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Bruce Harrell, Seattle Mayor: 5 things to know

By Ashli Blow and Casey McNerthney

Bruce Harrell file (Photo: Re-Elect Bruce Harrell campaign)

By Ashli Blow and Casey McNerthney

With Seattle Mayor Ed Murray resigning his position, City Council President Bruce Harrell became mayor Wednesday, and he has five days to decide if he wants to stay for the rest of the term.

Harrell would have to vacate his council seat and his two-year term to accept the interim mayor position. And in the event Harrell declines, the council would appoint someone else, possibly Councilman Tim Burgess or M. Lorena González.

Burgess ran for mayor previously and also served as council president last term. He is retiring this year, and thus does not risk losing his seat for the position.

>> Read 5 things to know about Burgess here 

González, the first council member to publicly ask Murray to step down, serves one of the two citywide representatives. She would have to vacate her seat, but she would likely be re-elected back to her council position in November.

>> Read 5 things to know about González here

Whoever serves as interim, will only do so for a short time. Depending on results from the upcoming November election, either candidate Jenny Durkan or Cary Moon will take mayor's office next.

Here’s what to know about Harrell.

1. He's served the community for three decades: With a mission to protect the right of the people and advocate for fairness, Harrell has received nearly a dozen awards for his community service. Bruce and his family live in the Mount Baker neighborhood, and he has been particularly recognized in the community for his pro bono attorney work with small businesses. He began his public service in 1979 working for the Seattle City Council under Council President Paul Kraabel.

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2. Bruce was U.W. football star: Bruce attended K-12 in Seattle Public Schools, graduating from Garfield High. He played football for the University of Washington (1978 Rose Bowl Champion, 1979 Sun Bowl Champion, 1st Team Academic All American and All Pac-10) and was subsequently elected to the UW Alumni Board of Trustees. He received the 2007 University of Washington Distinguished Alumni Award in Political Science and 2008 Husky Legend award. He also was a captain for the Garfield team that played in the 1975 Metro League championship at Memorial Stadium – a four-overtime battle declared as the greatest high school football game in the history of Washington State by both The Seattle Times and Post-Intelligencer. Some of the people Harrell played against in that game went on to be Husky teammates and fellow Rose Bowl champions in 1978. Harrell had a chance to play professional football, but skipped that to attend U.W. Law School.

3. He grew up in Seattle: Harrell's mother worked for the Seattle Public Library, and his father worked for Seattle City Light. Harrell was valedictorian of Garfield High School's class of 1976, and skipped a chance to go to Harvard to stay local and attend the University of Washington, where he was also a starting linebacker for football coach Don James. Harrell grew up in the Central District and worked for years after law school in the Rainier Valley. He remains friends with many of his Garfield classmates and peers he played against at Garfield, and at the U.W. Harrell was a Rose Bowl champion teammate of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon. Harrell received the University of Washington Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007, and in 2013 he was inducted into the Northwest Football Hall of Fame. His wife, Joanne, has worked for Microsoft since 2001, leading global sales and marketing efforts. She also is on the U.W. Board of Regents. Their daughter, Joyce, was a standout basketball player at Cleveland High, and the Harrell family lives in Seward Park.

4. His experience as an attorney: In 1984 Bruce graduated from UW's law school. Bruce's professional career excelled when, in 1987, he joined US WEST, now QWEST (Counsel, Senior Attorney and Chief Counsel). There he developed legal expertise in telecommunications, technology and complex negotiations. In 1998, he entered private practice where he served in a variety of leadership roles, representing children and seniors, employees and employers, affordable housing companies and small businesses.

5. He has been in office since 2008: After the 2007 primary, Harrell trailed challenger Venus Velázquez who took 44 percent of the vote to Harrell's 28 for Council Position 3. Many considered her the frontrunner until Velázquez was stopped for drunken driving in Ballard on Oct. 17 of that year, less than weeks before the election. Harrell did not make her arrest a campaign issue, and a jury found her not guilty late the following year. But Velázquez was charged before the November 6 election, and voters shifted to Harrell. At his election party, Harrell acknowledged the case was probably on the minds of voters. Harrell took the spotlight on police reform, asking questions about the August 2010 shooting of woodcarver John T. Williams, which a police firearms review board said was unjustified. The following year, he asked then-U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan to help get the Federal Government to mandate body cameras in Seattle. Harrell remained a champion of body cameras until they were included in the 2016 city budget. Harrell also was a sponsor of the $15 minimum wage, has supported the idea of a Seattle income tax. He was elected by his peers as City Council President in 2016.

Cox Media Group

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