Dionne Foster
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dionne Foster is an American politician who is the councilmember for Seattle City Council Position 9. She was elected in 2025, defeating City Council President Sara Nelson.[1]
University of Washington
(MSW)
Dionne Foster | |
|---|---|
Foster in 2026 | |
| Member of the Seattle City Council for Position 9 | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Sara Nelson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1988 or 1989 (age 36–37) |
| Education | George Mason University (BA) University of Washington (MSW) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Early life and career
Foster was born in Germany and raised in Virginia by her mother, who was a member of the United States Army and later worked as a teacher.[2][3] Foster attended George Mason University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and women's studies.[4][5] While at George Mason, she received the Spirit King Award for a commitment to civil rights and the Dennis-Weathers Award for a dedication to increasing cross-cultural awareness.[3][6] Foster moved to Seattle in 2011, earning a Master's degree from the University of Washington School of Social Work and would later become an adjunct faculty member.[3]
After college, Foster worked at Puget Sound Sage, a social work nonprofit.[2][7] From 2016 to 2018, she worked for Seattle Public Utilities, a government agency for the city, as a policy advisor tasked with boosting enrollment for the city's utilities discount program.[2][7] From 2018 to 2020, Foster managed grants as a program officer for the Seattle Foundation, a non-profit community foundation.[2][7] Before running for office, Foster worked as executive director of the Washington Progress Alliance, a progressive advocacy organization, where she spearheaded advocacy for Washington state's capital gains tax.[2][8]
Seattle City Council
2025 campaign
In March 2025, Foster announced her candidacy for Seattle City Council, challenging City Council President Sara Nelson.[9] She ran against two other challengers in the primary, former federal economist Connor Nash and longshoreman Mia Jacobson.[8][10] In the August primary, Foster came in first, with 58.4% of the vote, and advanced to the general election with Nelson, who came in a distant second with 35.3%.[11]
Foster campaigned as a progressive, advocating for rebuilding the Seattle Police Department, greater investments in affordable housing, and rent stabilization.[12] She also campaigned on denser housing and a greater focus on climate change in the city council.[13] Nelson focused her campaign on addressing substance abuse and public safety, while defending her support for the Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) zones, Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution (SOAP) zones, and expanded surveillance cameras.[14] Foster criticized the SODA and SOAP zones, calling them "banishment zones" without a comprehensive solution, and stated she would have voted against the surveillance cameras, citing the risk of the federal government using the data for deportations.[15]
During the general election, Foster led two polls of the Position 9 race, one commissioned by The Stranger and another by the Northwest Progressive Institute.[16][17] In the November general election, Foster defeated Nelson in a landslide, 62.8% to 37%.[18][19]
Personal life
Foster has one son.[13] She lives in Rainier Beach.[1]
Electoral history
2025 election
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dionne Foster | 110,636 | 58.44% | |
| Sara Nelson (incumbent) | 66,909 | 35.34% | |
| Mia Jacobson | 5,845 | 3.09% | |
| Connor Nash | 5,532 | 2.92% | |
| Write-in | 393 | 0.21% | |
| Total votes | 189,315 | 100.00% | |
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dionne Foster | 165,930 | 62.80% | |
| Sara Nelson (incumbent) | 97,710 | 36.98% | |
| Write-in | 579 | 0.22% | |
| Total votes | 264,219 | 100.00% | |