Mayor of Seattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mayor of Seattle |
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Government of Seattle | |
Style | The Honorable |
Term length | 4 years |
Inaugural holder | Henry A. Atkins |
Formation | December 2, 1869 |
The Mayor of Seattle is like the main boss of the city government in Seattle, Washington. Think of them as the leader of the city's "executive branch," which is the part of government that carries out laws. The mayor makes sure the laws passed by the Seattle City Council (the group that makes laws) are followed. They also guide the different city departments and their leaders.
The mayor serves for four years at a time. There's no limit to how many times someone can be mayor. People vote for the mayor in city-wide elections that have two main parts. Candidates don't run as members of a political party, so they are called "nonpartisan."
Since Henry A. Atkins became the first mayor in 1869, 56 different people have held this important job. In 1926, Bertha Knight Landes made history as the first female mayor of a major city in the United States. Some mayors have served terms that weren't back-to-back, and a few have even resigned or faced special "recall" elections where citizens vote to remove them. Charles Royer was mayor for the longest time, serving three full terms from 1978 to 1990.
The current mayor is Bruce Harrell, who started his term on January 1, 2022. He is the first Asian-American mayor and the second African-American mayor in Seattle's history.
Contents
How Seattle's Mayor Role Began
Seattle first became a town on January 14, 1865. It was managed by a group called a "board of trustees." Charles C. Terry was the head of this board. However, the town status didn't last long, and Seattle stopped being an official town on January 28, 1867.
Seattle became a town again on December 2, 1869. This time, a new city plan, called a "city charter," was created. This charter officially set up the job of mayor. Henry A. Atkins was chosen as Seattle's first mayor by the state government. He was then elected by the people on July 11, 1870.
In 1890, a new city charter was approved. This charter changed the mayor's term from one year to two years. It also said that a mayor couldn't serve two terms in a row. The rules also stated that elections would happen in March. To be mayor, a person had to be at least 30 years old and live in Seattle for two years.
Later, in 1946, voters approved another new city charter. This one made the mayor's term even longer, from two years to four years. This change started with the elections in 1948. Finally, in 1969, the rules about the mayor's age and how long they had to live in the city were removed from the charter.
What the Mayor Does
The mayor is in charge of the "executive branch" of Seattle's city government. This means they are responsible for making sure the city's daily operations run smoothly. The mayor appoints and manages the leaders of 25 different city departments and groups. These leaders work directly for the mayor.
If the mayor is away or can't do their job for a short time, the president of the Seattle City Council steps in. They become the "mayor pro tem" (which means "for the time being") until the mayor returns.
How Mayors are Elected and Replaced
The mayor is chosen in a city-wide election every four years. This election has two main parts. First, there's a primary election in August. Then, the two candidates who get the most votes in the primary go on to the general election in November. These elections are "non-partisan," meaning candidates don't run as part of a political party.
If the mayor's job becomes empty (for example, if the mayor resigns or passes away), the president of the city council becomes mayor for five days to quickly fill the spot. If the council president doesn't want to stay mayor, the city council can vote to choose one of their own members to be the new mayor. The person chosen from the city council would have to give up their council seat until the next election. Sometimes, a newly elected mayor can start their job earlier than January 1 if the election results are official and the city council agrees.
The city council can also remove a mayor from office. This requires a vote of two-thirds of the council members. They can do this if the mayor seriously fails to do their job or commits a serious wrongdoing.
