{{short description|American politician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Debora Juarez | image = CM Juarez (cropped).png | alt = Photograph of Debora Juarez | image_size = | caption = Juarez in 2016 | office = President of the Seattle City Council | term_start = January 4, 2022 | term_end = January 2, 2024 | predecessor = Lorena González | successor = Sara Nelson | office1 = Member of the Seattle City Council<br />from District 5 | term_start1 = July 28, 2025 | term_end1 = | predecessor1 = Cathy Moore | successor1 = | term_start2 = January 4, 2016<!---terms start on the 1st, even though sworn in on the following Monday---> | term_end2 = January 2, 2024 | predecessor2 = ''Constituency established'' | successor2 = Cathy Moore | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Attorney | signature = | education = Western Washington University (BA) <br>Seattle University (JD) | party = Democratic }} '''Debora Juarez''' is an American lawyer and politician who served as the president of the Seattle City Council. She was first elected in 2015 to represent the 5th district. A member of the Blackfeet Nation, she was the first Native American person elected to the council.<ref name=first />
== Early life and education == Juarez is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation. She grew up on the Puyallup Reservation in Tacoma, Washington with her five siblings. Her mother was Native American and her father was a first-generation Mexican-American.<ref name=blackfeet /><ref name="AW">{{cite web |title=Debora Juarez Subject Files, 2009-2023 |url=https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv785397 |publisher=Archive West |access-date=June 6, 2025}}</ref>
Juarez was the first member of her family to attend college.<ref name="AW"/> She earned an undergraduate degree at Western Washington University and then a JD from Seattle University School of Law.<ref name="AW"/>
== Career == Juarez began working as a public defender while attending law school at night. She spent five years as a public defender and then worked as an attorney for the Native American Project. She served two years as a King County Superior Court and City of Seattle Municipal Court pro-tem judge, and was the executive director of the Governor's Office of Indian Affairs under Mike Lowry and Gary Locke.<ref name=blackfeet>{{cite web |url=http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/11/06/she-won-debora-juarez-blackfeet-new-seattle-city-council-member-162340 |title=She Won! Debora Juarez, Blackfeet, Is New Seattle City Council Member |date=November 6, 2015 |first=Richard |last=Walker |work=Indian Country Today |accessdate=February 13, 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151109034256/http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/11/06/she-won-debora-juarez-blackfeet-new-seattle-city-council-member-162340 |archivedate=November 9, 2015}}</ref><ref name="PBS">{{cite news |last1=Reyna |first1=Luna |title='I'm not a token': Seattle council president Debora Juarez opens up |url=https://www.cascadepbs.org/news/2022/03/im-not-token-seattle-council-president-debora-juarez-opens |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=Cascade PBS |date=March 17, 2022}}</ref>
== Seattle City Council == ===Elections=== In 2013, Seattle voters approved changing seven of the nine at-large district seats to district-based starting in 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Reynolds |first1=Ross |last2=Burn |first2=Hannah |title=The Woman Behind City Council Districts: “Everything In The World Is A Business” |url=https://www.kuow.org/stories/woman-behind-city-council-districts-everything-world-business/ |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=KUOW |date=December 10, 2013}}</ref> In 2015, Juarez ran for the district 5 position, which represents North Seattle and had no incummbent councilmember.<ref name="ST1">{{cite news |last1=Beekman |first1=Daniel |title=Ex-clergyman, attorney fighting for North Seattle City Council seat |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/ex-clergyman-attorney-fighting-for-north-seattle-city-council-seat/ |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=The Seattle Times |date=October 22, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Stranger1">{{cite news |last1=Groover |first1=Heidi |title=Still Don't Know Who Won the Primary Election? Here's Some Help. |url=https://www.thestranger.com/news/2015/09/02/22775691/still-dont-know-who-won-the-primary-election-heres-some-help |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=The Stranger |date=September 2, 2015}}</ref> In the August primary, Juarez came in first against seven challengers, with 39.25%, and advanced to the general election with ex-clergy member Sandy Brown, who earned 19.88% of the vote.<ref name="ST1"/><ref name="2015prim"/>
