Jenks Leads Kang in Seattle District 5 Race
Nilu Jenks holds a 58.5% to 41.1% lead over Julie Kang in the special election for the North Seattle City Council seat.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Civic Engagement
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Nilu Jenks led Julie Kang with 58.5% of the vote to 41.1% on Tuesday night in the special election for Seattle City Council District 5. The seat was vacated when former Councilmember Cathy Moore stepped down in June 2025.
Why it matters
If Jenks' lead holds, she will join a progressive bloc on the Seattle City Council. Whoever wins will help determine the city's direction as it faces economic uncertainty.
The figures reflect Tuesday night's unofficial count, with Jenks at 58.5% and Kang at 41.1%. The extraction does not indicate how many ballots remain to be counted or whether the margin will change as later ballots are tallied.
The players
Nilu Jenks
Jenks is the political and partnerships director with FairVote Washington and led the District 5 special election vote count.
Julie Kang
Kang is an administrator at Seattle University who co-founded Pacific International Bank in 2001.
Cathy Moore
Moore was the former Seattle City Councilmember for District 5 whose unexpected June 2025 departure triggered the special election.
The details
Voters in District 5, which covers North Seattle from Lake Washington to the Puget Sound border with Shoreline, cast ballots to fill the vacancy left by Cathy Moore. Jenks is the political and partnerships director with FairVote Washington, while Kang is an administrator at Seattle University and co-founded Pacific International Bank in 2001.
Timeline
June 2025: Councilmember Cathy Moore unexpectedly stepped down, vacating the District 5 seat.
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Special election voting took place, with results counted that night.
Wednesday, November 4, 2026: Jenks was leading Kang in the vote count.
Seasonal Patterns
Seattle's progressive left was largely removed from city government in the 2021 and 2023 elections. If Jenks holds her lead, this District 5 special election would mark a partial reversal of that pattern on the council.
Seattle residents in District 5, from Lake City to the Shoreline border, will be represented by whichever candidate wins this seat on the council. The council's composition will affect decisions on local spending and policy for the district.
The takeaway
Local council seats can shift the balance of an entire city government, so District 5 results matter beyond North Seattle. Readers who want to track the final tally should watch for updated certified counts from King County.
Further reading
Explore more civic engagement coverage to see how local council races shape the city's direction.
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