Satwinder Kaur elected Kent City Council president

Indian American official who has served on the Council since 2017 is passionate about the community

Indian American Satwinder Kaur has been elected the new City Council president of Kent, Washington, for a two-year term in place of Councilmember Bill Boyce.

Kaur, in her seventh year on council, was nominated by Boyce who has had the role six of the last eight years, according to Kent Reporter.

“You’ve got some little shoes to fill,” Boyce said after Kaur’s unanimous election on Feb 6. “I’m sure you will do a great job and we are here to support you and make sure you are very successful.”

“I want to thank you Councilmember Boyce for your leadership and being a good mentor over the last few years,” said Kaur, a 2004 Kentridge High School graduate. “As I start this I know all of us have the same goal of serving the community and making sure Kent is a better place for all of us.”

Indian Americans win big in November 7 City Council elections (November 9, 2017)

The council president works closely with the mayor to see what kind of support the council will give to issues and proposals. The council president also serves as the official spokesperson for the council.

“I’m very excited to work with you and to move this council forward in the next couple of years,” Mayor Dana Ralph said to Kaur.

Kaur was re-elected to a second four-year council term in 2021 when she ran unopposed. Voters first elected Kaur in 2017 when she defeated Paul Addis. Kaur worked as an executive assistant with the City Council in 2012 and 2013.

Kaur narrowly lost to Claudia Kauffman, of Kent, in the August 2022 Democratic primary race for the District 47 Senate seat.

Kaur wants to serve on City Council to be a voice for the people who are not at the table, according to the City Council website. She sees her role on the Council as a great learning opportunity and a chance to bring a fresh set of eyes to the City’s problems.

“I want to bring new perspectives that may not have been considered before,” Kaur says.

In addition to associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees and certifications in Six Sigma and Lean Management, Kaur has served as an intern in the Mayor’s Office and feels she has a good understanding of resident issues and concerns. She also likes listening to residents and business owners, and wants to learn from them and other community leaders.

“I love the amazing people we have in Kent. It is a caring community where people care about their neighbors,” Kaur says. “They choose Kent – the biggest city in South King County – to be their home.”

Passionate about the community, Kaur volunteers with a number of local organizations.

“Kent is often overlooked, but there are so many things about Kent that people don’t know, and we have so many great stories to tell,” says Kaur. “There are amazing things happening here.”