Daron Morris, Former Candidate for King County Prosecutor, Is Dead at 45

Daron Morris reportedly died Friday at the age of 45. John E

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King County public defender and former candidate for King County prosecutor Daron Morris has passed away.

This news, which was confirmed by Morris's former campaign manager, was announced by local writer and activist Dae Shik Kim Hawkins, Jr. on Sunday.

RIP Daron Morris. Was an honor working for you on the KC Prosecutor campaign. You’re a really good guy and an amazing father. My favorite memory was scolding you for breathing too loud in the mic during our press tours. Thanks for giving me a chance to eat when I was struggling. pic.twitter.com/VnToXrUpXG

— Dae Shik Kim Hawkins Jr. (@daedaejr) February 17, 2019

According to a now-deleted post on the Elect Daron Morris Facebook page, Morris died unexpectedly on Friday. He was 45.

Morris, who dropped out of the King County prosecutor race six weeks before the election citing "medical reasons," was a progressive public defender who hoped to unseat incumbent Dan Satterberg. Morris was the first candidate to challenge Satterberg since he won election in 2007, and in an interview shortly after announcing his candidacy, Morris told The Stranger's former news editor Steven Hsieh that he decided to go into public defense while living in New York and becoming disillusioned with then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani's "broken windows policing," which disproportionately affects people of color. After graduating from law school at New York University, he worked for Legal Aid in New York for two years before moving to Seattle with his wife in 2001. In endorsement interviews with the Stranger Election Control Board, Morris emphasized his opposition to the King County Youth Jail as well as ending cash bail and other progressive reforms.

Morris's first wife died in 2014 after a battle with cancer. He is survived by his fiance and three children.

Note: This post has been updated with confirmation from Morris's former campaign manager and to correct the date of death. Morris reportedly died on Friday, not Saturday.