Tag Archives: Seattle Mayoral Race

Features

The 2021 Seattle Mayor’s Race by the Numbers

by Erica C. Barnett

With just over a month to go before the 2021 Seattle mayoral election, both Lorena González and Bruce Harrell have amassed financial support worth well over a million dollars, including both direct contributions (which are capped at $550) and independent expenditures (which are unlimited). But a closer look at campaign contributions and expenditures reveals key differences between the candidates’ supporters and how they’re spending their campaign funds.

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Voices

OPINION: Political Intermission

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by Lola E. Peters

Act One was the campaign. We met the players, learned their public backstories, got hints about their character, and were introduced to the context of their stories. Act Two was the primary: a much shorter period where we learned about ourselves. Through social media, on Zoom calls, and over outdoor happy hour snacks we asked, “Who are you voting for?” or “Can you believe so-and-so is voting for so-and-so?” The end of Act Two revealed who were the players representing minor, though no less important, voices but no longer primary participants in the current play. We also learned whose dramatic arcs would move forward to the next act. 

Here I sit, in the lobby, looking around at my fellow voters, wondering what they were thinking. 

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News

The Morning Update Show — 6/24/21

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The Morning Update Show — hosted by Trae Holiday and The Big O (Omari Salisbury) — is the only weekday news and information livestream that delivers culturally relevant content to the Pacific Northwest’s urban audience. Omari and Trae analyze the day’s local and national headlines as well as melanin magic in our community. Watch live every weekday at 11 a.m. on any of the following channels, hosted by Converge Media: YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Periscope, and whereweconverge.com.

We also post the Morning Update Show here on the Emerald each day after it airs, so you can catch up any time of day while you peruse our latest posts.

Morning Update Show — Thursday, June 24

LIVE — Gusti Clark | Seattle Mayoral Candidates & Reparations | Taking B(l)ack Pride Update | Critical Race Theory

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News

The Morning Update Show — 6/8/21

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The Morning Update Show — hosted by Trae Holiday and The Big O (Omari Salisbury) — is the only weekday news and information livestream that delivers culturally relevant content to the Pacific Northwest’s urban audience. Omari and Trae analyze the day’s local and national headlines as well as melanin magic in our community. Watch live every weekday at 11 a.m. on any of the following channels, hosted by Converge Media: YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Periscope, and whereweconverge.com.

We also post the Morning Update Show here on the Emerald each day after it airs, so you can catch up any time of day while you peruse our latest posts.

Morning Update Show — Tuesday, June 8

LIVE — Colleen Echohawk | East Precinct: Who Gave the Order? | Bitter Times at Bitter Lake | Homelessness Key Issue in Mayors Race | Shameful Legacy of Native American Boarding Schools

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News

Deputy Mayor Casey Sixkiller Announces Run for Mayor

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by Erica C. Barnett

(This article originally appeared on PubliCola and has been reprinted under an agreement.)

Deputy Mayor Casey Sixkiller joined the crowded race for mayor Tuesday, May 4, after months of hinting that he would make an announcement soon. He told PubliCola that, if elected, he would propose a bond measure, backed by a property tax increase, to build 3,000 new permanent homes for people experiencing homelessness; back a local version of universal basic income; and work to find “common ground” between people on all sides of the homelessness issue.

“If there’s one issue that we can all agree on, it’s that the conditions of our parks and our streets is unacceptable, and despite spending a record amount of money, homelessness has gotten worse,” Sixkiller said. “One part of the strategy for homelessness going forward is, number one, continuing to move more folks inside and creating safe spaces for people to move into shelter, but second, we’ve got to build or require more permanent places for folks to [live].”

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News

Q&A: Bruce Harrell, Councilmember Who Grew Up in Central District, Runs for Mayor

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by M. Anthony Davis

Bruce Harrell, who served as Seattle City Councilmember for 12 years, has announced he’s running for mayor. Harrell’s time on the City Council included serving as Council President, and for five days in 2017, he was acting mayor after former Mayor Ed Murray resigned. Ultimately, Harrell decided to return to his seat on the Council instead of finishing out Murray’s term. In 2019, Harrell stepped down from his role on the Council and decided not to run for reelection.

Now, Harrell, who was raised in the Central District, attended the University of Washington, and is a longtime community leader, is back and ready to run for mayor. The Emerald had a chance to catch up with Harrell and discuss his plans for the future of Seattle. Our conversation covers why Harrell decided to come back to local politics, his views on homelessness and policing, his plans to rejuvenate local businesses, and what it means to be a Seattle native with the opportunity to lead the city in these tumultuous times.  

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News

Mayoral Candidate Jessyn Farrell Wants Post-COVID Seattle To Be Better For All

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by Mark Van Streefkerk

Jessyn Farrell is a former state legislator and activist who officially announced her candidacy for Mayor on March 18. Farrell served in the Washington House of Representatives from 2013 to 2017, and ran for mayor in 2017, finishing fourth behind Jenny Durkan, Cary Moon, and Nikkita Oliver.

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News

Former Legislator Jessyn Farrell Announces Candidacy for Mayor

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by Andrew Engelson

Jessyn Farrell, who previously represented north Seattle as the 46th legislative district legislator in the Washington State House of Representatives; ran for mayor in 2017; and served as executive director of the Transportation Choices Coalition (TCC), announced her candidacy for mayor of Seattle on Thursday, March 18.

“This is a really hard time,” Farrell told the Emerald in a brief interview. “People are facing really significant challenges, whether it’s economic hardship, racial injustice, isolation, or remote schooling. And things are made all the harder by a lack of real leadership.”

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News

A Guide to Democracy Vouchers

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by Mark Van Streefkerk

If you’re a registered voter and Seattle resident, you’ve probably already received your Democracy Vouchers in the mail. You’ll recognize them in that the envelope looks a bit like your election ballot, though they come from the City of Seattle. The Democracy Vouchers Program automatically distributes four $25 vouchers to all registered voters that can be used to support participating candidates for City of Seattle office. You can participate in the voucher program even if you’re not registered to vote. The idea behind the program is to provide public funds to candidates who might otherwise not have the financial resources to run a campaign and to allow more Seattle residents to donate to candidates they support.

Maybe you’ve already used your vouchers, maybe you’re unsure how to use them, or even accidentally threw them in the recycling bin. (Don’t worry, there’s an easy fix for that!) The following is a guide on how to use Democracy Vouchers, including how to receive them in any of 18 languages and where you can find out more information about each candidate. 

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News

Q&A: Mayoral Candidate Andrew Grant Houston Shares His Vision for Seattle, Starting With Housing and Climate Justice

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by Mark Van Streefkerk

Andrew Grant Houston, AIA, Founder and Design Head of House Cosmopolitan and Board Member of Futurewise, officially announced his run for Mayor on Jan. 12, and he is clear about the cornerstone of his campaign: housing. The queer, Black, and Latino architect and small business owner has a vision for meeting the demand for affordable housing in Seattle, and is eager to share just how housing is directly linked to climate justice and defunding the police by 50%. Houston serves as Interim Policy Manager for Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, and is a member of AIA Seattle, Share The Cities, The Pike/Pine Urban Neighborhood Council, The Sunrise Movement, and the 43rd Democrats. He plans on contributing a portion of the campaign funds he receives to mutual aid groups he has worked with over the last year. 

Houston, also known as “Ace,” recently spoke with the  Emerald, telling us about his background, and the immediate actions Seattle needs to take in the next eight years to curb climate change. Check out his website at agh4sea.com.

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