Olympia council member Dontae Payne announces 2023 mayoral campaign
Olympia council member Dontae Payne announced Friday that he’s launching a campaign for mayor. The news comes after Mayor Cheryl Selby announced this week that she plans not to run for reelection at the end of 2023.
Payne was elected to the city council in 2021 with 69 percent of the vote, according to a news release from his campaign.
Originally from Philadelphia, he moved to Olympia during his service in the Army. Next year, he’s taking on a new role as a Senior Policy Advisor on Civil Rights and Racial Justice in the Office of the Governor. He currently works in Lacey as a district congressional staffer for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Payne said he’s running for mayor because he wants to expand on the work the council is doing to address equity in housing, climate change, public safety and economic resiliency.
“Running for mayor is something I feel called to do because I love our city, but also because it’s an opportunity to lead us into the future at a critical time when so much is at stake, and so much is possible,” Payne said in the release. “From my military service in Afghanistan to my public service on the city council and my community service as a board member at the Hands On Children’s Museum, I have never backed away from a challenge.”
Payne has been endorsed by Mayor Selby, as well as Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland and Thurston County Commissioner Carolina Mejia.
This story was originally published December 16, 2022 at 6:00 PM.
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