Dr. Julie Kang is a longtime Seattle City Council District 5 resident, educator, and civic leader
whose career spans more than three decades of strengthening public systems and expanding opportunity for diverse communities. An immigrant who built her life in North Seattle, Kang brings a grounded understanding of how policy decisions affect working families, immigrants, and small businesses.
A National Board Certified Teacher, Kang has spent her professional life in public education and higher education, training teachers to support multilingual learners and students with diverse needs. She has held leadership and faculty roles at the University of Washington and Seattle University, where she designed and led large-scale programs, managed complex public budgets, and built cross-sector partnerships with school districts, nonprofits, and government agencies. Her work reflects a consistent focus on accountability, equity, and practical outcomes.
Kang also brings financial expertise to public service. As a founder and a former chair of a community bank in District 5, she helped small businesses and entrepreneurs access equitable loan rates while navigating regulatory requirements and economic uncertainty, experience that informs her approach to fiscal stewardship and local economic development. With her support, the bank was able to contribute a percentage of income to local community nonprofit organizations, and she helped immigrants and people excluded from traditional financing.
Outside formal roles, Kang enjoys building community at the neighborhood level. She serves on Haller Lake Community Club board, volunteers at the food bank, hosts neighborhood book club, and leads FuseD5 walks, bringing residents together to support small businesses, explore neighborhood green spaces, and foster stronger connections across District 5.
A deeply engaged civic leader, Kang serves on the King County election oversight committee to ensure inclusive voting practices, as Co-Chair on the King County Immigrant and Refugee Commission, 32nd Legislative District, and is a Washington State Democratic Party delegate. Her public service reflects a long-standing commitment to democratic participation and public trust.
She is part of a proud union household, a member of the Washington Education Association, with a husband in UFCW 3000, bringing lived experience, policy expertise, and steady leadership to District 5. When Julie is not cooking or hosting tea parties, you can find her in her local coffee shops in District 5.