A key focus of the general election was increasing the number of sidewalks in the district, which had the highest density of streets without sidewalks.<ref name="Stranger1"/><ref>{{cite web |last1=Spitzer |first1=Gabriel |title=In Seattle's Sidewalk-less District 5, Voters Want A City Council Rep Who Walks The Talk |url=https://www.knkx.org/post/seattles-sidewalk-less-district-5-voters-want-city-council-rep-who-walks-talk |website=KNKX |accessdate=March 31, 2019 |date=October 23, 2015}}</ref> Brown ran on creating local improvement districts to pay for sidewalks, which Juarez criticised saying that they would unfairly benefit wealthy neighborhoods.<ref name="Met">{{cite news |last1=Kelety |first1=Josh |title=District Five Sidewalk Brawl: Brown Versus Juarez |url=https://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-city-life/2015/10/sidewalks |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=Seattle Met |date=October 7, 2015}}</ref> Juarez supported imposing developer impact fees as well as pushing for greater funding for sidewalks in SDOT's budget.<ref name="Met"/> In the November general election, Juarez defeated Brown, 64% to 35%.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Connelly |first1=Joel |title=Burgess up, Deborah Juarez and Lorena Gonzalez are new Seattle City Council members |url=https://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2015/11/03/burgess-up-deborah-juarez-and-lorena-gonzalez-are-new-seattle-city-council-members/ |website=Seattle PI |accessdate=March 31, 2019 |date=November 3, 2015}}</ref><ref name="2015gen" />
Juarez ran for reelection in 2019 and faced five challengers in the primary.<ref>{{cite news |title=Candidates running for Seattle City Council in 2019 |url=https://mynorthwest.com/local/candidates-running-for-seattle-city-council-in-2019/1207658 |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=My Northwest |date=February 15, 2019}}</ref><ref name="Stranger2019">{{cite news |last1=Black |first1=Lester |title=In a Backlash Year, Can Debora Juarez Win a Second Term? |url=https://www.thestranger.com/news/2019/06/19/40509981/in-a-backlash-year-can-deborah-juarez-win-a-second-term |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=The Stranger |date=June 19, 2019}}</ref> In the August primary, Juarez came in first with 45.1% of the vote and advanced to the general election with lawyer Ann Davison Sattler, who earned 26.71%.<ref name="Stranger2019"/><ref name="2019 primary"/> In the general election, Juaez focused her campaign on major projects she brought to the district, including the NHL training facility and a future light rail station.<ref name="ST2019">{{cite news |last1=Gutman |first1=David |title=Juarez, Sattler spar in contentious Seattle City Council District 5 debate |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/juarez-sattler-spar-in-contentious-seattle-city-council-district-5-debate/ |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=The Seattle Times |date=September 21, 2019}}</ref> She and Davison Sattler sparred on homelessness, with Juarez focusing on increasing funding and affordable housing, while Davison Sattler focused on housing up to 2,000 homeless people into abandoned warehouses while not increasing funding for homelessness services.<ref name="ST2019"/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Black |first1=Lester |title=This Seattle City Council Candidate Wants To Force Thousands Of Homeless People Into Abandoned Warehouses |url=https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2019/09/26/41501450/this-seattle-city-council-candidate-wants-to-force-thousands-of-homeless-people-into-abandoned-warehouses |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=The Stranger |date=September 26, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=King |first1=Angela |last2=Radill |first2=Amy |title=Fiery exchanges mark District 5 debate between Juarez and Davison Sattler |url=https://www.kuow.org/stories/fiery-exchanges-mark-district-5-debate-between-juarez-and-davison-sattler |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=KUOW |date=September 23, 2019}}</ref>
In the general election, Juarez defeated Davison Sattler, 60.59% to 39.05%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/elections/2019/nov-general/results.pdf |title=Election Results |website=kingcounty.gov |publisher=King County Elections |accessdate=December 2, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Bowman |first1=Nick |title=Meet all of 2020s Seattle City Councilmembers |url=https://mynorthwest.com/mynorthwest-opinion/seattle-city-councilmembers-2020/1656277 |access-date=June 6, 2025 |work=My Northwest |date=January 1, 2020}}</ref>
===Tenure=== Juarez was the first Indigenous person to serve as a Seattle city councilmember, and later the first Indigenous Council President.<ref name="PBS"/> She was sworn in by her two daughters and a niece on Monday, January 4, 2016.<ref name=first>{{cite web |last1=Rickert |first1=Levi |title=Debora Jaurez, First American Indian, Sworn in to Seattle City Council |url=https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/debora-jaurez-first-american-indian-sworn-in-to-seattle-city-council/ |website=Native News Online |accessdate=February 25, 2019 |date=January 5, 2016 |archive-date=February 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190225073009/http://nativenewsonline.net/currents/debora-jaurez-first-american-indian-sworn-in-to-seattle-city-council/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Martin |first1=Genesee |title=New City Council sworn in to start year |url=https://queenannenews.com/Content/News/News/Article/New-City-Council-sworn-in-to-start-year/26/337/38244 |website=Queen Anne & Magnolia News |accessdate=March 31, 2019 |date=January 7, 2016 |archive-date=March 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331092633/https://queenannenews.com/Content/News/News/Article/New-City-Council-sworn-in-to-start-year/26/337/38244 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Near the end of her first year in office, ''Crosscut.com'' described Juarez as a "wildcard councilmember" for her voting record and manner of "speaking more bluntly than most politicians would".<ref name=police>{{cite web |url=http://features.crosscut.com/debora-juarez-block-the-bunker-seattle-city-council |title=Councilmember asks if Seattle has lost touch with reality |date=September 22, 2016 |first=David |last=Kroman |website=Crosscut.com |accessdate=September 8, 2017 |archive-date=October 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008194329/http://features.crosscut.com/debora-juarez-block-the-bunker-seattle-city-council |url-status=dead }}</ref>
As a councilmember, Juarez is well-known for focusing on her district and advocating for major capital projects, including the Northgate Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge over Interstate 5 and a controversial police station in her district.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.seattlemag.com/news-and-features/seattle-city-council-primary-election-heating-part-2 |title=The Seattle City Council Primary Election Is Heating Up: Part 2 |magazine=Seattle Magazine |date=January 31, 2019 |first=Erica C. |last=Barnett |quote=Juarez is well-known for her almost hypervigilant focus on her district, particularly during the council’s annual budget deliberations.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://crosscut.com/2016/01/governing-by-district-led-by-councilmember-debora-juarez/ |title=Street level politics come to Seattle, led by Debora Juarez |date=January 13, 2016 |first=David |last=Kroman |website=Crosscut.com |accessdate=February 13, 2016}}</ref><ref name=police /> She lobbied Sound Transit to add the Northeast 130th station on the Link light rail system to their 2016 ballot measure, which was passed.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lindblom |first=Mike |date=July 13, 2022 |title=With no plans yet to boost ridership, Sound Transit bets on isolated North Seattle station site |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/transportation/with-no-plans-yet-to-boost-ridership-sound-transit-bets-on-isolated-north-seattle-station-site/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=July 28, 2025}}</ref> After members of the council were criticized for a 2016 vote against a street vacation necessary for a new arena to be built in the SoDo area, Juarez took a lead in the redevelopment of the Seattle Center Arena and was appointed chair of the Select Committee on Civic Arenas.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/arena/milestone-meeting-in-new-york-sets-up-fate-of-nhl-in-seattle/281-599434822 |title=Milestone meeting in New York sets up fate of NHL in Seattle |first=Chris |last=Daniels |date=October 2, 2018 |publisher=King 5 NBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Daniels |first1=Chris |title=How the Seattle Center arena rose from the SoDo ashes |url=https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/arena/how-the-seattle-center-arena-rose-from-the-sodo-ashes/281-496836039 |website=King5 |accessdate=March 30, 2019 |date=December 13, 2017}}</ref><ref name=arena>{{cite web|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-city-council-approves-700-million-renovation-of-keyarena/ |title=Seattle City Council approves $700 million renovation of KeyArena |first=Heidi |last=Groover |date=September 25, 2018 |newspaper=Seattle Times}}</ref> In September 2018, the council unanimously approved a renovation of the arena with plans to attract an National Hockey League team to the city.<ref name=arena />
She announced on December 12, 2022, that she would not seek re-election in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cohen |first1=Joseph |title=Seattle City Council President Debora Juarez won't seek reelection |url=https://crosscut.com/politics/2022/12/seattle-city-council-president-debora-juarez-wont-seek-reelection |publisher=Crosscut.com |access-date=March 20, 2023 |date=December 12, 2022}}</ref> Juarez was appointed to the District 5 seat again in July 2025 to serve the rest of Cathy Moore's term after her resignation.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kroman |first=David |date=July 28, 2025 |title=Seattle City Council chooses Debora Juarez to fill vacancy |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-city-council-chooses-debora-juarez-to-fill-vacancy/ |work=The Seattle Times |accessdate=July 28, 2025}}</ref>
== Personal life == Juarez lives in the Pinehurst neighborhood of Seattle.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Councilmember Debora Juarez » Blog Archive » UPDATE! 130th Street Station Call to Action|url=https://juarez.seattle.gov/update-130th-street-station-call-to-action/|access-date=December 24, 2021}}</ref>
In 2012, Juarez pleaded guilty to driving under the influence after crashing her car in Seattle's Northgate neighborhood.<ref>{{Cite web|date=August 6, 2015|title=Top primary candidate for Seattle City Council seat pleaded guilty to DUI|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/top-primary-candidate-for-city-council-seat-pleaded-guilty-to-dui/|access-date=December 24, 2021|website=The Seattle Times|language=en-US}}</ref>
