Name: Zev Rose Cook
Running for: Tacoma City Council Position 5
Location: Tacoma, WA
****All Candidates have been endorsed by The Victory Fund******
What are the major issues that are getting you into public service as a politician?
As a Jewish woman, the value of Tikkun Olam, or being part of community repair, has always been deeply important to me. I especially want to contribute to building a better future for the next generation of trans kids. For me, that’s meant taking on basic issues like making sure housing is safe and affordable for all.
What is the core of your platform that represents you today?
is year my core platform is focused on three main issues targeted at making sure Tacoma is a city where families can afford to live in the city where they work. This includes raising Tacoma’s minimum wage, taxing the rich, and building permanently affordable social housing.
What is the thing you are most proud of achieving thus far, and how will it help you as an elected official?
To support organizing around housing justice, I co-founded Tacoma for All and in 2023 field-managed our successful initiative campaign for the Tenants’ Bill of Rights. This gave me the experience of successfully passing impactful legislation in the face of powerful corporate interests, which I look forward to carrying on to city hall.
What goals are you trying to accomplish?
We need to build a local government and economy that work for working people, not just big corporations. In the past, our council worked collectively to oppose expansions to housing and workers’ rights. My goal is to reverse this and help create a council that is focused on making life better for working people.
What are your political ambitions?
I have been active in the Tacoma community around issues of housing and social justice since 2018. I’m running for council because I believe that I could use the position to make my work in the community more impactful. My ambition is to continue to be an active part of the Tacoma community, especially when it comes to fighting for working-class justice.
Who inspires you to keep fighting even when the battles seem too much?
My chosen sister, Ann, is my rock. We live together, organize together, and she’s always in my corner.
Who is your role model from history in public service?
I’m proud to be running for office as a democratic socialist, just as one of my core role models, Zohran Mamdani, is doing on the other side of the country. From coast to coast, I am proud to be part of the working-class and socialist movement.
What advice do you have for the community to help make change happen, beyond voting?
To be able to support and defend our communities, we have to be organized not just to win elections, but to unionize our workplaces and mobilize in the streets. I’m proud to be part of this work as a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and firmly believe that all working people, and especially queer and trans folks, should be getting involved as members of DSA or any other movement organization. Only together can we win a better future.
