive to urban progressives.
Erika Evans’ four-year assistant U.S. attorney tenure providing federal prosecution experience, with her Western District of Washington service demonstrating legal competence handling complex cases though critics might question whether federal criminal practice adequately prepares someone for city attorney’s dual civil-criminal responsibilities.
The resignation in opposition to Trump administration policies establishing Evans’ progressive credentials, with her principled departure from federal employment demonstrating she prioritizes values over career advancement appealing to Seattle voters who share anti-Trump sentiments dominating local political culture.
The federal-state legal conflicts framing providing Evans with campaign narrative, with Washington’s numerous lawsuits against Trump administration over immigration, environmental regulations, and other policies creating context where Evans argues Seattle needs city attorney willing to aggressively challenge federal overreach that Davison allegedly won’t confront.
The protection from federal administration argument positioning the city attorney race as extension of Trump resistance, with Evans’ framing suggesting that Davison’s law-and-order orientation makes her philosophically aligned with Trump’s policies requiring Seattle to elect Evans as local bulwark against federal encroachment on progressive municipal governance.
Attorney General Nick Brown’s endorsement providing statewide Democratic establishment support for Evans, with Brown’s backing signaling that state-level officials prefer Evans’ approach to Davison’s despite the incumbent’s performance demonstrating progressive establishment opposition to Davison’s reelection.
U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal’s endorsement adding progressive congressional support, with the “Squad” member’s backing energizing left-wing voters who view Davison as insufficiently committed to criminal justice reform and racial equity that Jayapal champions.
Pete Holmes’ endorsement representing particularly significant validation, with the three-term predecessor endorsing the challenger rather than incumbent suggesting Holmes believes Davison has taken the office in wrong direction warranting her replacement with Evans who presumably would govern more consistent with Holmes’ prosecutorial philosophy.
The primary result magnitude creating difficult math for Davison, with her need to not only retain her 33.4% base but also capture overwhelming majority of remaining voters who either supported Evans or other candidates requiring extraordinary general election campaigning to overcome the commanding primary deficit.