List of Seattle's Mayors
# | Photo | Mayor | Took office | Left office | Election results and notes | |
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1 | ![]() |
Henry A. Atkins | December 2, 1869 | July 31, 1871 | Appointed on December 2, 1869. Elected July 11, 1870. | |
2 | ![]() |
John T. Jordan | July 31, 1871 | July 29, 1872 | Elected July 10, 1871. | |
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Corliss P. Stone | July 29, 1872 | February 23, 1873 | Elected July 8, 1872. Left office on February 23, 1873. | |
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John T. Jordan | April 5, 1873 | June 5, 1873 | Appointed to fill position until a special election. | ||
4 | ![]() |
Moses R. Maddocks | June 5, 1873 | August 3, 1873 | Won special election on June 5, 1873. | |
5 | ![]() |
John Collins | August 3, 1873 | August 2, 1874 | Elected on July 14, 1873. | |
6 | ![]() |
Henry Yesler | August 2, 1874 | August 2, 1875 | Elected July 13, 1874. | |
7 | ![]() |
Bailey Gatzert | August 2, 1875 | July 31, 1876 | Elected August 2, 1875. | |
8 | ![]() |
Gideon A. Weed | July 31, 1876 | July 29, 1878 | Elected July 10, 1876, and re-elected July 9, 1877. | |
9 | ![]() |
Beriah Brown | July 29, 1878 | August 3, 1879 | Elected July 8, 1878. | |
10 | ![]() |
Orange Jacobs | August 3, 1879 | August 2, 1880 | Elected July 14, 1879. | |
11 | ![]() |
Leonard P. Smith | August 2, 1880 | July 31, 1882 | Elected July 12, 1880. | |
12 | ![]() |
Henry G. Struve | July 31, 1882 | August 3, 1884 | Elected July 10, 1882, and re-elected July 9, 1883. | |
13 | ![]() |
John Leary | August 3, 1884 | August 3, 1885 | Elected July 14, 1884. | |
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Henry Yesler | August 3, 1885 | August 2, 1886 | Elected July 13, 1885, to a second term. | ||
14 | ![]() |
William H. Shoudy | August 2, 1886 | August 1, 1887 | Elected July 12, 1886. | |
15 | ![]() |
Thomas T. Minor | August 1, 1887 | July 30, 1888 | Elected July 11, 1887. | |
16 | ![]() |
Robert Moran | July 30, 1888 | August 3, 1890 | Elected July 9, 1888, and re-elected July 8, 1889. | |
17 | ![]() |
Harry White | August 3, 1890 | December 9, 1891 | Elected July 14, 1890. Resigned on November 30, 1891. | |
18 | ![]() |
George W. Hall | December 9, 1891 | March 31, 1892 | Appointed. | |
19 | ![]() |
James T. Ronald | March 31, 1892 | March 19, 1894 | Elected March 8, 1892. | |
20 | ![]() |
Byron Phelps | March 19, 1894 | March 16, 1896 | Elected March 12, 1894. | |
21 | ![]() |
Frank D. Black | March 16, 1896 | April 6, 1896 | Elected March 9, 1896. Resigned after three weeks. | |
22 | ![]() |
W. D. Wood | April 6, 1896 | July 1897 | Appointed to finish the term. Resigned in July 1897. | |
23 | ![]() |
Thomas J. Humes | November 19, 1897 | March 21, 1904 | Elected by City Council to finish the term. | |
24 | ![]() |
Richard A. Ballinger | March 21, 1904 | March 19, 1906 | Elected March 8, 1904. | |
25 | ![]() |
William Hickman Moore | March 19, 1906 | March 16, 1908 | Elected March 6, 1906. | |
26 | ![]() |
John Miller | March 16, 1908 | March 21, 1910 | Elected March 3, 1908. | |
27 | ![]() |
Hiram C. Gill | March 21, 1910 | February 11, 1911 | Elected March 8, 1910. Removed in a special election on February 9, 1911. | |
28 | ![]() |
George W. Dilling | February 11, 1911 | March 18, 1912 | Elected February 7, 1911. | |
29 | ![]() |
George F. Cotterill | March 18, 1912 | March 16, 1914 | Elected March 5, 1912. | |
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Hiram C. Gill | March 16, 1914 | March 18, 1918 | Elected March 3, 1914. | ||
30 | ![]() |
Ole Hanson | March 18, 1918 | August 28, 1919 | Elected March 5, 1918. Resigned August 28, 1919. | |
