Seattle Mayor

At a mobility and housing forum Wednesday, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell faced off with six challengers on a crowded primary election ballot. Here are the key takeaways.

Last week, former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz filed a lawsuit against the City and Mayor Bruce Harrell, alleging wrongful termination, retaliation, and wage theft. Beyond the monetary cost, the suit could be yet another political headwind for a mayor facing a tough reelection fight.

The idea of building affordable housing at Magnolia's former Army base has been in the works for two decades. With a key comment deadline passing this month, it's finally set to advance, but several major hurdles loom over the coming months.

Mayor Bruce Harrell’s $1.3 billion education levy is set to go to the ballot in November, but it could be weighed down by a controversial proposal to put police officers back in Seattle schools. Meanwhile, Harrell’s draft school safety plan has stalled out, which is drawing criticism from school board leaders that the City’s approach is ill-defined.

Important questions remain despite a newly unearthed report, including how police first obtained sensitive medical information, why the City’s inspector general continued to be directly involved, despite recusal due to conflict of interest, and why the Mayor’s Office opted to hire and accept the findings of another external consultant, following the original investigation’s sustained allegations.

The Urbanist will be co-hosting a Seattle candidate forum on June 4th in Beacon Hill along with allied housing and transportation organizations. It will be a fantastic chance to hear from candidates for Seattle Mayor and City Council. RSVP today!

A new Northwest Progressive Institute poll of Seattle voters that found challenger Katie Wilson had a slight lead over incumbent Bruce Harrell in the mayoral race, with 36% of respondents voting for challenger Katie Wilson if the general election for mayor were being held today, while 33% preferring incumbent Bruce Harrell, and 30% unsure.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has shrunk the dimensions of eight neighborhood centers and six urban center expansions he proposed last year. The move chops dozens of blocks off the growth centers, limiting opportunities for apartments and affordable homebuilding and drawing criticism from housing advocates.