After their formal interviews, we asked candidates to answer less traditional questions. Scroll down to read their handwritten responses.
The first thing we want to say about Nikkita Oliver, of the People's Party of Seattle, is that she announced she would run for mayor before a sex abuse lawsuit was filed against Ed Murray in April.
Oliver, a lawyer, singer and activist, is unapologetic about her top issues – housing affordability and police accountability. She is also a boxer – she boxes at Acaro Boxing, a woman-owned gym on 12th and Jefferson.
“You might think you’re getting into the ring and fighting your opponent, but the truth is that your biggest enemy in the ring will always be you,” Oliver said. “I turn any question I have, or any fear I have, or any critique I have, back on myself as a way of grounding myself and being a better person. There’s something about taking a punch that makes you have to think about yourself.”
Also: “If you’re going to punch someone, you had better be willing to take one.”
Age: 31
Occupation: Lawyer, educator, case manager, freelance writer, storyteller/performance poet
Neighborhood: Delridge area (West Seattle) & soon again to be Rainier Beach
Hometown: Indianapolis
On a society without police: “We don’t need a separate institution to keep the peace or enforce the laws,” she said. “What we need is a cultural shift that actually acknowledges the human rights dignity and sovereignty of all people and we’d see a decrease in crime.”
Position on Mayor Ed Murray sex abuse allegations: Oliver called on Murray to step down after a Seattle Times' report about another case from 1984.
To capture candidates laughing, our photographer Megan Farmer shared this Onion headline, "Seagull With Diarrhea Barely Makes It To Crowded Beach In Time." Oliver’s response: Amused raised eyebrow. (She was so warm and accommodating that we wanted to find a joke she would like, but just took the photo instead.)
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