On November 5, 1968, voters approved King County's Home Rule Charter. It replaced the three-member County Commission (then John Spellman, Ed Munro, and John O'Brien) with a nine-member County Council (elected by district) and the office of King County Executive. Offices were elected on a partisan basis. The new King County Executive John Spellman (R) and Council members were elected in May 1969.
1969-1971
District 1 Tracy Owen R
District 2 Bob Dunn R
District 3 Bill Reams R
District 4 Bernice Stern D
District 5 John O'Brien R
District 6 Tom Forsythe R
District 7 Ed Munro D
District 8 Ed Heavey D
District 9 Dave Mooney D
1972-1973
District 2 Bob Dunn R
District 4 Bernice Stern D
District 6 Tom Forsythe R
District 8 Ed Heavey D
Notes: These members had been elected to two-year initial terms and each was re-elected in 1971 to a full four-year term.
1974-1975
District 1 Tracy Owen R
District 3 Bill Reams R
District 5 Ruby Chow D
District 7 Paul Barden R
District 9 Dave Mooney D
Notes: Ruby Chow and State Representative Paul Barden became the 10th and 11th persons to serve on the Council. Chow was the first Asian American elected to the Council.
1976-1977
District 2 Bob Dunn R
District 4 Bernice Stern D
District 6 Mike Lowry D
District 8 R. R. (Bob) Greive D
District 9 Bob Gaines D (Appointed in 1977 to replace Mooney)
Notes: Mike Lowry and former State Senator Bob Greive became the 12th and 13th persons to serve on the Council. Greive defeated incumbent and former State Representative Ed Heavey. Dave Mooney resigned to take a state appointment from Governor Dixy Lee Ray. State Representative Bob Gaines was appointed to replace Mooney. His appointment was controversial as Gaines was not the Democratic Party's first choice. He was defeated for election to the seat by State Senator Gary Grant, the party's original preference.
1978-1979
District 1 Tracy Owen R
District 3 Bill Reams R
District 5 Ruby Chow D
District 7 Paul Barden R
District 9 Gary Grant D
District 6 Pat Thorpe D (Appointed in 1979 to replace Lowry)
Notes: Mike Lowry was elected to the U.S. Congress. Pat Thorpe was appointed to replace Lowry, and was defeated for election to the seat.
1980-1981
District 2 Scott Blair R
District 4 Lois North R
District 6 Bruce Laing R
District 8 R. R. (Bob) Greive D
Notes: State Representative Scott Blair, State Senator Lois North, and Bruce Laing became the 17th, 18th, and 19th persons to serve. Bob Dunn and Bernice Stern chose not to run and Laing defeated an appointed incumbent.
1982-1983
District 1 Audrey Gruger D
District 3 Bill Reams R
District 5 Ruby Chow D
District 7 Paul Barden R
District 9 Gary Grant D
Notes: State Representative Audrey Gruger became the 20th person to serve on the Council by defeating three-term incumbent Tracy Owen.
1984-1985
District 2 Cynthia Sullivan D
District 4 Lois North R
District 6 Bruce Laing R
District 8 R. R. (Bob) Greive D
Notes: Cynthia Sullivan became the 21st person to serve on the Council by defeating incumbent Scott Blair.
1986-1987
District 1 Audrey Gruger D
District 3 Bill Reams R
District 5 Ron Sims D
District 7 Paul Barden R
District 9 Gary Grant D
Notes: Ron Sims became the 22nd person and first African American to serve on the Council. Ruby Chow chose not to run.
1988-1989
District 2 Cynthia Sullivan D
District 4 Lois North R
District 6 Bruce Laing R
District 8 Greg Nickels D
Notes: Greg Nickels became the 23rd person to serve on the Council by defeating three-term incumbent R. R. "Bob" Greive.
1990-1991
District 1 Audrey Gruger D
District 3 Brian Derdowski R
District 5 Ron Sims D
District 7 Paul Barden R
District 9 Kent Pullen R
Notes: Brian Derdowski and State Senator Kent Pullen became the 24th and 25th persons to serve on the Council. Derdowski defeated five-term incumbent Bill Reams.
1992-1993
District 2 Cynthia Sullivan D
District 4 Larry Phillips D
District 6 Bruce Laing R
District 8 Greg Nickels D
Notes: State Representative Larry Phillips became the 26th person to serve on the Council. Lois North chose not to run.
1994-1995
District 1 Maggi Fimia D
District 3 Louise Miller R
District 5 Ron Sims D
District 7 Pete von Reichbauer R
District 9 Kent Pullen R
District 10 Larry Gossett D
District 11 Jane Hague R
District 12 Brian Derdowski R
District 13 Chris Vance R
Notes: Charter amendments approved by voters in 1992 merged Metro's water-quality and transit services into county government and expanded the Council to 13 districts and renamed it the Metropolitan King County Council. Audrey Gruger and Paul Barden chose not to run. Derdowski moved to the new 12th District. In all six new members were elected in November 1993.
1996-1997
District 2 Cynthia Sullivan D
District 4 Larry Phillips D
District 6 Rob McKenna R
District 8 Greg Nickels D
District 10 Larry Gossett D
District 12 Brian Derdowski R
District 5 Dwight Pelz D (Appointed to replace Sims in January 1997)
Notes: Ron Sims was appointed to replace King County Executive Gary Locke (who resigned to become governor). State Senator Dwight Pelz was appointed to replace Sims in January 1997 and was elected to a full term in November 1997.
1998-1999
District 1 Maggi Fimia D
District 3 Louise Miller R
District 5 Dwight Pelz D
District 7 Pete von Reichbauer R
District 9 Kent Pullen R
District 11 Jane Hague R
District 13 Chris Vance R
Notes: First election cycle since 1971 with no turnover.
