Girmay Zahilay is a business attorney, nonprofit founder, and King County Councilmember who represents the district where he was raised and where he continues to live with his amazing wife, Joyce, and their young daughter. He is running for King County Executive because he cares deeply about our community and believes the office of County Executive is the most effective platform for solving our region's biggest problems and making life better for every resident.

Girmay’s life shows that King County can be a place of opportunity for all.

Girmay’s journey began on a refugee settlement in Sudan. When Girmay was just three, his family boarded a plane and flew across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States, seeking a new beginning.

King County welcomed them with open arms and gave them a foundation to rebuild their lives.  This community provided Girmay with affordable public housing, quality public schools, and pathways to climb the economic ladder, ultimately enabling him to build his own family here with his lovely wife and baby daughter.

Thoughtful government programs allowed Girmay to rise from low-income public housing like Rainier Vista and Holly Park, to graduating from Franklin High School, and then earning degrees from Stanford University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He then had the chance to work in the Obama White House, practice business law at the nation's top firms like Perkins Coie, and start a nonprofit to support underprivileged youth.

Girmay’s story is a testament to the power of public policy. He has experienced both the damage government can do when it fails to protect its people, as well as the benefits it can create through thoughtful policies that open doors and create opportunities. It is this duality that drove Girmay to run for office and build a King County where government works for everyone—where every resident has the chance to succeed, and where no one is left behind.

Girmay Zahilay understands the tremendous responsibility that comes with serving as King County Executive. The job is the CEO of a vast government employing over 17,000 people, spanning 39 cities, and managing a biennial budget of nearly $20 billion. It’s a huge job, and Girmay is up for the task. His academic, professional, and policy accomplishments have prepared him to lead, and his resilience, compassion, and effectiveness make him uniquely qualified to take on this critical role.
‍

Girmay’s journey began with a strong academic foundation. After overcoming significant challenges in his early life, he attended Franklin High School in South Seattle, where he excelled academically and developed a passion for public service. His academic achievements earned him a place at Stanford University, one of the nation’s top institutions for higher learning. At Stanford, Girmay laid the foundation for his future in public service by serving as the president of his class and the president of the Black Student Union.

Upon graduating from Stanford, Girmay dedicated himself to anti-poverty work through the Congressional Hunger Center, where he addressed food insecurity in low-income communities in New York City. He then took his passion for social change to Washington, D.C., advocating for federal policies that support communities facing poverty across the nation. This experience solidified his belief in the power of government to improve people’s lives, inspiring him to pursue a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he served as class president and a legal extern at the White House during the Obama administration.
‍

Girmay’s professional career is a testament to his dedication to service and his ability to translate vision into action. He began his career after law school at the nation’s top law firm, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. At Skadden, Girmay advised Fortune 500 companies on their billion-dollar business deals, managed complex projects, and solved problems for his clients. He further honed his legal skills by joining the number one law firm in the Pacific Northwest, Perkins Coie, where he counseled small businesses and start-up companies.

His work in the private sector deepened his knowledge of business, economy, and the law, and it reinforced his belief that effective governance must balance the needs of both the public and private sectors.

During his time in corporate law, Girmay never abandoned his commitment to public service. In 2015, he founded Rising Leaders, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides mentorship and leadership training to underserved middle school students. He spent the next several years as the Executive Director of the organization, growing it from New York, to Seattle, to Washington, DC, all while managing and supporting hundreds of mentors and their youth.