Girmay Zahilay was sworn in as the 10th King County executive Tuesday, promising a local government that “can help people and change lives,” as he became the youngest person, the first immigrant and the first refugee to lead Washington’s largest county.

Zahilay, 38, takes over from an appointed executive rather than an elected one so he was sworn in immediately after his election victory was officially certified on Tuesday, jumping over the typical weekslong transition process.

“I want a county government that feels accessible and present and human,” Zahilay told a packed room of 200 supporters and elected officials at the NewHolly Gathering Hall in South Seattle.

Zahilay takes office at a time when the federal government has rarely, if ever, been more hostile to immigrants and refugees

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