Mayor of Seattle


The Mayor of Seattle is the head of the executive branch of the city government of Seattle, Washington. The mayor is authorized by the city charter to enforce laws enacted by the Seattle City Council, as well as direct subordinate officers in city departments. The mayor serves a four-year term, without term limits, and is chosen in citywide, two-round elections between nonpartisan candidates.
Since the appointment of Henry A. Atkins in 1869, 56 individuals have held the office of mayor. The city elected Bertha Knight Landes, the first female mayor of a major U.S. city, in 1926. Several mayors have served non-consecutive terms, while others have resigned or faced recall elections. Charles Royer holds the record for longest mayoral tenure in the city's history, serving three full terms from 1978 to 1990.
Jenny Durkan took office as mayor on November 28, 2017, becoming the second female mayor and first lesbian mayor of Seattle.

History

Seattle was initially incorporated as a town on January 14, 1865, by the Washington Territorial Legislature, governed by a board of trustees. Charles C. Terry served as president of the board of trustees, which remained unchanged until the town's disincorporation on January 28, 1867. The town of Seattle was incorporated a second time on December 2, 1869, with a new city charter that established the position of mayor. Henry A. Atkins was appointed as the first mayor of Seattle by the Territorial Legislature, and was elected to the office on July 11, 1870.
A new city charter, the Freeholders Charter, was adopted in 1890 and extended the mayor's term in office from one year to two years, but barred consecutive terms. The charter also moved elections to the first Monday in March and required the mayor to be at least 30 years of age and live within the city for two years.
A new city charter that was approved by the city's voters in 1946 lengthened the term of office for mayors from two years to four years, starting with the 1948 elections.

Duties and powers

The mayor is the head of the executive branch of Seattle's municipal government, charged with the appointment and management of 25 department and commission heads that work directly for the mayor. In the event of an absence of the mayor, the president of the Seattle City Council assumes the duties of the position as mayor pro tem until their return, but a notification is not necessary under the city charter.

Elections and succession

The mayor is elected in a citywide election held every four years, composed of two stages: a primary election in August and a general election between the top two candidates in November. Elections are officially non-partisan.
If the office of mayor becomes vacant, the president of the city council becomes mayor for a five-day period to immediately fill the position. If the president of the city council declines to remain mayor, the city council is authorized to vote to appoint a councilmember to the role of mayor. The councilmember appointed to the position under both scenarios will forfeit their position on the city council until the next election. A mayor-elect can also take office earlier than the official inauguration date, upon certification of the election results and a decision by the city council to replace the appointed mayor.
A two-thirds majority vote of the city council can remove the mayor from office for a willful violation of duty or an offense involving moral turpitude.

List of mayors

; Parties

Other offices held

Several of Seattle's mayors have held other political offices in the state and federal government, both before and after their terms.
MayorMayoral termOther offices held
1879–1880U.S. Representative from Washington Territory
1882–1884Washington Territorial Representative
1904–1906Commissioner of the General Land Office
U.S. Secretary of the Interior
1908–1910U.S. Representative from Washington
1912–1914Washington State Senator
1938–1941Governor of Washington *
1970–1978Washington State Representative
Washington State Senator
2014–2017Washington State Representative
Washington State Senator

Living former mayors

, eight former mayors are alive, the oldest being Wesley C. Uhlman. The most recent former mayor to die was Paul Schell, in 2014.
MayorMayoral termDate of birth
1970–1978
1978–1990
1990–1998
2002–2010
2010–2014
2014–2017
2017–2017
2017–2017