Who’s Operating for Mayor in Seattle?

In DecemberJenny Durkan announced that she will not seek a second term as mayor of Seattle. This was followed by weeks of speculation about possible replacements. But 2021 has brought more clarity. While none of our Very Serious candidates have entered the race, a few others have. Here’s who’s running for Seattle Mayor this year (in alphabetical order).

Henry Clay Dennison

The Socialist Workers Party candidate for governor in 2020 put his name in for the top post in Seattle. Dennison is a rail worker and a member of the SMART TD union. He has also worked as a miner in Alabama and West Virginia.

Dennison seeks to unite the working class against racism and police violence, to defend women’s rights to abortion, and to support migrant workers in the United States. He supports workers’ demands in response to what his party sees as the crisis of capitalism.

In this interview you can find out more about his political positions.

James Donaldson

The former SuperSonic is running for mayor again after an unsuccessful bid in 2009. After retiring from basketball, Donaldson opened a physical therapy clinic. Since then, he has focused on speaking (and writing) about mental health awareness and suicide prevention.

Donaldson no longer believes that Seattle can accept the “status quo”. He wants the city to address the causes of the homelessness crisis and find sustainable housing solutions. he believes that sheltered camps should not be allowed in parks and streets. Bringing jobs back downtown is a priority for Donaldson as the local city council can focus on “parks, streets, a thriving downtown and helping our neighbors.”

You can find out more about Donaldson’s campaign here.

Colleen Echohawk

The executive director of the Chief Seattle Club, a nonprofit daycare and human services agency that supports Alaskan Indians and Native Americans, announced her candidacy in late January. She is an enrolled member of the Kithehaki Band of the Pawnee Nation and a member of the Upper Athabascan People of Mentasta Lake.

As the founder of the Coalition to End Homelessness in Indigenous Cities, Echohawk has made affordable housing and rededication a focus of its campaign. It seeks investment in community-run businesses and organizations to help curb health and economic inequalities exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. And she wants to set up a “public safety department with community mental health workers and neighborhood liaison officers to serve the members of our community hardest hit by racial injustice and the Covid-19 pandemic.”

You can find out more about Echohawk’s campaign here.

Jessyn Farrell

The former legislature has decided to fight again for the highest political post in Seattle. In 2017 she finished fourth in elementary school. She is currently Senior Vice President at Civic Ventures, a think tank. She graduated from the University of Washington and Boston College Law School.

Farrell’s platform includes universal childcare up to the age of 5 and a focus on affordable housing. Small businesses and workers are a priority. She wants to offer wearable benefits to those who don’t currently have these options. And as a former executive director of the nonprofit Transportation Choices Coalition, improvements to transit (see: West Seattle Bridge) are on her mind.

Find out more about Farrell’s campaign here.

M. Lorena González

The President of Seattle City Council officially entered the race in early February. González grew up in a migrant farm family in Central Washington. Before being elected to the Council in 2015, she worked as a civil rights attorney. She received her law degree from Seattle University.

González’s campaign focuses on economic and social justice. She believes that the future Seattle neighborhoods should be diverse and “complete” with parks, grocery stores, common areas, daycare, schools, and affordable arts and entertainment. Housing should be affordable for everyone, with routes to permanent housing for those without homes. Policing should be “demilitarized” and action to combat climate change should boost economies in overlooked communities.

You can find out more about González’s campaign here.

Bruce Harrell

In March, the former Seattle city council president announced his campaign in an “open letter” to the city. The Garfield High School and University of Washington graduate served in the city’s top position for five days following Ed Murray’s resignation in 2017. Four years earlier, Harrell finished Murray and others in the running for the removal of Mayor Mike McGinn.

In his letter, Harrell says helping small and minority businesses, providing affordable health care across the city, investing directly in the neighborhood, creating an employment center, and supporting the arts are central to the city’s economic recovery are. He advocates police reform that focuses on training rather than budget. And his approach to tackling the homelessness crisis would include forming a nonprofit partnership that allows businesses and local residents to contribute time and money to the cause.

Find out more about Harrell’s campaign here.

Rodney Holt

The founder of Nonprofit Balance Due joined the field in February. Holt describes himself as a minister, war veteran, and member of the American Legion.

Holt’s platform is business-friendly, he says. Building partnerships with some of Seattle’s largest companies will be a priority of his campaign. However, his focus is on solving the city’s most pressing problems, including homelessness and economic inequality.

You can find out more about Holt’s campaign here.

Andrew Grant Houston

Interim Political Manager for Councilor Teresa Mosqueda announced his candidacy in the early days of 2021. Houston’s campaign announcement describes him as a strange black and Latin American architect, small business owner and activist who lives on Capitol Hill. He is a member of the Sunrise Movement and the 43rd District Democrats, among others.

Houston’s platform is focused on climate change and housing. He believes that economic change, including fair wages, worker ownership and mass investment in sustainable infrastructure, is required to respond to the environmental crisis. Rehabilitation of the Duwamish River and Elliott Bay are on his agenda, as is increasing the stock of public housing and communal land trusts. Also promoting an “unprecedented” live music scene.

Find out more about Houston’s campaign here.

Lance Randall

The director of economic development at SEED Seattle entered the race long before incumbent Jenny Durkan resigned in 2020. Georgia-born Randall worked under a Senator and later under Congressman Sanford D. Bishop Jr. He joined the Seattle Economic Development Bureau in 2007 before leaving in 2015.

In a campaign letter, Randall mentions rebuilding the city’s economy after the pandemic, tackling homelessness and ensuring public safety as priorities. He believes that the city must form coalitions for this and that his years of experience working with governments, companies, non-profit organizations, educational institutions and other professional associations prepared him for the task.

Find out more about Randall’s campaign here.

The rest of the pack

Jeffrey Applegate, Matthew Ervin, Asukaa Jaxx, Thomas knowledge, Mona Radheshwar, and Don L. Rivers have also registered campaigns for mayors. Learn more about Jaxx in this article. Radheshwar’s website provides some platform guidance. There’s not much about Applegate, Kennis, or Ervin whose filing only includes the tagline “Make Seattle Great Again”.