Municipal/Other Questionnaire – 2026 Revision
Candidate Info
Candidate Name: Leesa Manion
Position Sought: King County Prosecuting Attorney
Are you an incumbent for this position? Incumbent
Home Legislative District: 34th Legislative District
Are you a Democrat? Yes
Have you ever been a member of another party? No
Campaign Info
Campaign Manager or Point of Contact: Susie Harris/Mary Colasurdo (Primary Points of Contact)
List social media sites: Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/leesaforprosecutor and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leesamanion/
Part I – Candidate Background
1. Please briefly describe your qualifications, education, employment, community and civic activity, union affiliation, prior political activity, and other relevant experience. What makes you the best candidate for this position or office? If possible, give practical examples.
I will try to briefly describe my 31 years of experience and community, civic, and other relevant work and qualifications. I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to do a lot of important work on my journey to becoming the first woman, the first person of color, and the first Asian American to serve as the King County Prosecuting Attorney.
Education
J.D., Seattle University School of Law
B.A. in English, Northern Kentucky University
Employment History
King County Prosecuting Attorney 20023-Present
Chief of Staff, King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office 2007-2022
Deputy Chief of Staff, King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office 2000-2007
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office 1996-2000
Rule 9 Legal Intern, King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office 1995-1996
Current Organizational Membership/Civic Engagement
Alliance for Gun Responsibility – C-4 Board member
Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (WAPA) – Board member and member
Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) – Board member and member
Korean Prosecutors Association (KPA) – member
National Asian Pacific Islanders Prosecutors Association (NAPIPA) – member
Korean American Bar Association of Washington (KABA) – member
Prior Organizational Involvement/Civic Engagement
Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle – Board member
Pioneer Human Services – Board member
Beecher’s Foundation – Board member
Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) – Advisor, “Unbundle Policing” Solve Venture Lab Initiative to improve public safety and policing in the United States
Juvenile Prosecutor’s Leadership Network (JPLN), Georgetown University’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform – member
2. What prompted you to run for this office?
I have dedicated my entire career to public safety and public service. I have 31 years of experience serving in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, where I have long worked on improving our criminal legal system to build a modern and effective legal system that both addresses crime and helps people avoid harmful mistakes.
I have served as our elected Prosecuting Attorney since January of 2023, and I still have important work to do to continue to bring positive change, hope, and opportunity to all parts of King County. I must still work to continue to reduce gun violence. As a community, we must meaningfully and effectively address human trafficking. We must work with lawmakers to build a new way of addressing people in crisis so that they get the help they need in the least restrictive means possible, as quickly as possible, and before they become victims or perpetrators of harm.
My work is not done.
3. What are your campaign’s most important priorities (three to five)? How do your priorities align with this position?
1. Continuing to reduce gun violence
2. Meaningfully and effectively addressing human trafficking
3. Working with state lawmakers to reimagine our state’s Involuntary Treatment Act Court system. We must build a new way to address and help people in crisis.
4. What steps are you taking to run a successful campaign?
I have 31 years of experience serving in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, including presently serving as our elected King County Prosecuting Attorney, starting in January 2023.
I am working with a professional and experienced campaign consulting firm, NWP, which works with Democratic and progressive candidates.
I am working with a professional and experienced fundraising team, and have already raised more than $100,000 for this race.
I have successfully earned the endorsement of two former Governors, two former U.S. Attorneys, several retired judges, State Representatives and State Senators, elected officials in all parts of King County, business leaders, community leaders, and Teamsters Local 117. And, my work in this area is not done– I will be engaging in endorsement processes for the King County Dems, Legislative Districts, union and labor organizations, and more.
5. What is the code of conduct for your campaign?
Everyone on my team must exhibit and act in accordance with the highest ethical standards. My team and my campaign are expected to live by the values of the work that we intend to do.
Part II – Yes/No Questions, please qualify your answer if necessary
1. Do you support steps to build a fairer economy through tax reform and progressive taxes as wealth increases?
Yes
While tax reform is outside the scope and responsibility of the King County Prosecuting Attorney, I do support progressive tax reform and progressive tax structures as important components/steps to building a fairer economy.
2. Do you support robust investment in publicly owned housing/subsidized housing for elderly and low-income individuals/families, and zoning changes to support such housing?
Yes
While the King County Prosecuting Attorney does not play a traditional role in making investment decisions relating to housing, I support robust investment in publicly owned housing and subsidized housing for elderly and low-income individuals and families. I also support zoning changes necessary to support affordable housing, including publicly owned housing.
