nwasianweekly.com
Dec. 29,
2007
Photo by George Liu
Bruce Harrell (center) and his supporters give enthusiastic thumbs up on Nov. 6, 2007. Harrell won his Position 3 seat on the Seattle City Council with 60 percent of the votes.
Top
Stories of 2007
Bruce
Harrell triumphs in the end
By
Eleanor Lee & Assunta Ng
Northwest Asian Weekly
Nov. 10, 2007
Bruce Harrell knows how to work a crowd, no matter what he says to the contrary.
A few minutes before 8 p.m. Nov. 6 at the 4 Seas restaurant in the International District, Harrell looked so cool and collected one might not even know that election results were to be posted in a few minutes.
Harrell, who was running for Position 3 on the Seattle City Council against Venus Velaquez, said he felt good and, though the event was a “little nerve-wracking,” he had done all he could at this point.
When asked if he had voted himself, he responded, “I did. I’m an old poll voter. 8:00 this morning.”
Twelve hours and 15 minutes after he cast his own vote, the results of his race came in.
“Bruce has 61 percent!” a staffer cried out to the room at large. He had heard this information on a cell phone; seconds later, the numbers flickered up on a projector screen, confirming the announcement.
The room erupted with applause and cheers.
A woman confided to her table companions, “It wasn’t looking so good, but he stuck with it.” Harrell had been trailing Velaquez after the primaries.
Harrell’s mother, Rose, said she was so proud of her son, she
was “popping buttons!”
She was confident that as a councilman, Bruce would “prove to the
people that his character is high.” She added, “He’s
an honest man, he’s a hardworking man, and most of all, he’s
simply brilliant.”
She said that she had always known her son would be successful in politics.
Harrell addressed the crowd of supporters, saying the night was “one of the happiest moments” of his life.
He gave thanks first to his wife, Joanne, and then to his mother, before going on to thank all his supporters and volunteers.
“We said we would raise $250,000, and to date, we raised $250,000, almost to the penny,” he said.
He also thanked Ron Sims, whom he called a “big brother” and Sharon Tomiko Santos, whom he credited with teaching him how to work a room. “I’ll get caught up and talk to one guy for 20 minutes,” Harrell admitted. “Sharon would tell me, ‘You can’t do that.’ So I observed her and learned a lot.”
He concluded his speech by saying, “Once again, I just want to say that I have been honored.” He mentioned that his campaign had the highest number of campaign volunteers of any City Council race this year.
“Enjoy the food. I’m going to try to work the crowd. But if I like you, I may talk to you for 20 minutes.”
David Della’s public service won’t end
A swarm of supporters nestled inside Seattle’s China Gate restaurant, crossing their fingers that Councilman David Della would pull through on election night.
Local dignitaries stood alongside Asian and Filipino community leaders. College students rooted on their role model. Della held on tight.
Cordial chatter filled the room as Della made his way around the venue, shaking hands with supporters.
The first round of poll results arrived two hours into the event, and the prospects did not look good. Della’s challenger, Tim Burgess, had won about 60 percent of the votes. The buzz turned to silence as Della stood before the crowd and unfurled his campaign night speech.
The affable Filipino American politician did not define the moment as a defeat; rather, he described it as a triumph. He thanked his staff members, union members and volunteers who helped make him the second person of Filipino ancestry to win a seat on the Seattle City Council. (Dolores Sibonga became the first in 1979.)
Della told his supporters that his loss of a seat on the council will not stop him from leading the community.
“Public service to me is about making a difference in people’s lives. … I will continue my service,” he said.
The last four years have been a dream come true for the 52-year-old. It was a long way coming from his humble upbringing on Beacon Hill. During his tenure on the Seattle City Council, Della chaired the committee on Parks, Education, Libraries and Labor. He sought viable — yet affordable — transportation options, and fought hard for working families.
Della was never shy to admit that adversity early on in life inspired his passion for public service. He shared the story of his parents during his re-election kickoff speech in February, and throughout his re-election campaign. His mother and father immigrated to Seattle from the Philippines, and devoted their energy to make ends meet.
“Despite limited resources, Mom and Dad did everything they could to make sure we had food on a table and a roof over our head,” he said.
Della said it was that perseverance that taught him to reach out to others.
Fellow leaders praised him for his hard work.
Ron Sims described Della as “an honest, hardworking public servant in the truest way.”
Sims went on to say, “David was a key — he opened up a lot of doors for people.”
“He stood up for human rights, workers’ rights and for families,” added state Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos. Bert Caoili, president of the Filipino Community of Seattle, said Della was an important voice for local Filipinos.
“He earmarked funding for the renovation of the Filipino Community Center. I have no doubt David will always be there for us,” he said.
“I think he did a great job,” said Ellen Abellera, executive director of the Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs.
Battered from a strenuous political fight, Della took time to acknowledge his tireless efforts, as well as those of his staff.
“We worked hard, we had a solid plan, and I’m proud of my accomplishments on the City Council.”
Della said he is optimistic that more Filipino and Asian Americans will take initiative to lead the city.
“Good people need to step forward and get involved in public service. I will continue to do that,” he said.
Additional reporting by Northwest Asian Weekly staff.
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