Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is running for re-election in 2025

Bruce Harrell wants to be the first Seattle mayor to be elected to a second term in nearly 15 years. His re-election campaign has officially been launched.

“During my first term, we’ve made real progress and put our One Seattle approach into action — advancing our shared priorities by uniting the people of our city together around common values," Harrell said in a statement, shortly after his re-election campaign filed paperwork with the city's Ethics and Elections Commission.

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Harrell's statement goes on to say his administration has "delivered public safety solutions, kept parks and sidewalks open and accessible while moving people into shelter and housing with services, made historic investments in affordable housing, prioritized a transportation system focused on safety, and passed nation-leading climate legislation."

But Harrell says there is "more work to do." His campaign announcement, however, is light on what that work includes, other than to say that Seattle needs to keep "moving forward as a city that is welcoming, affordable, and safe."

Harrell's campaign aims to break Seattle's somewhat shaky mayoral record in recent years. Greg Nickels was the last mayor to serve more than one term in office (2002-2010). Mike McGinn served one term. In 2017, Mayor Ed Murray resigned amid allegations of past sexual abuse. After that, Harrell stepped in to act as mayor for a week, then Councilmember Tim Burgess looked over the office for a few weeks until Jenny Durkan was elected. Durkan served one term.

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Harrell ran for mayor against his council colleague Lorena González in 2021 and was elected with nearly 59% of the vote.

His re-election campaign touts increased shelter referrals, a roughly 80% reduction in tent encampments, and a 60% decrease in RVs. However, it doesn't cite how many of those people have made it off the street and into stable housing. Harrell's campaign also notes that wages for human service providers went up under his administration, and the city established "a dual public health and public safety approach to the crisis of fentanyl" that contributed to "an 18% reduction in fatal overdoses."

Harrell's office formed the Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE) department which combined 911 responses with behavioral health providers. And as the city grapples with a shortage of law enforcement officers, the mayor's campaign says that job applications for the Seattle Police Department are up the highest they've been in 10 years.

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Harrell is also pointing to the $1.5 billion “Keep Seattle Moving” transportation levy that was passed under his administration, as well as a range of climate initiatives, and his Downtown Activation Plan (to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup). That plan included addressing crime and drugs in the downtown core. While some call it a success, others argue that this element has simply moved over to the Chinatown-International District, which has suffered dramatic incidents ranging from shootings to a mass stabbing spree.

As Harrell's campaign kicks off, it's already showcasing a range of endorsements from local officials, mostly from the Democratic Party, some of whom include:

• Governor-elect Bob Ferguson
• Attorney General-elect Nick Brown
• State Senators Jamie Pedersen, Joe Nguyen, and Javier Valdez, as well as State Representatives Lauren Davis, Chipalo Street, David Hackney, and Sharon Tomiko Santos, all of whom represent parts of Seattle
• Congressmembers Pramila Jayapal and Marilyn Strickland
• King County Executive Dow Constantine
• Mayors from neighboring cities, such as Tacoma's Victoria Woodards, Bellevue's Lynne Robinson, Renton's Armondo Pavone, Redmond's Angela Birney, Kent's Dana Ralph, and Auburn's Nancy Backus.

Former officials have also given Harrell their support, such as Governors Gary Locke and Christine Gregoire, and former Seattle Mayors Greg Nickels, Norm Rice, and Wes Uhlman.

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