by jasminemahmoud

Claudia Balducci, King County Executive Candidate — 2025 Primary Election

CANDIDATE: Claudia Balducci, King County Executive Candidate

ARTS PLATFORM

My name is Claudia Balducci. I serve on the King County Council, and am running for King County Executive. 

I strongly believe that arts, culture, science, and heritage are essential, not extras, in building vibrant, equitable communities. The arts offer joy, healing, personal growth, and a shared sense of identity – building community in a time when so many dynamics and voices are working actively to divide us. I have consistently and proudly championed public investment in cultural infrastructure as a foundational part of a healthy society and local economy, helping to support key institutions in the district I represent, like KidsQuest Children’s Museum, Musicworks Northwest, Youth Theatre Northwest and many more. 

I was an early and active champion of the Doors Open arts, culture, heritage and science levy, working over many years and ultimately co-sponsoring and shepherding the program through its final approval by the King County Council in December 2023. This landmark seven-year levy raises nearly $800 million (via a 0.1% sales tax) to ensure equitable access to cultural programming across King County and is already being put to work to stabilize and expand cultural access throughout our County, at a critical time. Doors Open is transformative—sustaining operations for over 500 organizations, building the arts sector, fueling school programs, boosting tourism, supporting arts careers, and prioritizing historically underserved organizations and neighborhoods. In 2024, I sponsored additional legislation to make sure the investments of Doors Open reach our cultural organizations more quickly – understanding that this is a critical time in the lives of so many of our cultural institutions, and that they need stability and support urgently. 

I was privileged to grow up in an area where public schools provided full access to arts and arts education, providing memories and experiences that have enriched my life ever since. As a parent, I have seen firsthand how participating in theater and music has supported the development of our child, Victor, into a joyful, empathetic, and expressive young adult. I have worked to make sure these experiences are available to all communities – giving an outlet for learning and self-expression, and creating dynamic experiences as well as good-paying jobs. As County Executive, I will continue and expand my lifelong support of the arts, partnering with key agencies like 4Culture, the Office of Arts and Culture, and the Seattle Arts Commission, as well as all the cities and unincorporated areas of King County to expand access to the arts broadly and equitably.