Joy Hollingsworth | |
|---|---|
 Joy Hollingsworth, 2024 | |
| Member of theSeattle City Council from District 3 | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Kshama Sawant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1984-03-15)March 15, 1984 (age 41) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Seattle, Washington |
| Occupation | Business owner |
Jacqueline J. "Joy" Hollingsworth[1] (born March 15, 1984) is an American politician, businessperson, and former basketball player. She is a member of theSeattle City Council from the 3rd district, having been elected in 2023. She played basketball at the college level for theUniversity of San Francisco and later theUniversity of Arizona. She served as an assistant coach atSeattle University. Hollingsworth is now part of her family's localmarijuana business, The Hollingsworth Cannabis Company (THC Co.), which is based inWashington.
Joy Hollingsworth was born in Seattle on March 15, 1984.[2] Hollingsworth's paternal grandmother,Dorothy Hollingsworth, was a prominent educator and civil rights activist in Seattle.[3] Her uncle is formerSonics player,Bruce Seals.[4] Hollingsworth's mother, Rhonda, moved fromNew Orleans toSeattle to be closer to her brother, Bruce.[4]
Hollingsworth played forSeattle Prep and led the basketball team to their first girl's state title in 2002.[4][5] She started playingcollege basketball at theUniversity of San Francisco and then later transferred to theUniversity of Arizona after two years.[6] She earned her Bachelor of Arts in 2007 from the University of Arizona and in 2009, earned a master's degree in Education in Intercollegiate Athletics Leadership from theUniversity of Washington.[6]
Before the 2009–2010 basketball season, she was hired as the assistant women's basketball coach atSeattle University.[7] Hollingsworth also played basketball inAthens, and has written forESPN The Magazine.[8]
Source[9]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | Points | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–03 | San Francisco | 29 | 309 | 40.7% | 36.1% | 80.6% | 5.0 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 10.7 |
| 2003–04 | San Francisco | 27 | 293 | 41.2% | 25.8% | 57.1% | 5.9 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 10.9 |
| 2004–05 | Did not play due to NCAA transfer rules | ||||||||||
| 2005–06 | Arizona | 30 | 431 | 43.3% | 33.3% | 56.1% | 6.0 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 14.4 |
| 2006–07 | Arizona | 32 | 518 | 39.5% | 28.4% | 74.8% | 5.3 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 16.2 |
| Career | 118 | 1551 | 41.1% | 11.1% | 66.7% | 10.3 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 13.1 | |
Hollingsworth left coaching in 2012.[7] In 2013, Hollingsworth's brother, Raft, convinced the family to begin and invest in amarijuana business, growing plants for their own business.[10] They opened the Hollingsworth Cannabis Company (THC Co.), located inShelton, with Hollingsworth overseeing processing.[11] Their marijuana farm has around 9,000 plants and appeared on an episode ofAnthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.[12][13]
Hollingsworth and her family were crucial in ensuring a law supporting more people of color entering the cannabis industry in Washington state passed.[13]
In January 2023, Hollingsworth announced that she would be running to represent District 3 on theSeattle City Council.[14] In her announcement, Hollingsworth state she would "develop and promote progressive and practical strategies to address root causes..."[15] Later that week, incumbentKshama Sawant, the council's only socialist member, announced that she would not run for reelection.[16]
In the primary, MayorBruce Harrell endorsed Hollingsworth of the eight challengers for the open seat.[17] She earned the most votes in the August election, with 36.87% of the vote, and advancing to the general election alongside transportation advocate Alex Hudson, who earned 36.53%.[18][19] Hollingsworth and Hudson agreed that homelessness, housing affordability, and public safety, but differed on approach, with Hollingsworth supporting moderate solutions and Hudson more progressive ones.[18] Hollingsworth advocated for increasing police staffing and supported the city council's bill to prosecute low-level drug offenses, while Hudson advocated for greater community investments and police alternatives.[20]
In the November general election, Hollingsworth defeated Hudson, 52.94% to 46.71%.[21][22]
Hollingsworth took office on January 2, 2024.[23] She was sworn in with five other new council members who all ran on a moderate platform, representing the largest turnover in the city council since 1911.[24]
In July 2024, Hollingsworth proposed legislation that would continue exempting businesses with less than 500 employees from matching the minimum wage for companies with 500+ employees and increasing the minimum wage based on inflation.[25] The plan was meant to advert small businesses from wages increasing by $3 per hour.[25] After public backlash from citizens, workers, and labor organizers, Hollingsworth pulled the bill, though she vowed to continue to advance the bill in the future.[26]
Hollingsworth also voted in favor of the controversial exclusionary zones known as the Stay Out of Drug Areas (SODA) and Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution (SOAP).[27] She added amendments that would create a SODA zone in the Capital Hill neighborhood to disrupt drug trafficking in the area.[27][28]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Joy Hollingsworth | 9,690 | 36.87% | |
| Nonpartisan | Alex Hudson | 9,601 | 36.53% | |
| Nonpartisan | Bobby Goodwin | 2,755 | 10.48% | |
| Nonpartisan | Alex Cooley | 1,118 | 4.25% | |
| Nonpartisan | Efrain Hudnell | 1,081 | 4.11% | |
| Nonpartisan | Andrew Ashiofu | 1,059 | 4.03% | |
| Nonpartisan | Ry Armstrong | 488 | 1.86% | |
| Nonpartisan | Shobhit Agarwal | 406 | 1.54% | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in | 82 | 0.31% | |
| Turnout | 26,824 | 36.33% | ||
| Registered electors | 73,844 | |||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Joy Hollingsworth | 17,805 | 52.94% | |
| Nonpartisan | Alex Hudson | 15,709 | 46.71% | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in | 119 | 0.35% | |
| Turnout | 34,584 | 46.77% | ||
| Registered electors | 73,945 | |||