2000-2001
District 2 Cynthia Sullivan D
District 4 Larry Phillips D
District 6 Rob McKenna R
District 8 Greg Nickels D
District 10 Larry Gossett D
District 12 David Irons R
District 13 Les Thomas R (Appointed in 2001 to replace Vance)
Notes: Chris Vance resigned to become Chair of the Washington State Republican Party. Former State Representative Les Thomas was appointed to replace Vance and was defeated for election to the seat.
2002-2003
District 1 Carolyn Edmonds D
District 3 Kathy Lambert R
District 5 Dwight Pelz D
District 7 Pete von Reichbauer R
District 9 Kent Pullen R (died April 14, 2003)
District 9 Steve Hammond R (Appointed in 2003 to take Kent Pullen's place and elected to finish out Pullen's term)
District 11 Jane Hague R
District 13 Julia Patterson R
District 8 Dow Constantine D (Appointed to replace Nickels and won special election in 2002)
Notes: State Representatives Carolyn Edmonds and Kathy Lambert, and State Senator Julia Patterson became the 37th, 38th, and 39th persons to serve on the Council. Maggi Fimia and (former State Representative) Louise Miller chose not to run. Patterson defeated an appointed incumbent. Greg Nickels was elected Mayor of Seattle on November 6, 2001. State Senator Dow Constantine was appointed to replace Nickels and won a 2002 special election to fill out the final year of Nickels's term. Kent Pullen died on April 14, 2003. Steve Hammond was appointed to fill the vacancy and in November he was elected to the remainder of Pullen's term.
2004-2005
District 2 Bob Ferguson D
District 4 Larry Phillips D
District 6 Rob McKenna R
District 6 Reagan Dunn R (Appointed in 2005 to replace McKenna)
District 8 Dow Constantine D
District 10 Larry Gossett D
District 12 David Irons R
Notes: Bob Ferguson became the 42nd person to serve on the Council by defeating five-term incumbent Cynthia Sullivan. Rob McKenna was elected Washington State Attorney General in the 2004 election. Reagan Dunn was appointed to replace McKenna, becoming the 43rd to serve on the Council.
2006-2007
District 1 Bob Ferguson D
District 2 Larry Gossett D
District 3 Kathy Lambert R
District 4 Larry Phillips D
District 5 Julia Patterson D
District 6 Jane Hague R
District 7 Pete von Reichbauer R
District 8 Dow Constantine D
District 9 Reagan Dunn R
Notes: A charter amendment approved by voters in 2004 contracted the Council from 13 to nine districts. Dwight Pelz chose to run for Seattle City Council, David Irons chose to run for County Executive, and Carolyn Edmonds and Steve Hammond were defeated in the primary election. Even-numbered district members were elected to an initial two-year term.
2008–2009
District 2 Larry Gossett D
District 4 Larry Phillips D
District 6 Jane Hague R
District 8 Dow Constantine D
2010–2011
District 1 Bob Ferguson
District 3 Kathy Lambert
District 5 Julia Patterson
District 7 Pete von Reichbauer
District 9 Reagan Dunn
District 8 Jan Drago (appointed in 2010 to replace Constantine)
District 8 Joe McDermott (took office in 2011)
Notes: A charter amendment approved by voters in November 2008 changed Council elections to non-partisan. Retiring Seattle Councilmember Jan Drago appointed when Councilmember Dow Constantine was elected King County Executive. State Senator Joe McDermott elected to fill out the term of the position in November 2010. They became the 44th and 45th persons to serve on the Council.
2012–2013
District 2 Larry Gossett
District 4 Larry Phillips
District 6 Jane Hague
District 8 Joe McDermott
District 1 Rod Dembowski (2013)
Notes: Bob Ferguson was elected Washington State Attorney General in the 2012 election. Rod Dembowski appointed to replace Ferguson.
2014-2015
District 1 Rod Dembowski
District 3 Kathy Lambert
District 5 Dave Upthegrove
District 7 Pete Von Reichbauer
District 9 Reagan Dunn
Notes: State Representative Dave Upthegrove elected to replace retiring Councilmember Julia Patterson to become the 47th person to serve on the Council.
2016–2017
District 2 Larry Gossett
District 4 Jeanne Kohl-Welles
District 6 Claudia Balducci
District 8 Joe McDermott
Notes: State Senator Jeanne Kohl-Welles elected to replace retiring Councilmember Larry Phillips to become the 48th person to serve on the Council. Bellevue Mayor Claudia Balducci defeated incumbent Councilmember Jane Hague to become the 49th person to serve on the Council.
2018–2019
District 1 Rod Dembowski
District 3 Kathy Lambert
District 5 Dave Upthegrove
District 7 Pete Von Reichbauer
District 9 Reagan Dunn
2020–2021
District 2 Girmay Zahilay
District 4 Jeanne Kohl-Welles
District 6 Claudia Balducci
District 8 Joe McDermott
Notes: Girmay Zahilay defeated long-time incumbent Larry Gossett to become the 50th person to serve on the King County Council.
2022–2023
District 1 Rod Dembowski
District 3 Sarah Perry
District 5 Dave Upthegrove
District 7 Pete Von Reichbauer
District 9 Reagan Dunn
Notes: Sarah Perry defeated three-term incumbent Kathy Lambert to become the 51st person to serve on the King County Council.
2024–2025
District 2 Girmay Zahilay
District 4 Jorge Baron
District 6 Claudia Balducci
District 8 Teresa Mosqueda
Notes: Jorge Baron elected to replace retiring Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles to become the 52nd person to serve on the King County Council. Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda was elected to replace retiring Councilmember Joe McDermott to become the 53rd person to serve on the King County Council.
