A Little Bit About Nick

Nick Licata is from a working-class family, where neither parent graduated from high school. Licata, who couldn’t read until the age of nine, was the first of his relatives to attend college.

He led the local chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) at Bowling Green State University and subsequently was elected student body president. He became a Seattle City Councilmember despite being significantly outspent, with the majority of the council, the mayor, and both daily newspapers supporting his opponent. He was elected to five terms to the council and became its president.

In 2012 he was named by The Nation as Progressive Municipal Official of the Year and twice named Best Local Politician by the Seattle Weekly.  He was an acknowledged leader in passing Paid Sick & Safe Leave, raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour and legalizing marijuana.

He initiated the founding of Local Progress; the national municipal policy network and served as its first chairman. In 2003, Licata authored the children’s novel, “Princess Bianca and the Vandals”.