Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Something's Different About This Year's Election In Burien

This year's election in Burien is about more than local issues like potholes and streetlights.

Residents of the city, located 10 miles south of downtown Seattle, are fresh off a fierce debate about whether or not Burien should be a so-called "sanctuary city" with policies protecting undocumented immigrants.

As the Nov. 7 election approaches, neighbors and candidates in the city of 50,000 people are debating issues like how to treat undocumented immigrants and the definition of racism.

To some, Burien's election is an example of how Donald Trump's presidency has changed politics in cities across the region, dividing neighbors and imbuing local races with echoes of the national 2016 contest.

KNKX reporter Will James spoke to voters and candidates about how Trump's election, a growing Latino population, and an increasingly vocal progressive movement are transforming local politics in Burien.

Will James is a former KNKX reporter and was part of the special projects team, reporting and producing podcasts such as Outsiders and The Walk Home.