Hello, Neighbor!
I’m Kristiana de Leon. I am a dog-mom, coalition builder, a nonprofit board member, an advocate, a former educator and former pandemic-era retail employee, and a two-term city councilmember of a coal town that’s booming into 21st Century life.
Because of all of the hats I have worn in my life, and how I’ve worn them, leaders in our community asked me to throw my hat into the ring for this election: my experiences, and the stories that people have trusted me with, have informed me and given me a unique perspective on the most pressing issues facing us all.
As someone in my mid-30s, people of my age and younger have seen constant economic failure. We are aware that we are inheriting a wide variety of crises that didn’t happen overnight but are what keeps us up at night. I know what it’s like to worry that your paycheck won’t actually cover an emergency. I know what it’s like to work a physically demanding job in the midst of forest fire smoke while covering shifts for coworkers who are worried that their apartments will be flooded. And frankly, I’m running because while I’m no longer a teacher, my spouse is. I know that he keeps putting in 10-hour days because he cares about what he does, and I know he makes a difference in the outcomes for his students, and sometimes I just wish our lawmakers met that caring with funding.
I am a Humanist who believes in doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do, and making those decisions based on personal experiences and provable data and evidence. I do not have reason to believe that there is any life after this one, and therefore I believe it is my moral duty to do what I can to make sure everyone has as good a chance as possible to live their best lives. I believe in working alongside people of all walks of life, including all faith traditions, because, as the phrase goes, “all we have is each other.”
I know what it’s like to work in tough political environments.
Serving on any city council isn’t easy. Small town politics like in Black Diamond certainly isn't. I’ve kept serving despite difficult moments because of the trust my neighbors placed in me and because this is a labor of love. Even when we don’t always agree, there is a chance for dialogue and finding common ground. I know work in Olympia is similarly challenging, but nothing worth doing is easy and I have the track record of sticking with hard work to the finish line.
I chose to serve my city because I saw that my city, like me, was at a crossroads in life. Like so many cities in this state, we are growing a lot. However, it is starting to become an unfunded mandate where state laws expect us to grow but do not fully provide the guidance or money that can help us get financially stronger while taking care of the immediate needs of people moving here, like for our roads and safety services.
I have advocated for policies that help cities like mine find and build affordable housing. We've become part of the climate solution. I am who I am: a direct voice that tells the very common, but often unheard, stories of cities like Black Diamond. I plan to continue serving my city on the council to make sure that my policies are grounded in reality for 5th LD cities.