SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan is not running for reelection, according to an announcement made Monday morning.
“We’ve accomplished a lot together,” Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan said in a YouTube campaign video, in which she announced that she will not run for reelection.
She talks about her work on free college, affordable housing and supporting marginalized communities.
“But we know 2020 changed everything. The pandemic hit us hard,” she said.
And then there were the protests related to the civil rights reckoning.
And then the criticism that came when protesters created their own autonomous zone on Capitol Hill.
And police tactics that led to a recall movement as even some usual allies demanded her to resign.
“It did not make my decision for me. This was a hard year, um, and it was a hard year on every level, including the civil rights uprisings, and the racial reckoning and how we do policing. And I think all us have learned a number of lessons from this year,” Durkan said.
The recall effort was thrown out by the state Supreme Court,
but organizers called Durkan’s decision not to run a victory.
“This is absolutely a victory for the campaign that we’re really excited about. And we hope that our work was not insignificant part of that decision,” said recall organizer Grace Harvey.
Durkan said the protests at her home didn’t influence her decision either.
“I truly believe I can’t spend all my time campaigning for the job and do the job. And I think I need to focus my energies on doing the job,” she said.
Now Seattle may see other established figures run for mayor.
King County Executive Dow Constantine, City Council President Lorena Gonzalez, Council Budget Chair Teresa Mosqueda and police Chief Carmen Best are among those talked about.
Southeast Seattle Economic Director Lance Randall has already filed for next year’s election.
Political strategist Christian Sinderman believes there will be more.
“Civic leaders, or business leaders or community leaders who would have an interest in this and present and find a unite Seattle to, to, to see if we can rally behind a vision for our future,” Sinderman said.
Durkan said she has not had any conversations with President-elect Joe Biden’s administration about a job.