Former state lawmaker Jessyn Farrell announces campaign for Seattle mayor
Mar 18, 2021, 10:41 AM
Jessyn Farrell. (Campaign courtesy photo)
(Campaign courtesy photo)
Another candidate has joined what’s fast becoming a crowded field for Seattle mayor, with former Washington state Rep. Jessyn Farrell unveiling her campaign Thursday.
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Farrell served as a Democrat in the state House for four years. She then left office to run for Seattle mayor in 2017, garnering over 21,000 votes and placing fourth in the August primaries behind Jenny Durkan, Cary Moon, and Nikkita Oliver. More recently, she’s served as senior vice president at Nick Hanauer’s Civic Ventures investment firm.
“We want to be proud of Seattle, but that feels so hard right now — people in our city are struggling,” Farrell said in her campaign launch video.
A Seattle that is just, plentiful, and works for everyone is possible, but only if we work together to make it happen. I have some bold plans, like free childcare and affordable housing for all that will transform our economy. Join me in the fight for bold, profound progress! pic.twitter.com/a7PAZflrW0
— Jessyn Farrell (@jessynfarrell) March 18, 2021
Farrell bills herself as an advocate for transit, evidenced by her role in campaigning for 2016’s massive voter-approved ST3 transportation package.
On her campaign website, she also vows to “enact the progressive policies we know will grow our economy, create broad prosperity, and give Seattle an unbeatable competitive advantage in attracting family-wage jobs post-pandemic.”
Farrell joins a race that already includes former Council President Bruce Harrell, as well as early fundraising frontrunners Colleen Echohawk, Lorena Gonzalez, Andrew Grant Houston, and Lance Randall.
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She boasts four early endorsements for her nascent campaign: state Rep. David Hackney, Seattle City Councilmember Dan Strauss, Grist CEO Brady Walkinshaw, and Byrd Barr Place CEO Andrea Caupain.
There are now 15 total candidates running to replace exiting incumbent Mayor Jenny Durkan, who announced late last year that she would not be seeking a second term. The official filing window for mayoral campaigns in Seattle will span five days between May 17 and May 21, 2021.
