Seattle Councilmember Debora Juarez will not run for reelection in 2023

It was a quick, passing comment at the Seattle City Council's Dec. 12 briefing, but it affirmed that Councilmember Debora Juarez will not seek a third term in 2023, making this her last year on the dais.

Saying that there is a lot to accomplish ahead, Juarez noted, "This is my last year here, so I'm trying to get a lot done..."

Juarez's comment at the briefing was first reported by Crosscut.

RELATED: Seattle Councilmember Lisa Herbold will not run for reelection in 2023

Councilmember Juarez's plans to exit City Hall have been known for months. She told the Puget Sound Business Journal in June that she would not seek a third term. The meeting on Dec. 12 appears to be the first time the council member has spoken about her plans in a public forum.

Juarez's statement comes days after Councilmember Lisa Herbold also said she will not seek reelection in 2023.

Juarez is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation, and is the Council's first Indigenous president.

Leonard Forsman, president of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, told KUOW that Juarez has been an important advocate for tribal issues from the dais. Still, he says, "she has other pathways in her career and her life that will need to be pursued."

The borders of Seattle's seven council districts have recently been redrawn. All seven districts will be up for election in 2023 (but not the two at-large seats). Herbold and Juarez's exits mean that Districts 1 and 5 will be open to newcomers.

Juarez was first elected to the Council, representing North Seattle's District 5, in 2015 with 64% of the vote. She took 61% of the vote in 2019. She was elected to be council president in early 2022.

David Hyde contributed to this article.