Former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn looking to oust Ed Murray

Apr 17, 2017, 8:50 AM | Updated: 9:48 am

Former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn plans to run for office once again. (AP)

(AP)

BY MYNORTHWEST STAFF

MyNorthwest.com

Former Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is planning to run for mayor once again.

A cryptic tweet was sent out Monday morning.

pic.twitter.com/xMfUxdYiMO

— Mike McGinn (@mayormcginn) April 17, 2017

The tweet was followed up with a press release that says, “Media event follows this morning’s announcement of his candidacy for Seattle Mayor.”

McGinn served as mayor from Jan. 1, 2010 to Dec. 31, 2013. He lost his shot at a second term when Murray defeated him in 2013 — Murray won with 52 percent of the vote.

While in office, McGinn, a former Sierra Club activist and attorney, was an advocate for alternative transit and was known for frequently riding his bicycle to city events. He opposed the Seattle tunnel, arguing that the money would be better used on light rail.

During an exit interview with McGinn in 2013, the former mayor told KIRO Radio that when he took office, he didn’t owe anybody anything, which made it easier for him to accomplish what he thought was right.

“I didn’t owe anybody anything and nobody owed me anything,” he said.

McGinn’s decision to run comes weeks before the filing deadline for the election, and less than two weeks after The Seattle Times broke the story of a lawsuit alleging that current Mayor Ed Murray allegedly raped a boy in the 1980s.

It was just a few months ago when it appeared that Mayor Murray would either run unopposed, or with little competition. Now, eight people have officially filed — with McGinn soon to follow.

None of the candidates come close to the contributions Murray has received, however. Murray has received $374,827 in contributions.

Since his time as mayor ended, McGinn hasn’t stayed completely out of the spotlight. He has been critical of the city’s ability to handle its growing population and the region’s traffic problems.

McGinn also became critical of Mayor Murray’s travel expenses back in 2015, after it was reported that Murray was spending thousands on travel, which included an approximate $36,000 budget for a five-day trip to Israel.

He also hosted a podcast on KIRO Radio, which focused on controversial issues.

The primary election will be Aug. 1. The general election will be Nov. 7.