We want to hear what the tech industry wants from Seattle’s next mayor. (GeekWire Photo by Kevin Lisota)

Seattle’s highly unusual mayoral race has 21 candidates vying for the city’s top executive office. The election comes at a time when Seattle is grappling with an unprecedented population spike, booming industry, and the affordability and transportation issues that go along with all that growth.

The city’s tech industry is a crucial part of this story and GeekWire wants to be sure our readers know where the candidates stand on the issues that impact them.

We’re brainstorming questions to ask each of the candidates in for an upcoming story and we need your help. Some of the questions may even end up in the upcoming debate, July 17, that KING 5, KUOW, Seattle CityClub, and GeekWire are co-hosting.

We’ve already called on some members of the Seattle tech community to find out what they want to know about the candidates’ positions.

Here’s what we’ve come up with so far: 

  • How will you improve accessibility to the city’s urban core? What infrastructure plans do you have that would support the tech and business community?
  • Do you believe a mayor can be pro-business and pro-social justice? What guiding principles will you use when deciding whether to create more burden and expense for businesses in order to make Seattle a more just and equitable city?
  • What will you do to drive innovation in our region? When and how should the mayor protect incumbent industries that provide jobs, versus paving the way for new models and technologies that will result in a loss of jobs?
  • What can you do to prepare Seattleites for the jobs of the future and prevent people from being left behind?
  • What will you do to attract foreign investment?
  • Do you support municipal broadband? If so, how would you implement publicly-owned internet, which has been talked about and studied for years without real action?
  • What’s your perspective on the recent conflicting studies over the impact of the $15 minimum wage? What can the tech community do to help job creation in this area?
  • If you were a tech CEO, which one would you be?

Now we want to hear from our readers. Tell us what you’d like to ask Seattle’s mayoral candidates in the comments.

Special thanks to Raj Singh, Sarah Bird, and Devin Glaser for helping us come up with questions. 

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.