Nick Licata is from a working class family where neitherparent graduated from high school. Licata, who couldn’t readuntil the age of nine, was the first of his relatives to attendcollege. He led the local chapter of Students for a DemocraticSociety (SDS) at Bowling Green State University and subsequentlywas elected student body president.

He became a Seattle city councilmember despite being significantly outspentand the majority of the council, the mayor, and bothdaily newspapers supporting his opponent. Elected to fiveterms, in 2012 he was named by the Nation as ProgressiveMunicipal Official of the Year and twice named Best LocalPolitician by the Seattle Weekly. In 2003, Licata authored thechildren’s novel Princess Bianca and the Vandals.