General election winners promise housing and affordability

Tacoma voters prioritized candidates who ran on improving cost of living.

By Ella Walken

On Nov. 4, Tacoma made their voices heard in the polls for the 2025 general election. The election covered city positions such as city council members, parks commissioner, port commissioner and mayor. 

The general election also included four different City of Tacoma counsel elections. The elections covered seats 2, 4, 5 and 6. These seats work for constituents in Eastern, Central, and South Tacoma.  

In districts 2, 4 and 5, the incumbents Sarah Rumbaugh, Sandash Sadalge and Joe Bushnell won the election to continue serving in their roles. In the race for district 6, two non-council members, Latasha Palmer and Jessica Johnston competed in the November general election. Palmer won against Johnston, earning just over 56% of the vote.  

Palmer’s progressive platform was centered around people, power and the planet. The council member-elect includes cooperative childcare as a priority for improving the lives of Tacoma workers. Her website describes the benefits of cooperative childcare, which Palmer describes as “addressing childcare affordability and accessibility issues.” 

At UW Tacoma there are students who are parents themselves and must navigate education, work and raising children. A system such as cooperative childcare could be beneficial for UW Tacoma students who struggle to obtain safe, affordable childcare. 

The highest profile race in the Tacoma election was for mayor of Tacoma. After two terms, Victoria Woodard reached the end of her term limit, and the seat will soon be vacant. In the primary election, six candidates filed for mayor. By vote in the primary, Tacoma narrowed the election down to two choices: Anders Ibsen and John Hines.  

This November, Tacoma chose Ibsen with nearly 57% of the vote. Ibsen is a lifelong Tacoma resident who has been involved in the community, including as a former city council member.  

According to his online campaign platform, Ibsen ran on affordability, safety and more jobs. Ibsen explains, “We could convert unused government-owned lots for affordable housing construction.” 

In a moment where taxes and consumer prices are rising, many students are just establishing their independence and finding it difficult to find access to affordable housing. Ibsen’s campaign platform suggests that in order to address the housing crisis, more must be built.  

In periods of political uncertainty, public confidence in elected officials can dwindle. Some newly elected leaders, including Palmer and Ibsen, have proposed ideas and policies that they say aim to address community concerns and strengthen trust in local government.