== Electoral history == === 2015 election === {{Election box begin no change |title=Seattle City Council District 5, Primary Election 2015<ref name="2015prim">{{cite web |title=Elections Results - Primary and Special Election |url=https://kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/elections/results/2015/201508/results.ashx?la=en |publisher=King County Elections |accessdate=February 21, 2019 |format=PDF |date=August 17, 2015}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Debora Juarez |votes = 6,635 |percentage = 39.25% }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Sandy Brown |votes = 3,360 |percentage = 19.88% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Halei Watkins |votes = 2,431 |percentage = 14.38% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Kris Lethin |votes = 1,307 |percentage = 7.73% |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Mercedes Elizalde |votes = 985 |percentage = 5.83% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Debadutta Dash |votes = 968 |percentage = 5.73% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = David Toledo |votes = 959 |percentage = 5.67% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Hugh H. Russell |votes = 231 |percentage = 1.37% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Write-in |votes = 27 |percentage = 0.16% }} {{Election box turnout no change |votes = 17,224 |percentage = 29.72% }} {{Election box registered electors no change |reg. electors = 57,959 }} {{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change |title=Seattle City Council District 5, General Election 2015<ref name="2015gen">{{cite web |title=Elections Results - General and Special Election |url=https://kingcounty.gov/~/media/depts/elections/results/2015/201511/results.ashx?la=en |publisher=King County Elections |accessdate=February 21, 2019 |format=PDF |date=November 24, 2015}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Debora Juarez |votes = 15,058 |percentage = 64.33% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Sandy Brown |votes = 8,224 |percentage = 35.13% |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Write-in |votes = 126 |percentage = 0.54% }} {{Election box majority no change |votes = 6,834 |percentage = 29.20% }} {{Election box turnout no change |votes = 26,301 |percentage = 45.06% }} {{Election box registered electors no change |reg. electors = 58,372 }} {{Election box end}}
=== 2019 election === {{Election box begin no change |title=Seattle City Council District 5, Primary Election 2019<ref name="2019 primary">{{cite web |title=Election Results |url=https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/elections/2019/aug-primary/results.pdf |publisher=King County Elections |access-date=June 6, 2025 |date=August 19, 2019}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Debora Juarez |votes = 11,085 |percentage = 45.10% }} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Ann Davidson Sattler |votes = 6,564 |percentage = 26.71% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = John Lombard |votes = 3,201 |percentage = 13.02% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Tayla Mahoney |votes = 1,742 |percentage = 7.09% |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Mark Mendez |votes = 1,558 |percentage = 6.34% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Alex Tsimerman |votes = 376 |percentage = 1.53% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Write-in |votes = 50 |percentage = 0.2% }} {{Election box turnout no change |votes =25,762 |percentage = 40.32% }} {{Election box registered electors no change |reg. electors = 63,892 }} {{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change |title=Seattle City Council District 5, General Election 2019<ref>{{cite web |title=Election Results - Official Final Election Results|publisher=King County Elections |accessdate=December 2, 2019 |date=November 22, 2019|url = https://aqua.kingcounty.gov/elections/2019/nov-general/results.pdf}}</ref>}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Debora Juarez |votes = 19,532 |percentage = 60.59% }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Ann Davison Sattler |votes = 12,588 |percentage = 39.05% |change = }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Nonpartisan politician |candidate = Write-in |votes = 114 |percentage = 0.35% }} {{Election box turnout no change |votes = 34,192 |percentage = 53.35% }} {{Election box registered electors no change |reg. electors = 64,094 }} {{Election box end}}
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.seattle.gov/council/juarez Debora Juarez's Seattle City Council webpage]
{{Seattle City Council}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Juarez, Debora}} Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:21st-century Washington (state) politicians Category:American politicians of Mexican descent Category:Blackfeet Tribe people Category:Hispanic and Latino American city council members Category:Hispanic and Latino American people in Washington (state) politics Category:Hispanic and Latino American women in politics Category:Native American city councillors Category:Native American women in politics Category:Politicians from Tacoma, Washington Category:Public defenders Category:Seattle City Council members Category:Seattle University School of Law alumni Category:Western Washington University alumni Category:Women city councillors in Washington (state) Category:Blackfeet Tribe women Category:21st-century Native American politicians Category:21st-century Native American women