3. Developer impact fees are allowed under the Growth Management Act. Should they be increased to help pay for needed improvements to our roads, parks, and schools?
Yes
Developer impact fees are one tool to help support necessary improvements to roads, parks, and schools. I support leveraging these fees to support and improve necessary infrastructure in order to support the greater good for individuals and families in all parts of King County.
4. Do you support building a municipally owned and operated broadband system in your city or jurisdiction?
Yes
Broadband access is an equity issue. I fully support building a municipally owned and operated broadband system in order to ensure that all individuals and families have access, including elderly and low-income individuals/families.
5. Do you support local investments to address climate change where applicable?
Yes
We must address climate change. Our planet, our global residents, and families all over the world are impacted by climate change. We must do everything within our power to protect our planet and our environment.
6. Do you support women’s unrestricted access to reproductive healthcare?
Yes
As the first woman to serve as the King County Prosecuting Attorney and as the mother of a teenage daughter, I absolutely 100% support women’s unrestricted access to reproductive healthcare. As the chief legal counsel for the King County government, my administration has successfully fought the Trump administration’s unlawful and unconstitutional directives it tried to attach to funding appropriated by Congress, including anti-abortion directives. My office successfully protected more than $160 million in grant funding that the Trump Administration tried to take away from King County. Instead, King County has been able to invest those funds in affordable housing, public health, and transportation in all parts of the county.
7. Do you support laws regulating the purchase, ownership, and carrying of firearms?
Yes
I have served on the C-4 Board of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility since 2013. I have personally advocated for and testified in favor of the passage of laws that regulate the purchase, ownership, and carrying of firearms. I also have personally worked to build our state’s first Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) enforcement team within the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. ERPOs work to save lives, but only when they are enforced.
8. Do you support the right of workers to unionize and bargain, including public employees and excluding the military?
Yes
I 100% support the right of workers to unionize and bargain, including public employees.
Unions make stronger workplaces, and I am proud of my 26-year proven track record of demonstrating my support for workers to join together and strengthen their voices at work.
My Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO) Legal Service Professionals are represented by Teamsters Local 117, and our non-senior Deputy Prosecuting Attorneys are also organized as the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney's Association (DPAA). I was a strong supporter of their organizing drive and have worked collaboratively with both of these Unions on many issues during my career at the PAO. The PAO has never had a labor issue go to arbitration, and I attribute that to the strong relationship that I have with our Teamsters and the DPAA.
I have also worked hard to ensure that our PAO workers are paid equitably and commensurate with their skills and talents. The PAO and both of our unions have bifurcated contracts. The PAO negotiates working conditions, and the King County Executive negotiates compensation. I have always supported our Unions’ efforts to increase compensation, including my work to support a class comp study that resulted in workers (in the impacted classes) getting additional pay. I also supported our workers who wanted the ability to move from a 35-hour work week to a 40-hour work week, which resulted in 14% more pay.
Early in my legal career at the PAO, I also advised on LEOFF issues, and I have direct experience advocating for the value and importance of pensions. I believe every worker is entitled to retire with dignity.
As the King County Prosecuting Attorney, I feel that I have an obligation to promote and protect the safety and well-being of every King County neighbor. I am committed to standing firmly with Unions to ensure fairness and equity and to amplify the voices of their members.
9. Do you support due process for everyone including undocumented immigrants?
Yes
As the daughter of an immigrant mom who was denied access to justice, this issue is deeply personal to me. I 100% support due process for everyone, including undocumented immigrants. And under our current federal administration, constitutional and due process protections are critically important.
10. Do you support accountability for ICE activities?
Yes
As the King County Prosecuting Attorney, I established and oversee a Public Integrity Unit (PIU) that reviews law enforcement use of force cases. No one in King County is above the law – that includes federal agents. My PIU is actively coordinating with King County’s independent investigation team, the state Office of Independent Investigations, the State Attorney General’s Office, and prosecutors’ offices across the nation to ensure that the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office and King County government are prepared to address any unlawful activity or unlawful use of force by federal agents in King County.
I also, as the King County Prosecuting Attorney, testified in favor of SB 5855, which will ban local, state, and federal law enforcement in Washington State from wearing face coverings.
11. Do you support Keep Washington Working Act?
Yes
Part III – Free Response – Please answer the following questions.
1. Why are you requesting Democratic endorsement? What aspects of the Democratic platform most resonate with you?
I am a strong Democrat, and all aspects of the Democratic platform resonate with me. When I first ran for election as our King County Prosecuting Attorney in 2022, I was proud to have earned the endorsement of Democrats for every King County Legislative District and every Democratic organization endorsing in that race. My Democratic values have not shifted or weakened since my 2022 election. They remain strong, and I have worked hard to live those values in serving as our King County Prosecuting Attorney.
