Kirsten Harris-Talley served on City Council for 51 days in the fall of 2017, completing Tim Burgess's term in Position 8 while he served as Mayor after Ed Murray's resignation. Harris-Talley grew up in rural Missouri, later moving to Chicago to attend the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she earned an associate's degree. She moved to Seattle in 1999 and got her bachelor's degree from the University of Washington. She worked as a nonprofit director and organizer in progressive organizations, including working as program director for the Progress Alliance.