Calls grow for King County assessor to resign

Pressure is building on King County Assessor John Wilson to resign, as he faces criminal charges related to allegations that he stalked his ex-fiancée.

Al Dams, the chief deputy assessor and the department's second-in-command, called on Wilson to resign on Wednesday, a day after the Metropolitan King County Council voted unanimously, for a second time, for him to step down.

Dams said he called Wilson Wednesday morning to tell him he should resign. Wilson said not much" in response, Dams said.

"I've been doing the best I can to keep the department the focus of everything I do and the taxpayers of King County," Dams said in an interview Wednesday. "At this point, John's situation is impacting the morale of the department, and so I have to put the department first and so I am calling on him to resign."

Wilson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Dams has been Wilson's chief deputy for all of Wilson's 11 years as the elected assessor. He also is running for assessor, having launched a campaign after Wilson - who had recently been arrested for violating a court order - announced last fall that he would not seek another term.

"People in the office want him to resign, and they don't want to be around him," Dams said. "They feel like he's embarrassing the department."

Dams said Wilson is not regularly in the office. "I'm running the department," he said.

Dams' statements come a day after the County Council voted to call for Wilson's resignation, writing that he showed "a disregard for the safety and well-being of King County residents, and disrespect for the trust King County residents have awarded you."

Neither the County Council nor Dams have any official power to force Wilson from office.

Rob Foxcurran, another candidate for assessor, has also called for Wilson's resignation.

John Polito, Wilson's attorney, said late Tuesday night Wilson was "not distracted from the people's business.

"He continues to meet with his constituents, including working to provide property tax relief to senior citizens and marginalized communities," Polito wrote. "The council needs to stop engaging in repeated ad hominem attacks on Mr. Wilson without full knowledge of all the facts and the law in this case. They are improperly sticking their legislative nose in the judicial tent and this needs to stop.

Wilson has pleaded not guilty to two counts of violating a court order, after police found him near his ex-fiancée's home last summer while a no-contact order was in effect. Wilson had been under a temporary protection order - his second since 2024 - after she had accused him of a pattern of stalking and harassment.

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This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 4:58 PM.