Liem Tuai

Liem Eng Tuai (1925–2003) was a member of the Seattle City Council from 1969 to 1973. In 1977, he was appointed a judge in the King County Superior Court and served until 1996.

Early life and education

Tuai was born in Port Townsend, Washington in 1925, the son of working-class Chinese immigrants. He dropped out of Bremerton High School to work at Boeing as a machinist and at the family restaurant. He would also hold a position in the General Services Administration and work as a private attorney. On May 19, 1969, Tuai, a Republican, was appointed to fill the seat to preserve the political makeup of the council.

Tuai was a self-described moderate Republican who was fiscally conservative and pro-business. the protestors accused Tuai of being a sellout and got into heated arguments with speakers while throwing mudballs at them. On October 2, 1973, he resigned from the city council to run for mayor against incumbent Wesley C. Uhlman. In 1974, he lost election for a seat on the Washington Supreme Court and in 1975 he would lose his election to rejoin the council to council member John Miller.

King County Superior Court In 1977, Tuai was appointed by Governor Dixy Lee Ray to one of five newly created King County Superior Court positions. He planned on retiring in 1995 but decided to retire in 1996 to help the county reduce the high caseload.

Personal life Tuai met his wife, Winnie Joyce Eng, in 1950 and were married five months later. They were married for 46 years until she died of lung cancer in 1997. They had three sons together.

On March 2, 2003, Tuai died of lung cancer.