Zahilay worked for the Congressional Hunger Center and
New York City Coalition Against Hunger as a
community organizer after graduating from college. Zahilay was sworn in to represent District 2 on January 8, 2020, and was selected to chair the council's Law and Justice Committee. Zahilay announced his campaign for the
King County Council in February 2019, becoming the first challenger to six-term District 2 incumbent
Larry Gossett since 2005. Zahilay campaigned on the expansion of
public housing and the replacement of
youth incarceration with other methods. Zahilay defeated Gossett in the November 2019 general election, becoming the youngest member of the King County Council.
Committee assignments Zahilay served as Chair of the Law and Justice Committee beginning in 2020. In 2022 the Law and Justice Committee merged with the Health and Human Services Committee to become the Law Justice Health and Human Services Committee. In 2024 he was named Chair of the Budget and Fiscal Management Committee. King County Council committees of which Zahilay has been a member include Local Services and Land Use, Employment and Administration, Transportation Economy and Environment, the Board of Health, and the Regional Policy Committee. Zahilay served as a King County Council appointee to the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) Transportation Committee and the PSRC Governing Board. In the 2021–2022 annual budget, Zahilay secured $10 million for a community center in
Skyway, an unincorporated area that had lacked many services. The county council allocated $6 million to increase bus service in the Skyway area, including an on-demand van service for residents. Zahilay advocated for a
tiny house village in Skyway with 35 units that opened in 2021. In response to the significant rise in addiction and
mental health issues in King County that have contributed to public safety concerns, Zahilay worked with the
King County Executive to propose the Crisis Care Centers Levy. This proposal, which voters approved in April 2023, would fund the construction of five treatment centers for people suffering from behavioral health challenges, build back the region's long-term mental health bed capacity, and invest in the behavioral health workforce.
King County Executive On December 2, 2024, Zahilay announced that he would run for
King County Executive in the
2025 election. He was the second incumbent county councilmember to announce their campaign, following
Claudia Balducci, as 16-year incumbent
Dow Constantine would not seek another term. Zahilay advanced from the primary election with 44percent of the vote alongside Balducci. He led in almost all
Seattle and southern King County precincts, while Balducci's support was primarily concentrated in the
Eastside suburbs. The candidates were noted for their similar stances on various issues, including housing policy, mental health services, and public transit. Zahilay was projected the winner of the race over Balducci on November 7, 2025, three days after the election; Balducci conceded on the same day. He was sworn in as county executive on November 25 after the certification of the general election results and immediately replaced interim appointee
Shannon Braddock. ==References==