PRIMARY: Seattle will likely have first female mayor since 1928
Updated at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 3 with latest results:
Seattle will very, very, very likely have a female mayor — the first time since 1928, when Bertha K. Landes cleaned up city hall and the police department with her slogan, "Municipal housekeeping."
On Thursday afternoon, Jenny Durkan continued to lead, with 30.2 percent of the vote. That was a slight dip from the day before.
Cary Moon remained in second, now with 16.7 percent.
Nikkita Oliver is in third with 14.9 percent.
The next results will be released at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
Moon has indicated that if she advances to the general, she hopes for Oliver’s support. At her primary night party, she said: “I think Nikkita’s movement is big and it’s important and it’s been a groundswell for people who have not been involved in politics. As well as a lot of people who are ready for big social justice change.”
Of Jenny Durkan, Moon was less enthusiastic: “Jenny has raised a lot of money and has a lot of support in the establishment sort of world.”
Oliver emphasized to KUOW on Wednesday that she is not conceding or endorsing — yet. She believes that later results could be in her favor — and said that her campaign is prepared to scrutinize ballots that get disqualified.
But she signaled that if Moon moved onto the primary, she would support her over Durkan.
“I think it’s important to align with the candidate who is going to serve the interests of the most vulnerable in our city,” Oliver said. “Of the two that are currently looking like they’ll move through the primary, Cary is the one to have shown to have the strongest analysis around what that means, and the most willingness to be corrected when she’s wrong.”
The top two candidates will advance to the general election in November.
Other top mayoral candidates:
Jessyn Farrell: 12.4 percent
Bob Hasegawa: 8.6 percent
Mike McGinn: 6.7 percent
Seattle City Council, Position 8
Teresa Mosqueda: 31.7 percent
Jon Grant: 25.4 percent
Sara Nelson: 22.7 percent
Prop. 1: Sales tax for cultural access program
Rejected: 52.8 percent
Approved: 47.2 percent
About 20,000 more ballots were counted on Thursday; it's unclear how many are still outstanding. The ballots of 30.8 percent of registered voters have been counted so far — that number should rise somewhat in coming days as the count continues.
Twenty-one candidates ran for mayor this year, with six leading the pack. Among them, four women: Cary Moon, Nikkita Oliver, Jenny Durkan and Jessyn Farrell.
At her primary night party downtown, candidate Cary Moon said that her campaign and Nikkita Oliver’s campaign have “changed the terrain a lot” for Seattle politics.
“I think Nikkita’s movement is big and it’s important and it’s been a groundswell for people who have not been involved in politics,” Moon said. “As well as a lot of people who are ready for big social justice change.”
Of Jenny Durkan, Moon was less enthusiastic: “Jenny has raised a lot of money and has a lot of support in the establishment sort of world.”
At the election night party for Teresa Mosqueda – running for Seattle City Council position 8 – one supporter said that she believes that identity politics shouldn’t be viewed negatively. Mosqueda was leading her race with 30.8 percent of the vote. Jon Grant came in second with 24.5 percent.
“I think identity politics has been deemed a derogatory term, but I don’t like that it’s a derogatory term,” she said. “In addition to proven leadership, it’s amazing and it will inspire candidates and more young women and women of color to run for office, and I’m all about that.”
