2013 Seattle mayoral election

The 2013 Seattle mayoral election took place on November 5, 2013, to elect the mayor of Seattle. Incumbent Mayor Michael McGinn ran for re-election to a second term in office.^[1]

Municipal elections in Washington are officially non-partisan. A non-partisan primary was held on August 6, 2013. The top two finishers, State Senator Ed Murray, who received 30% of the vote, and incumbent Mayor McGinn, who received 29% of the vote, advanced to the November general election.

Murray won the general election with 52% of the votes.^[2]

Primary election

Candidates

On the ballot

Joey Gray, information-systems consultant and trainer^[3]
Bruce Harrell, City Councilman^[4] (Democratic Party)
Kate Martin, former Greenwood Community Council President^[5]
Mary Martin, activist^[3] (Socialist Workers Party)
Michael McGinn, incumbent Mayor^[1] (Democratic Party)
Doug McQuaid, attorney^[3]
Ed Murray, State Senator^[6] (Democratic Party)
Charlie Staadecker, real estate broker^[7]
Peter Steinbrueck, lobbyist and former City Councilman^[8] (Democratic Party)

Withdrew

Tim Burgess, City Councilman^[9] (Democratic Party)
David Ishii, "character"^[10]^[11]

Declined

Sally J. Clark, City Council President^[12] (Democratic Party)
Maud Daudon, President and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce^[13]
Ron Sims, former Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and former King County Executive^[14] (Democratic Party)

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Tim Burgess	Joey Gray	Bruce Harrell	David Ishii	Kate Martin	Mary Martin	Michael McGinn	Doug McQuaid	Ed Murray	Ron Sims	Charlie Staadecker	Peter Steinbrueck	Undecided
SurveyUSA^[15]	July 15–18, 2013	501	± 4.5%	—	1%	11%	—	1%	2%	21%	1%	22%	—	3%	14%	25%
SurveyUSA^[16]	May 17–19, 2013	552	± 4.3%	—	—	12%	—	4%	3%	22%	—	15%	—	4%	17%	23%
SurveyUSA^[17]	March 4–7, 2013	647	± 3.9%	10%	—	5%	0%	3%	—	15%	—	9%	15%	1%	7%	34%
SurveyUSA^[17]	March 4–7, 2013	647	± 3.9%	11%	—	6%	0%	4%	—	19%	—	8%	—	1%	10%	38%

Results

Primary election results^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Ed Murray	42,314	29.85
	Nonpartisan	Michael McGinn	40,501	28.57
	Nonpartisan	Peter Steinbrueck	22,913	16.16
	Nonpartisan	Bruce Harrell	21,580	15.22
	Nonpartisan	Charlie Staadecker	6,288	4.44
	Nonpartisan	Doug McQuaid	2,546	1.80
	Nonpartisan	Kate Martin	2,479	1.75
	Nonpartisan	Mary Martin	1,498	1.06
	Nonpartisan	Joey Gray	1,318	0.93
		Write-in	334	0.24
Total votes			141,771	100

General election

Candidates

Michael McGinn, incumbent Mayor
Ed Murray, State Senator

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Michael McGinn	Ed Murray	Undecided
Strategies 360^[19]	October 14–16, 2013	400	± 4.9%	34%	51%	15%
SurveyUSA^[20]	October 2013	557	± 4.2%	32%	52%	15%
Public Policy Polling^[21]	October 4–6, 2013	570	± ?	28%	52%	20%
SurveyUSA^[22]	September 14–15, 2013	503	± 4.5%	30%	52%	18%

Results

In preliminary returns, Murray won 56 percent of votes. Although this amount was greater than the McGinn campaign could make up as voting continued McGinn declined to concede, saying his supporters wanted an additional day of counting.^[23]

On November 7 McGinn conceded to Murray and offered his congratulations.^[24]

Seattle Mayoral Election, 2013^[18]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Nonpartisan	Ed Murray	106,384	51.55
	Nonpartisan	Michael McGinn	97,938	47.45
		Write-in	2,058	1.00
Plurality			8,446	4.09
Turnout			206,377	50.27

