Who will become Seattle’s 55th mayor?
Sep 18, 2017, 6:23 AM | Updated: 7:06 am
Mayoral candidate Bruce Harrell. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle could have a new mayor by the end of the day on Monday.
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On Friday, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced he will not continue to serve as the city’s mayor. The role will be turned over to another city council member.
The council will likely nominate someone Monday to replace former Mayor Ed Murray, who resigned last week in the face of new sexual abuse allegations.
Council members don’t have to actually vote someone right away. They have another 15 days before they have to make a decision.
Councilmember Tim Burgess seems to be a favorite, as he’s retiring at the end of the year.
M. Lorena Gonzalez, council president pro tem, was another name being tossed around for mayor. However, she ended any speculation Monday morning.
“Over the past week, there has been much speculation about whether I would consider serving as the Interim Mayor in the wake of Ed Murray’s resignation from the Office of the Mayor,” she said in a statement. “I do not intend to seek a nomination to be the City of Seattle’s 55th Mayor.”
Burgess released a statement saying, “I intend to withhold comment on my intentions for considering an appointment to the Office of the Mayor until the Full Council convenes on Monday.”
In his short term as Seattle’s 54th mayor, Harrell signed four executive orders calling for the cleanup of Seattle’s grubbiest streets and requested a closer look into whether or not city accounts can be hacked into.
Harrell also said he’s throwing Seattle’s hat into the ring for Amazon’s second headquarters.
Whoever the council votes in will only serve until Nov. 28 when either Jenny Durkan or Cary Moon will take over.
