There are still hundreds of thousands of votes to be counted in the general election on November 2, but candidates in certain high-profile races have already taken commanding leads, reflecting regional and national trends.
Here are five key conclusions from Tuesday’s outcomes –
Fright Night for Seattle Progressives
The more moderate, business-backed candidates in the three most watched elections in the city jumped to massive and probably insurmountable leads, despite the fact that they didn’t quite run as an official slate.
The current council president, M. Lorena González, has come under fire from former City Council president Bruce Harrell.
For her prior support of abolishing single-family exclusive zoning and cutting police funding by 50%.
Good Night to Seattle Republicans, and About King County
The saying “good night to Seattle Republicans” was first used in reference to municipal elections more than three decades ago.
But in the nonpartisan race for city attorney, Davison, who campaigned as a Republican for lieutenant governor in 2020, has a 17-point advantage.
However, local Republicans should look east before they become very optimistic about the revival (Donald Trump received barely 8% of the vote in Seattle in 2020).
Become a Republican to get Help from Democrats
Okay, it’s difficult to quit ruminating over the city attorney election. In 2019, Anne Davison ran for Seattle City Council.
After losing, she claimed that Seattle Democrats are evil and that she was unable to recruit Democratic political strategists to assist her take on Deborah Juarez, the sitting councillor.
She switched to the Republican Party in 2020 and then campaigned for lieutenant governor. She stayed in the primary elections.
Timing is Everything
If he remains in that role, Harrell will take the most unlikely route to become Seattle’s 57th mayor.
In 2017, when Seattle had four mayors following allegations of sexual assault that resulted in Mayor Ed Murray’s resignation, Harrell also served as mayor for one week.
Harrell served as council president for one week as interim mayor after Murray’s resignation in September.
Harrell resigned from serving the remaining months of Murray’s term and rejoined the council.
Time for Grammar
King County voters appeared to have the power to alter the constituency’s founding document, albeit it would be difficult to envision a modification of less significance.
Hey, the US Constitution hasn’t changed since 1992, so when a country changes its constitution, it’s at least worth noting (technically called a county charter).
Conclusion
Brewery owner Sara Nelson, who had worked as an assistant to councilman Richard Conlin, who was ousted in 2013 by socialist Kshama Sawant.
He was far ahead of anti-racism activist and attorney Nikkita Oliver in the city’s most heated City Council election.
In the meantime, Republican Ann Davison was defeating police abolitionist Nicole Thomas-Kennedy, who had the backing of every Democratic legislative district group.
