ADMIN
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Sofia Aragon
Sofia Aragon is announcing her candidacy for King County Council District 8. As the Mayor of Burien and a resident of several distinct communities in King County throughout her life, she knows the impact of decisions made at the King County Council touches the lives of all Residents.
Sofia is the result of the diversity and challenges that the county has to offer and wants residents of King County’s 39 cities and unincorporated areas to thrive. This means making sure King County is a safe, healthy, and inclusive place where families both new and old can call home for lifetime and businesses can take root.
Sofia is able to run for office because of the opportunities available to her growing up in different parts of King County. As an immigrant child growing up in south Seattle, she always had good healthcare thanks to her mom’s union. In the search for affordable housing, her parents moved to east unincorporated King County near Issaquah where she finished high school. A safe neighborhood and good schools for their two girls was the goal. As residents of unincorporated King County, Sofia’s family relied on the county for public safety and dependable roads to commute to school or work.
Sofia attended local public schools, attending Seattle Public Schools, graduating from Issaquah High School and the University of Washington – Seattle. Following in the footsteps of her mom, she become a registered nurse. After studying at Seattle U, she launched her career at a First Hill hospital and one of the best jobs she ever had was working in a community health clinic in the Rainier Valley. Both times she chose to serve diverse patients who often spoke different languages, were immigrants or low income.
Nursing taught Sofia how to be an advocate for others. She decided to step up that skill and become a lawyer to shape and develop public policy as an advocate in Olympia. There, she advocated for workplace safety, healthcare for all, and getting toxics out of the environment.
“Strong public policy creates opportunity.” Says Aragon. “I chose to serve on the Burien City Council to create conditions of opportunity, where everyone has the chance to succeed with a good career, a variety of affordable housing is available, the city is responsive to growing public safety concerns, and diversity is celebrated. “
King County is critical to the quality of life of all residents. Having lived in communities that relied on the King County Sheriff’s office, Sofia knows that the county has a major role in public safety. Gaps in the county public health system must be closed so that all cities can respond and recover effectively.
“The county directs a significant share of resources to address the opioid epidemic and the mental health crisis. I want to make sure that prevention is part of the plan where we keep children safe from drugs and promote healthy, resilient communities.” Says Sofia, “The county is key to a strong infrastructure to connect all of us so that our residents get to where they need to go, and live and work where they please.”
“It will be my commitment to you as a King County Councilmember to that all King County residents have an opportunity to prosper.”
To learn more about Sofia’s priorities, please visit www.votesofiaaragon.com.
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