References

^ ^a ^b Barnett, Erica C. (March 12, 2012). "McGinn Kickoff Brings In "Just Under" $5,000". PubliCola. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
^ "Election Results, General and Special Election of November 5, 2013: Official Final" (PDF). King County Elections. November 26, 2013. p. 46. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Lynn Thompson and Keith Ervin (May 17, 2013). "2 more join Seattle mayor's race; other high-profile battles scarce". Seattle Times. Retrieved May 23, 2013.
^ Lynn Thompson (January 15, 2013). "Harrell joins mayor's race, calls McGinn's style ineffective". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 16, 2013.
^ Emily Heffter (December 17, 2012). "Greenwood activist Kate Martin to run for Seattle mayor". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
^ Andrew Garber. "Legislature's Ed Murray Wants to Run for Seattle Mayor". Seattle Times.
^ Lynn Thompson (December 13, 2012). "Charlie Staadecker a dark horse in mayoral race". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
^ Emily Heffter (December 19, 2012). "Steinbrueck kicks off campaign with vision of a "city for all"". Politics Northwest. Seattle Times. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
^ Barnett, Erica C. (May 17, 2013). "Friday Jolt: Burgess Withdraws from Mayor's Race". Seattle Metropolitan.
^ Holden, Dominic (January 18, 2013). "Holy Crap! Another Candidate for Mayor!". Slog. The Stranger. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
^ Holden, Dominic (March 13, 2013). "David Ishii Won't Be Next Mayor". Slog. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
^ Stiles, Marc (November 1, 2012). "Seattle City Council President Sally Clark: no plan to run for mayor". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
^ Lamm, Greg (April 1, 2013). "Chamber CEO Maud Daudon puts mayoral rumors to rest". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
^ Connelly, Joel (March 11, 2013). "Ron Sims won't run for mayor". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved March 11, 2013.
^ SurveyUSA
^ SurveyUSA
^ SurveyUSA
^ ^a ^b 2013 Election Report (PDF) (Report). Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission. February 5, 2014. pp. 23–24. Retrieved January 3, 2016.
^ Strategies 360
^ SurveyUSA
^ Public Policy Polling ^{[permanent dead link]}
^ SurveyUSA
^ "Election 2013: Murray headed to mayor's office, GMO labeling behind, change in Seattle council system. | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
^ "McGinn concedes Seattle mayor's race to Murray". king5.com. November 7, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2024.

[mcginn-1] Barnett, Erica C. (March 12, 2012). "McGinn Kickoff Brings In "Just Under" $5,000". PubliCola. Retrieved August 27, 2012.

[GeneralElectionResults-2] "Election Results, General and Special Election of November 5, 2013: Official Final" (PDF). King County Elections. November 26, 2013. p. 46. Retrieved January 3, 2016.

[2more-3] Lynn Thompson and Keith Ervin (May 17, 2013). "2 more join Seattle mayor's race; other high-profile battles scarce". Seattle Times. Retrieved May 23, 2013.

[4] Lynn Thompson (January 15, 2013). "Harrell joins mayor's race, calls McGinn's style ineffective". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 16, 2013.

[5] Emily Heffter (December 17, 2012). "Greenwood activist Kate Martin to run for Seattle mayor". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 5, 2013.

[6] Andrew Garber. "Legislature's Ed Murray Wants to Run for Seattle Mayor". Seattle Times.

[7] Lynn Thompson (December 13, 2012). "Charlie Staadecker a dark horse in mayoral race". Seattle Times. Retrieved January 5, 2013.

[8] Emily Heffter (December 19, 2012). "Steinbrueck kicks off campaign with vision of a "city for all"". Politics Northwest. Seattle Times. Retrieved January 5, 2013.

[9] Barnett, Erica C. (May 17, 2013). "Friday Jolt: Burgess Withdraws from Mayor's Race". Seattle Metropolitan.

[10] Holden, Dominic (January 18, 2013). "Holy Crap! Another Candidate for Mayor!". Slog. The Stranger. Retrieved January 24, 2013.

[11] Holden, Dominic (March 13, 2013). "David Ishii Won't Be Next Mayor". Slog. Retrieved June 1, 2013.

[12] Stiles, Marc (November 1, 2012). "Seattle City Council President Sally Clark: no plan to run for mayor". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved March 11, 2013.

[13] Lamm, Greg (April 1, 2013). "Chamber CEO Maud Daudon puts mayoral rumors to rest". Puget Sound Business Journal. Retrieved June 1, 2013.

[14] Connelly, Joel (March 11, 2013). "Ron Sims won't run for mayor". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved March 11, 2013.

[15] SurveyUSA

[16] SurveyUSA

[17] SurveyUSA

[SEECReport-18] 2013 Election Report (PDF) (Report). Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission. February 5, 2014. pp. 23–24. Retrieved January 3, 2016.

[19] Strategies 360

[20] SurveyUSA

[21] Public Policy Polling ^{[permanent dead link]}

[22] SurveyUSA

[23] "Election 2013: Murray headed to mayor's office, GMO labeling behind, change in Seattle council system. | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org. Retrieved October 19, 2024.

[24] "McGinn concedes Seattle mayor's race to Murray". king5.com. November 7, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2024.

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