Summary:
Rhonda Lewis has been appointed as the first Black woman to serve on the King County Council, representing District 2. Her appointment makes women the majority of the council members for the first time in its history. Lewis was chosen from three nominees and will serve until November 2026. She has a deep background in public service and executive leadership, including her previous role as Chief of Operations for King County.
The King County Council has unanimously appointed Rhonda Lewis to represent District 2 in an interim capacity, making her the first Black woman ever to serve on the Council. Her selection also marks the first time in the Council’s history that women comprise a majority of its members.
Lewis was chosen from a slate of three nominees submitted by Executive Girmay Zahilay, who vacated the District 2 seat last month after being sworn in as King County Executive. Following interviews at Monday’s meeting, the Council voted unanimously to approve her appointment. She was sworn in immediately afterward.
The selection follows Zahilay’s pledge to nominate only interim candidates who would not run in the 2026 election, ensuring voters will choose the permanent officeholder in the next regular cycle. The appointment will last through November 2026, when a newly elected Councilmember will begin a four-year term under the county’s new even-year election system.
“I am filled with gratitude and excitement as Rhonda Lewis becomes a member of the King County Council. She makes history today as the first Black woman to ever serve on the Council, but the true victory here is that she will bring a career of deep experience in county operations and service delivery to represent District 2 residents over the next year,” said King County Executive Girmay Zahilay. “District 2 is in incredibly capable hands, and I have full confidence that Rhonda and her team will ensure no gap in constituent services between now and when the next permanent Councilmember takes office in November 2026. She will be an essential partner over the next year as our administration continues the first Executive office transition since 2009.”
“I am honored to have been selected by the King County Council to join them over the next year and finish out Executive Zahilay’s term representing District 2,” said King County Councilmember Rhonda Lewis. “We have many challenges and opportunities over the next year as the King County Council works to address important issues that District 2 residents care about, like affordability and housing and homelessness. I look forward to partnering with my new colleagues and Executive Zahilay to meet these problems head on and do everything we can for District 2 and everyone else across the region.”
Lewis was selected over fellow nominees Cherryl Jackson-Williams and Nimco Bulale. All three candidates have longstanding ties to the community and track records of service to families, small businesses, and neighborhoods across District 2.
“This is a historic moment for King County, and I’m humbled to be in the company of well qualified, ethically sound leaders whose dedication to District 2 is unmatched,” said District 2 nominee Cherryl Jackson-Williams. “While constituents love me as their community champion, they believe that Rhonda Lewis has the right recipe of public sector experience to align with the role of the District 2 caretaker. I couldn’t agree more.”
Lewis brings a deep background in public service and executive leadership. As City Administrator of Tukwila, she directed operations for a city serving more than 100,000 residents and founded the city’s Office of Human Services to expand support for children, families, and seniors.
At King County, she previously served as Chief of Operations for then-Executive Dow Constantine, overseeing nine departments and approximately 12,000 employees. She led the creation of King County’s first Zero Youth Detention Strategic Plan and its inaugural Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan. She later directed Public Health — Seattle & King County’s Equity and Social Justice work and served as Chief of Staff in the District 2 office under Zahilay.
Lewis holds a bachelor’s degree in business education and an MBA from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is also a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Women in Power Intensive program.
At the same meeting, the Council unanimously approved Zahilay’s nominees to the Sound Transit Board of Directors, further solidifying the new Executive’s early leadership agenda.