# Mayor of Seattle

"none" is preferred when the title is already sufficiently detailed; see [[WP:SDNONE]]
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 Seattle City Council, the legislative branch of city government, is led by the council president.)
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.
Bruce Harrell took office as mayor on January 1, 2022, becoming the first Asian-American and second African-American mayor in Seattle's history.

## 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 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. In 1969 the age and residence requirements were removed from the charter.

## 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 (January 1), 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

| # | Mayor | Took office | Left office | Election results and notes |
| 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. |
| 3 | Corliss P. Stone | July 29, 1872 | February 23, 1873 | Elected July 8, 1872. Left office on February 23, 1873, due to alleged embezzlement of funds. |
| | John T. Jordan | April 5, 1873 | June 5, 1873 | Appointed to fill position until special election. |
| 4 | Moses R. Maddocks | June 5, 1873 | August 3, 1873 | Won special election on June 5, 1873, to serve the rest of Stone's regular term. |
| 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 on July 9, 1883. |
| 13 | John Leary | August 3, 1884 | August 3, 1885 | Elected July 14, 1884. |
| | Henry Yesler | August 3, 1885 | August 2, 1886 | Elected July 13, 1885, to a non-consecutive 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, to an abbreviated term under 1890 charter. 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 in office. |
| 22 | W. D. Wood | April 6, 1896 | October 18, 1897 | Appointed to fill unexpired term. Resigned in July 1897 to participate in the Klondike Gold Rush. Officially forfeited his seat on October 18,1897. |
| 23 | Thomas J. Humes | November 19, 1897 | March 21, 1904 | Elected by City Council to fill unexpired 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. Recalled in special election held 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. |
| | 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, to move to California. |
| 31 | C. B. Fitzgerald | August 28, 1919 | March 14, 1920 | Appointed to fill unexpired 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. Recalled in special election held July 13, 1931. |
| 36 | Robert H. Harlin | July 14, 1931 | June 4, 1932 | Appointed to finish unexpired term. |
| 37 | John F. Dore | June 4, 1932 | June 4, 1934 | Elected March 8, 1932. |
| 38 | Charles L. Smith | June 4, 1934 | June 1, 1936 | Elected March 6, 1934. |
| | John F. Dore | June 1, 1936 | April 13, 1938 | Elected March 3, 1936. Relieved of office on April 13, 1938, due to sickness. Died on April 18, 1938. |
| | James Scavotto | April 13, 1938 | April 27, 1938 | Appointed to fill position until city council decision. |
| 39 | Arthur B. Langlie | April 27, 1938 | January 11, 1941 | Elected March 8, 1938. Appointed as mayor-elect due to relieving (and death) of Mayor Dore. 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 special election. |
| 41 | Earl Millikin | March 27, 1941 | June 1, 1942 | Elected March 4, 1941, to finish unexpired 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 accept appointment as Assistant Secretary of Urban Systems and Environment 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. Survived recall attempt on July 1, 1975. |
| 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 due to sexual abuse allegations. First gay mayor. |
| 54 | Bruce Harrell | September 13, 2017 | September 18, 2017 | Appointed through position as City Council President to finish unexpired term, declined to accept appointment and therefore a replacement was selected by City Council. 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 unexpired 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. |