EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been revised to reflect the correct duration of a Burien City Councilmember.

Burien Deputy Mayor Krystal Marx announced on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 that she’s running for Congress in Washington’s 9th Congressional District, where she’ll likely take on incumbent Rep. Adam Smith in 2022.

Smith was reelected in Nov., 2020, and his term ends Jan. 3, 2023. He has served in this seat since 1997.

The 9th Congressional District – which does not include Burien – encompasses SeaTac, Tukwila, Kent, Des Moines, Renton, Federal Way, south Seattle, Bellevue, Newcastle, Mercer Island and Northeast Tacoma:

Marx is also still running for reelection to her Burien City Council seat, Position No. 7, where she faces five challengers. If reelected, her four-year term will expire in 2026. If she beats Smith in 2022, she will have to resign from the Burien City Council prior to January, 2023, less than one year into her second term (if she’s reelected in 2021).

She has served in this seat since 2018.

Why has she decided to take on fellow Democrat Rep. Smith?

“Because I’ve had to make the difficult choices so many of our neighbors face,” Marx said. “I’ve had to choose between the electric bill and rent. I’ve had to choose between my children’s medical care and groceries.”

Marx calls herself a queer housing activist, mom and the Deputy Mayor of Burien.

“In Burien, we passed a comprehensive tenant rights bill and implemented a pre-trial diversion program to break the cycle of criminalizing poverty,” she said. “I still remember the cheers that shook the walls when we won tenant protections. I’ve seen the incredible things that happen when people refuse to stay silent, when we join together, bring our struggles into the light, and fight for change.”

For more info, visit https://www.krystalmarx.com.


 

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