Mike McGinn, former Seattle mayor, to run again

SEATTLE — Former Seattle mayor Mike McGinn first announced his candidacy on Monday by sending a tweet that simply read: “Keep Seattle McGinn 2017.”

McGinn, a former Sierra Club activist and attorney, was a strong advocate for transit options known for riding his bicycle to events. He opposed a $3.1 billion project to replace a downtown double-decker bridge with an underground tunnel, saying the money could be better spent on light rail.

An exclusive KIRO 7 poll during the 2013 race found that on a scale of one to 10, with one being "not at all effective" and 10 being "very effective," voters gave McGinn an average rating of 5.3 as mayor.

When McGinn conceded the mayoral race in 2013, he admitted that he “rubbed people the wrong way” during his time as Seattle mayor.

May 19 is the deadline for potential candidates to file.

Mayor Ed Murray took office in 2014. Murray, who led the push to increase Seattle's minimum wage to $15 an hour and has emerged as a critic of President Donald Trump's policies, was not expected to face serious competition for re-election.

Murray has been at the center of headlines recently over a lawsuit alleging that he sexually abused a homeless, drug-addicted teen in the 1980s.

With an upcoming election, Murray has publicly denied the claims. He does not plan to resign from his position and will seek re-election.

If McGinn wins, he would be the third Seattle mayor to win after a break.

Hiram C. Gill was elected in 1910 and recalled the following year. But he won reelection again in March 1914. John F. Dore also left office two years after his 1932 and was elected again in 1936.

Cox Media Group