KING COUNTY, Wash. — History was made at two swearing-in ceremonies in western Washington on Tuesday.
Olgy Diaz and Jamika Scott were both sworn into the Tacoma City Council.
Diaz is the first Latina to ever serve on the council. She was appointed to the at-large position in 2022 and elected by voters last year.
Jamika Scott was elected to represent District 3.
There are now seven women serving on the Tacoma City Council, the highest number to ever serve at the same time. The women include Mayor Victoria Woodards, Sarah Rumbaugh, Catherine Ushka, Kiara Daniels, Kristina Walker, Jamika Scott and Olgy Diaz.
New and existing council members announced what they plan to focus on for 2024 on Wednesday.
Councilmember John Hines is the new deputy mayor and says he will continue to work to ensure residents across Tacoma have clean and healthy neighborhoods.
"I will continue to work towards addressing public safety, homelessness and housing needs, finalizing Home in Tacoma, just to name a few of the key issues ahead," said Councilmember Catherine Ushka.
History was also made in King County.
They marked the first Latinos to serve on the King County Council and the most women to serve on the Tacoma City Council at the same time.
Teresa Mosqueda and Jorge Barón were sworn into the County Council.
Mosqueda formally resigned from the Seattle City Council last week after winning the county seat for District 8 in November. District 8 covers downtown Seattle, West Seattle, Burien and part of Tukwila.
She served two terms on the City Council. During her campaign last year, Mosqueda focused on public health and safety investments, housing and economic opportunities.
Barón was elected to District 4. District 4 covers Seattle’s Ballard, Fremont, Magnolia, Green Lake and Broadview neighborhoods.
Barón, an attorney, most recently served as the executive director for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, where he worked for more than 17 years. During his campaign last year, Barón promised investments to improve public safety, climate resilience initiatives, affordable childcare and a robust transportation system.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington.