Kurdish woman elected City Council member in US state
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Naren Briar, hailing from the Kurdistan Region, has been elected for the Bellevue City Council in Washington state, becoming the first Kurdish-American woman elected to office in the United States.
Briar has gained 51.27 percent of the votes, defeating her competitor Conrad Lee, who won 48.45 percent of the votes.
Bellevue is the third largest municipality in the Seattle area, Washington state, with a population of more than 151,800 according to the 2020 census.
The Bellevue City Council comprises seven members, serving four-year terms. The council members select a mayor and deputy mayor from among themselves. The council sets the general policies of the city, which are implemented by the city manager and staff.
Briar has written on her website that she ran for the office to "ensure we maintain our high quality of life while thoughtfully managing growth, supporting our neighborhood communities, and preserving what makes Bellevue special."
The city is known as one of the economic and technological hubs in the United States and a number of major technology companies in the city, including Pacer Health, Inc, T-Mobile and Valve Corporation. Amazon was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in the city.
Narine was born in Texas to a Kurdish father and mother from Sulaimani and Halabja, in the Kurdistan Region.
She is a graduate of Boston University.
Briar has gained 51.27 percent of the votes, defeating her competitor Conrad Lee, who won 48.45 percent of the votes.
Bellevue is the third largest municipality in the Seattle area, Washington state, with a population of more than 151,800 according to the 2020 census.
The Bellevue City Council comprises seven members, serving four-year terms. The council members select a mayor and deputy mayor from among themselves. The council sets the general policies of the city, which are implemented by the city manager and staff.
Briar has written on her website that she ran for the office to "ensure we maintain our high quality of life while thoughtfully managing growth, supporting our neighborhood communities, and preserving what makes Bellevue special."
The city is known as one of the economic and technological hubs in the United States and a number of major technology companies in the city, including Pacer Health, Inc, T-Mobile and Valve Corporation. Amazon was founded in 1994 by Jeff Bezos in the city.
Narine was born in Texas to a Kurdish father and mother from Sulaimani and Halabja, in the Kurdistan Region.
She is a graduate of Boston University.