31 | ![]() |
C. B. Fitzgerald | August 28, 1919 | March 14, 1920 | Appointed to finish the term. | |
32 | ![]() |
Hugh M. Caldwell | March 14, 1920 | June 5, 1922 | Elected March 2, 1920. | |
33 | ![]() |
Edwin J. Brown | June 5, 1922 | June 7, 1926 | Elected May 2, 1922, and re-elected March 4, 1924. | |
34 | ![]() |
Bertha Knight Landes | June 7, 1926 | June 4, 1928 | Elected March 9, 1926. First female mayor. | |
35 | ![]() |
Frank E. Edwards | June 4, 1928 | July 14, 1931 | Elected March 6, 1928, and re-elected March 4, 1930. Removed in a special election on July 13, 1931. | |
36 | ![]() |
Robert H. Harlin | July 14, 1931 | June 4, 1932 | Appointed to finish the term. | |
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John F. Dore | June 4, 1932 | June 4, 1934 | Elected March 8, 1932. | |
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Charles L. Smith | June 4, 1934 | June 1, 1936 | Elected March 6, 1934. | |
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John F. Dore | June 1, 1936 | April 13, 1938 | Elected March 3, 1936. Left office on April 13, 1938, due to illness. | ||
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James Scavotto | April 13, 1938 | April 27, 1938 | Appointed to fill position temporarily. | ||
39 | ![]() |
Arthur B. Langlie | April 27, 1938 | January 11, 1941 | Elected March 8, 1938. Re-elected May 5, 1940. Resigned January 11, 1941, to become Governor of Washington. | |
40 | ![]() |
John E. Carroll | January 27, 1941 | March 27, 1941 | Appointed until a special election. | |
41 | ![]() |
Earl Millikin | March 27, 1941 | June 1, 1942 | Elected March 4, 1941, to finish the term. | |
42 | ![]() |
William F. Devin | June 1, 1942 | June 1, 1952 | Elected March 3, 1942. Re-elected on March 7, 1944, March 5, 1946, and March 2, 1948. | |
43 | ![]() |
Allan Pomeroy | June 1, 1952 | June 4, 1956 | Elected March 4, 1952. | |
44 | ![]() |
Gordon Clinton | June 4, 1956 | April 6, 1964 | Elected March 6, 1956, and re-elected March 8, 1960. | |
45 | ![]() |
James d'Orma Braman | April 6, 1964 | March 23, 1969 | Elected March 10, 1964. Resigned to take a job in the U.S. Department of Transportation. | |
46 | ![]() |
Floyd C. Miller | March 23, 1969 | December 1, 1969 | ||
47 | ![]() |
Wesley C. Uhlman | December 1, 1969 | January 1, 1978 | Elected November 4, 1969, and re-elected November 6, 1973. | |
48 | ![]() |
Charles Royer | January 1, 1978 | January 1, 1990 | Elected November 8, 1977. Re-elected on November 3, 1981, and November 5, 1985. | |
49 | ![]() |
Norm Rice | January 1, 1990 | January 1, 1998 | Elected November 7, 1989, and re-elected November 2, 1993. First African-American mayor. | |
50 | ![]() |
Paul Schell | January 1, 1998 | January 1, 2002 | Elected November 4, 1997. | |
51 | ![]() |
Greg Nickels | January 1, 2002 | January 1, 2010 | Elected November 6, 2001, and re-elected November 8, 2005. | |
52 | ![]() |
Michael McGinn | January 1, 2010 | January 1, 2014 | Elected November 3, 2009. | |
53 | ![]() |
Ed Murray | January 1, 2014 | September 13, 2017 | Elected November 5, 2013. Resigned. | |
54 | ![]() |
Bruce Harrell | September 13, 2017 | September 18, 2017 | Appointed as City Council President to finish the term, but chose not to stay. First Asian-American mayor and second African-American mayor. | |
55 | ![]() |
Tim Burgess | September 18, 2017 | November 28, 2017 | Appointed by Seattle City Council to finish the term. | |
56 | ![]() |
Jenny Durkan | November 28, 2017 | January 1, 2022 | Elected November 7, 2017. | |
57 | ![]() |
Bruce Harrell | January 1, 2022 | Incumbent | Elected November 2, 2021. |