Kelabe Tewolde

Kelabe Tewolde earned a bachelor's degree from Colgate University in 2019. Tewolde's career experience includes working as an educator.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am the son of an Eritrean refugee. My mother worked as a CNA and homecare worker and has been a proud member of SEIU 1199NW at Swedish Hospital for over 20 years. Her union made a real difference for our family, I saw firsthand what it means to have workers organized and protected.

I am an alumni of Rainier Scholars, a program that changed the trajectory of my life. That experience showed me what happens when you invest in young people early, it's where I learned the best prevention isn't punishment, it's opportunity. Those values led me to return to Rainier Scholars as an educator, where I've spent the past 8 years as a teacher, advocate, and mentor to students routinely left behind by our systems.

I graduated from Colgate University with a degree in Political Science and interned in Senator Patty Murray's Seattle and DC offices. Outside of work, I have served on the Seattle Planning Commission as Land Use and Transportation Co-chair and organized mutual aid efforts in 2020, helping feed thousands of community members alongside local organizers.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

As a first-generation college student, I understand firsthand that access to quality education can change the entire trajectory of a life. We need to fully fund our transition to kindergarten programs, early literacy supports, and behavioral health resources like social workers in schools to meet the needs of our students.

Beyond the early literacy funding I will work to establish the youth development fund account to increase access to positive youth development programs.

I will work to bring back funding for the education legacy trust fund, which includes resources for K-12 education, childcare, class size reductions, and support for teachers. Ensuring better outcomes for our kids.As a kid, I moved around all over Seattle because no matter how hard my mother worked as a CNA, a single mother’s wages could not meet the high costs of rent, food, and healthcare. And as an adult, the rising cost of living and the housing landscape the dream of owning a home has become out of reach. We need to prioritize pathways to homeownership for those historically left out.

And I will fight for legislation that protects renters. We need a ban on junk fees and regulations on Ratio Utility Billing Systems (RUBS), which inflate basic utilities on many renters. These protections would ensure people do not end up overpaying for the basics while living in one of the most expensive cities in the country.My mother went bankrupt because of the medical debt left behind when my grandmother passed away after a long battle with lymphoma. Families shouldn’t be punished for seeking medical care.

I will work to create limits on interest incurred on medical debt. We shouldn’t punish families that are seeking care.

Healthcare is a human right. Washington state should take steps to establish Universal Healthcare. I will be a champion in Olympia for healthcare for all.

I will support the establishment of the Washington Health Trust funded by progressive revenue. The Washington Health Trust could amount to saving the state an estimated $5-13 billion annually in total healthcare spending by eliminating administrative waste, fraud, and cost-inflation.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am an educator and a life long Seattle resident. For me education, housing affordability, and public safety are what I am most passionate about. Mainly because my lived experience and my advocacy work align in these three areas. My work as an educator is about creating better outcomes for our kids, and it is about making our city safer. And as a life long renter I have seen what happens when we do not prioritize renters and make living in this city harder for working families. I have been on the Seattle Planning Commission the past 6 years so I have experience in this policy area too.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

King County Executive Girmay Zahilay, Superintendent Chris Reykdal, Former State Representative Dawn Mason, Jaelynn Scott, Hannah Sabio-Howell, Sage Leaders, Washington Working Families Party, Transit Riders Union, Tech 4 Housing, Environment and Climate Council, College Democrats WA, Stonewall Democrats.