A special congratulations to the winners, and our deepest appreciation to those who ran for office and put their names on the ballot to serve our community. Most of all, a special thank you to the families of the candidates who are the unsung heros of public service.

Dow Constantine now faces the reality of a county that is going through a fundamental structural shift in how it thinks, operates, pays its bills and organizes it’s work. He needs to embrace this challenge with conviction and depth of purpose. Mike McGinn or Joe Mallahan will confront not just a short term deficit but a shaky foundation of how to maintain Seattle’s role as the economic engine of our state. We as a community will embrace the winner with heart and soul and move forward together. Mike O’Brien, Nick Licata, Richard Conlin and Sally Bagshaw bring unique personal and professional qualities but share a profound love of our city’s quality of life and will do a fantastic job being fully engaged city councilmembers. I am extremely excited about working with our new mayor, new council, new executive to help build a new relationship with Olympia.

Our state is engaged in the most fundamental systems challenges in generations. Boeing’s announcement is not easy to explain but the anxiety is clear. Our economy is shifting toward a knowledge and service-based economy. The question is whether we have the public infrastructure and educational systems to charge into the new century despite our nagging frustration that low paying jobs seem plentiful but living wage jobs for real people seem more and more difficult to reach.

These core changes transcend old fashioned stereotypes of battles between Olympia and Seattle and other cities. They go so much deeper than shallow arguments about who gets what. It goes to the DNA of our ability to be a light among the states with progressive policies for families, a vibrant and healthy economy, quality infrastructure and a responsive and engaged educational system.

The promise of Washington is not just that we have beautiful resources but that we value rugged individualism with a soul and community spirit.

We are unique and our state can be one of the most insightful, proactive, engaged living laboratories of innovation in the nation. Let’s embrace the challenge of new ideas not as a slogan but as a teachable way of running our government. Let’s learn from mistakes and failure and obstacles instead of hiding from them.

We must have courage to question old assumptions, to reflect deeply upon what it takes to support families in today’s world. Our government must work better and be more responsive to those we serve. We need systems reform in education, health care, transportation and our economy.

My greatest hope is that the different levels of government–Seattle, King County, Washington– can rise up together to see the possibilities if we coordinate our strategies, organize our thoughts together and build a systems approach to our 21st Century challenges. We need to step beyond our comfort zone to ask tough questions about what level of government should provide what service; how we organize ourselves around larger priorities; what it takes to get better outcomes for the public.

Beyond the tactics of efficiency, we need a bolder dialogue about our strategies into the new century. We cannot sustain ourselves with a 62% high school graduation rate; small businesses that struggle to pay a regressive B&O tax; a transportation system that is based on politics instead of objective measures and a new approach to funding; an energy system that is based on yesterday instead of tomorrow; and so much more.

Together we can do all those things we cannot do alone.

Your partner in service,

Reuven.