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Bruce Harrell Elected Mayor of Seattle as City Eyes Turnaround

Bruce Harrell Elected Mayor of Seattle as City Eyes Turnaround

Bruce Harrell, a former Seattle City Council president, won the race for mayor in Washington state’s largest city, defeating the council’s current president M. Lorena Gonzalez.

Harrell, seen as the more moderate of the two candidates, led 62% to 38% as more mail-in ballots were tabulated today. With a dwindling number of ballots remaining to be received and counted, Harrell declared victory and Gonzalez conceded. Harrell, 63, who served as interim mayor in 2017, would be the first elected Asian-American and second Black Seattle mayor. 

Bruce Harrell Elected Mayor of Seattle as City Eyes Turnaround

Seattle is a city facing rising homelessness and concerns about crime in the downtown commercial area, as some businesses including Amazon.com Inc. eye growth in nearby locales with lower crime rates. 

Harrell favors sweeps of homeless camps and wants to add 1,000 shelter units in his first six months and 2,000 in the first year, paid for with existing city funds and corporate philanthropy. He’s been criticized by some for support from real estate magnates and donors to Donald Trump. 

Washington State votes entirely by mail and ballots cast by 8 pm Tuesday will still be counted, so final vote totals may not be available for several days. 

Harrell will replace Jenny Durkan, a former U.S. Attorney, who declined to seek a second term.

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