It’s official. Former U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan will be the next mayor of Seattle following the concession of her general election opponent Cary Moon on Wednesday afternoon.
Moon, an urban planner, refused to quit last night, despite the fact that Durkan boasted a 20-point lead with 61 percent of the votes counted in the initial ballot drop. But a new batch of votes tallied on Wednesday afternoon widened Durkan’s path to victory.
“I ran for Mayor because I felt an immense duty and responsibility to ensure Seattle—our beautiful, vibrant, diverse city—works for everyone,” Moon said in a press release announcing her concession.
“We all belong here, and deserve a voice in shaping our city’s future. I know you won’t stop fighting for what you believe is right, and I won’t stop fighting either,” Moon concluded in her statement to supporters.
Her opponent’s advantages weren’t lost on Moon, who said in a statement that “Despite being outspent 3:1, we ran a strong, transparent, and honest campaign about vision and solutions. We drove the conversation around housing affordability, real estate speculation, municipal broadband, and wealth inequality.”
Durkan is charged with running the city during a time of rapid growth, vast income disparities, and a surging homelessness crisis. “The hard work of delivering progress starts today,” Durkan said in a statement following Moon’s concession. “Our city will—and must—come together around the solutions to address the urgent issues facing our city from homelessness to affordability to addressing systemic inequities.”
Durkan will take office on November 28, rather than in January, since Murray resigned amid sexual abuse allegations.
“I want to congratulate Cary Moon on the strong race that she’s run and the ideas she brought to the table. In nearly 100 debates and forums, I saw firsthand her love for our city and her commitment to compassionately address the toughest challenges facing Seattle,” Durkan said in her statement. “Over the next few weeks, I look forward to working closely with Mayor Burgess and the City Council as well as city officials and workers to ensure a smooth transition.”
mhellmann@seattleweekly.com