Local News

David Ishii, AKA Papa Bigfoot, a self-described West Seattle “character,” switched political races this week. He decided not to compete in the crowded race for Seattle mayor, but to instead challenge City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw, who is seeking her second term.

Ishii has raised no money for his campaigns and plans to collect signatures to qualify for the August primary ballot, rather than pay a filing fee.

Ishii said he continues to generate ideas. At a recent campaign forum, he said he proposed sending homeless people to Eastern Washington to pick fruit. He also promised to work closely with the Department of Justice to clean up corruption in the city.

In a telephone conversation, he said he used to golf with Al Capone. When told that Al Capone had been dead for some time, he had a quick comeback. “That’s a pseudonym,” Ishii said.

Promising to liven up the campaign, David Ishii, 56, a self-described poet and artist, filed paperwork Wednesday with the Seattle Ethics and Election Commission to run for mayor. He becomes the seventh person to announce his candidacy.

Ishii’s website, papabigfoot.com, features stream-of-consciousness campaign issues including cleaning up drugs, racketeering and major corruption. When asked about the corruption in a phone interview, Ishii said it’s being “investigated worldwide.” Ishii said he lives in subsidized housing in West Seattle and receives federal disability payments.

“I’m quite the character,” he said, and added about his candidacy, “At least it will make it interesting.”

This David Ishii should not be confused with the late Pioneer Square used bookseller, David Ishii, who died in February.