Sara’s Work

A life in the day as your City Councilmember
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Sara’s Story

Sara Nelson has already taken on Seattle's toughest fights and won. When powerful business interests tried to block workforce housing in SoDo, she pushed through legislation for 1,000 new units anyway. When millions in housing funds sat unused while families faced displacement, she fought to get that money working. When people were dying from addiction and the system kept offering the same failed approaches, she put real treatment at the center of Seattle's response.

Sara brings hard-won experience to these battles. As someone who rebuilt her own life through recovery, she knows what it takes to face down seemingly impossible odds and come out stronger. That experience taught her you can't help people by avoiding hard truths or backing down from powerful opponents - real change requires the courage to fight for what works, even when it's not easy.

Two women, Sara Nelson and her sister, are having a conversation outside a hospital near an emergency entrance. One woman, Sara Nelson, has grey hair and is wearing a black blazer, while the other has curly hair tied back and is wearing scrubs.

That fighting spirit isn't new for Sara. When Seattle's addiction crisis demanded real solutions instead of failed harm reduction strategies, she championed mobile treatment units and recovery programs because she knows what it means to need help and not be able to find it. As the housing crisis worsened, Sara started the fight to put millions in unused funds into action, and took on business interests to add Downtown workforce housing when they said it couldn't be done. When public safety became a crisis, she rebuilt police staffing while expanding mental health response teams - proving Seattle doesn't have to choose between safety and compassion.

Two people conversing in front of a blue container with a logo and the words "Impact BioEnergy" outside. One is a man with dark hair, wearing a light gray shirt and jeans, and the other is Sara Nelson, wearing green.

Before politics, Sara co-founded Fremont Brewing and turned it into a beloved local business that supported causes like reproductive choice. But her real preparation for taking on Seattle's biggest fights came through her personal journey of recovery - learning firsthand what it takes to rebuild your life when everything seems impossible. That experience taught her you don't help people by avoiding hard truths or backing down when things get tough.

Two women having a conversation on a city street, smiling, one, Sara Nelson, with short gray hair wearing a black blazer and blue patterned neck scarf, the other with black dreadlocks in a large bun wearing a dark plaid blazer with a black hoodie.

Sara's track record shows she won't be intimidated by powerful opponents. Whether it's business interests trying to block housing, bureaucrats defending failed systems, or federal politicians threatening Seattle's values - she's already proven she'll stand up and fight back. The Trump administration is coming after cities like ours, targeting our funding, our programs, our ability to protect vulnerable residents. Sara has spent years building exactly the kind of strong, effective programs they'll try to destroy.

Sara Nelson, with short gray hair wearing a black top, smiling against a cityscape backdrop at dusk with the Seattle waterfront in the background.

Seattle needs proven fighters, not politicians learning on the job. Now is not the time with leaders with no record of leadership.

Sara has already taken on the city's most entrenched interests and won. As federal attacks threaten everything we've built, we need leaders who've already proven they can stand up to powerful opponents and deliver results when it matters most.

That's exactly what Sara Nelson brings to our fight.

Vote to re-elect Sara Nelson to Seattle City Council.