2. What public policy reforms do you support to achieve greater equity and inclusion for BIPOC and LBQIA+ individuals in our communities?
I support reform that centers the voices of the most impacted when determining solutions. From the perspective of the prosecutors office, I am most supportive of policies that balance accountability and support, that focus on victims advocacy, and work to restore justice to the legal systems. These communities are not a monolith and require intentional outreach and communication to determine what policy reform is the most equitable and effective. There also needs to be more attention to the policy cycle itself, with thoughtful and meaningful ongoing outreach to continue to improve policies that impact our most marginalized communities.
3. What steps do you think need to be taken to improve voter turnout and increase voter trust in our election process?
Increasing voter turnout and engagement will take a collaborative effort from everyone, with the bulk of the burden on our government organizations. Though the prosecutor's office is not directly involved in increasing voter engagement, as a public official, it is still an important topic to address. To do this, we need to ensure voters have access to information about candidates and campaigns, lower financial barriers through programs like democracy vouchers, and there needs to be increased voter outreach year-round. We must determine what the barriers to voting are through genuine engagement and make tangible plans to overcome those barriers.
4. Please list at least three specific, concrete actions you would support to ease the homelessness crisis.
1. I am committed to continuing to improve and reform our criminal legal system to help support the vacation of criminal convictions and reduce the stigma that serves as barriers to housing.
2. I am committed to continuing to improve and reform our criminal and civil legal systems to end racial disparities that prevent individuals from accessing basic human needs/rights. Tackling these complex and important issues will serve to lower barriers to housing.
3. I am committed to continuing to support therapeutic alternatives that help people in crises avoid contact with the criminal legal system and more effectively address the root causes of their behavior, including substance use, behavioral health issues, and mental health challenges. I support dedicated housing for individuals in crisis, and increasing access to treatment and services helps improve long-term stability and reduces barriers to long-term and supported housing.
5. What safety, law, or justice issues are currently facing your jurisdiction, and how will you address them?
Gun Violence:
My work as King County Prosecuting Attorney has led to two consecutive years of reduced gun violence in all parts of King County. The end of 2025 showed a remarkable 61% reduction in the number of shots fired in South King County (more than any other part of King County) and a 61% reduction in the number of juvenile gun violence victims. While this is encouraging, we still have more work to do. Every gunshot has the potential to end a life and bring tragedy to families and communities. Gunshots also make people feel afraid. Until we eliminate gun violence, we still have important work to do. As part of this effort, I have implemented a Safer Schools Strategy, implemented a new juvenile Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) pilot, and launched an innovative partnership with the Kent Police Department and two community-based non-profit service providers. Collectively, these efforts have worked together to reduce the number of overall shots fired, the number of gun violence fatalities, and the number of non-fatal gun violence victims.
Involuntary Treatment Act Court:
We must convince our lawmakers to take a new approach to people in crisis. We can no longer afford to operate our current Involuntary Treatment Act Court scheme, where we have prosecutors arguing for necessary treatment against someone’s will, and defense attorneys fighting for that person’s release to the streets and to nothing.
Instead, we must build a new system where mental health professionals, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, first responders, and treatment providers work together to get people in crisis the help they need, in the least restrictive means possible, as quickly as possible, before they become victims or perpetrators of harm.
I have built a team to conduct a four-county ITA Court Listening Tour to collect data and record the lived experiences of individuals working in and impacted by our current ITA Court scheme/model. We are in the process of wrapping up that work and will share this important information with the Governor and our state lawmakers later this summer.
6. What are the transportation/transit challenges which face your jurisdiction and how would you address them? What role does green energy play in your proposed solutions?
While transportation planning is not within the traditional purview or responsibility of the King County Prosecuting Attorney, my Civil Division serves as legal counsel to all King County elected officials and King County departments. In this role, my Civil Division plays an important role in advising, championing, and defending equitable and sustainable transportation policies. My Civil Division also supported the important federal litigation that protected more than $160 million in federal grant dollars appropriated by Congress, but which the Trump Administration tried to take away from King County by imposing unlawful anti-DEI, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-abortion, and anti-immigrant directives. My Civil Division successfully protected these funds, and King County has invested those dollars in affordable housing, public health, and transportation in all parts of our county.
By typing my name below, I declare under penalty of perjury the foregoing is true and correct.
Printed Name: Leesa Manion
Date: 03/04/2026
