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The Mayor of Capitol Hill | Can incumbent McGinn charm Hill voters again?

See also: The Mayor of Capitol Hill | Peter Steinbrueck | Ed Murray | Bruce Harrell More Election 2013 coverageIMG_6177

He’s a political establishment outsider from New York, and prior to his Seattle victory he had never held public office. Nevertheless Mayor Mike McGinn persevered in 2009 to become the city’s mayor. Four years later, he’s poised to win again with a campaign that is hitting notes resonating in Capitol Hill. With the August 6th primary fast approaching, McGinn is comfortably touting his accomplishments from hist past four years leading the city.

“We’re trying to support high road economic development, not low road economic development. High road economic development focuses on creativity and innovation,” he told CHS in a recent interview at Smith in Capitol Hill (his pick). “Low road is low wage, low environmental quality.”

McGinn came to Seattle to attend law school at the University of Washington after attending college in Massachusetts. He eventually chaired the local chapter of the Sierra Club where he became an important player on Washington state environmental issues. In the years leading up to his first mayoral run in 2009 he spearheaded campaigns to oppose road construction and support light rail.

In this year’s race McGinn has again picked up an endorsement from The Stranger and, as expected, did not get the nod from the Seattle Times editorial board — it seems the political recipe that makes the candidate appealing to Capitol Hill voters is coming together, again.

The most recent KING 5 poll puts Senator Ed Murray in a two-way tie with McGinn, a jump for Murray from prior polls. Murray’s primary beef with McGinn has been that the mayor lacks the ability to build regional coalitions, in part demonstrated by his aggressive (and failed) opposition to the Alaska Way deep bore tunnel. We talked previously with Murray about his campaign to emerge from the primary and defeat the incumbent on a wave of support from “establishment” Seattle and his record as a champion for civil rights in Olympia — and backlash against McGinn.

McGinn says the charges don’t bare out. He continues to point to his relationship with King County Executive Dow Constantine and how it is much improved from the previous mayor and executive. McGinn also points at his push to advance the timeline on Sound Transit 3 planning, which required the approval of the three-county Sound Transit Board.

“We’ve demonstrated our ability to build regional coalitions,” he said. “The chief criticism comes from my opponent, Senator Murray, who say’s he’ll use his relationships in Olympia to save Metro (Transit). It would be nice if he could do that while he’s still there.”

IMG_6166Aside from Murray’s upper hand on LGBT issues (spearheading the state’s gay marriage win and his potential to be city’s first openly gay mayor), the longtime Washington politician has struggled to set himself apart from McGinn on major issues, especially those big on Capitol Hill.

McGinn, after all, won his first election in 2009 with overwhelming support in central Seattle on a density-forward campaign.

On nightlife, McGinn lead a coalition to push for extended bar hours (although it failed) and claims responsibility for repairing relationships between Pike/Pine club owners and the Seattle police. McGinn was also a strong supporter of marijuana legalization and supports pot clubs for tourists and renters who technically may not have a place to smoke after legalization.

McGinn, like most other candidates, supports micro-housing and said Capitol Hill should expect more of it.

“If we don’t build new housing for these new jobs we’re creating, whats going to happen is people with money are going to out bid everybody for all the housing stock,” he said. “We need to be creating the opportunities for people who work here to live here. It’s an equity issue.”

On transportation, McGinn has been a leading advocate on light rail and vows to put plans in place to expand service out to Ballard and West Seattle. The First Hill Streetcar and light rail extension through Capitol Hill both took-off under his watch, as did the city’s transit master plan and bike plan.

If elected, McGinn said he would continue to push for rapid transit projects, including a Madison trolley. “The Madison Street corridor is a really critical corridor, from downtown out Madison,” he said.

A quarter of voters polled are still undecided leading up to the nine candidate primary. Despite being a major underdog himself in July 2009, McGinn said he’s confident undecided voters will again rally around him

“We’ve had an explosion of democracy in this race,” McGinn said. “I think my record will stand up as these undecideds decide who to go with.”

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[…] also: The Mayor of Capitol Hill | Bruce Harrell | Ed Murray | Mike McGinn | More Election 2013 […]

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[…] also: The Mayor of Capitol Hill | Bruce Harrell | Peter Steinbrueck | Mike McGinn | More Election 2013 […]

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[…] also: The Mayor of Capitol Hill | Peter Steinbrueck | Ed Murray | Mike McGinn | More Election 2013 […]

Fiedler
Fiedler
10 years ago

Q: Can incumbent charm again?

A: Oh golly, let’s hope not.

Devin
Devin
10 years ago

On LGBT issues, McGinn is ahead of the curve on transgender issues. You should look into it.

RainWorshipper
RainWorshipper
10 years ago

Thanks for this reminder of some of McGinn’s “accomplishments” and wish list. A helpful reminder list of why not to vote for the guy. More apodments? Later bar hours? MORE places to smoke pot? I could type more, but no no no. No thank you. Time for a change.

Tomster
Tomster
10 years ago

I’d vote for him again only if a Republican was running against him.

evon
evon
10 years ago

Capitol Hill voters especially should seriously consider Ed Murray. He and his partner live on the Hill. He is very well aware of the problems we have here. I am gay but that is not why I’m voting for him. I honestly think Seattle needs a change and Murray is the best alternative in my view. I would be OK with a second McGinn term. I would rate his performance a B or B-, but I’m hoping Murray can do better.

calhoun
10 years ago

My answer to the question is: “Hell, no!!” McGinn lost my support early-on after he had made a late-campaign promise to do nothing to oppose the construction of the downtown tunnel, then proceeded to do everything he could to stop it once elected. I don’t want a liar as Mayor of my city.

Oh, and I take issue with the implication in this post that The Stranger’s endorsement of McGinn is somehow a reflection of a lot of support among those who live in Capitol Hill. I enjoy reading part of that rag every week, but it is not serious journalism, more of a “guilty pleasure.” Their endorsements are very predictable and meaningless.

“ABM”!!! (“anyone but McGinn”).

Wondering
Wondering
10 years ago

No, no, and NO again! Had enough, thank you very much.

Dear Lord in Heaven
Dear Lord in Heaven
10 years ago

no, no no no no. Just no.

Schuyler
Schuyler
10 years ago

Notice only 2 people actually have any sort of REASON why they don’t like McGinn.

The first one should probably move to Bellevue, and the other one is such a wild overreaction that I don’t believe that’s the real reason they don’t like McGinn.

Hill resident
Hill resident
10 years ago
Reply to  Schuyler

maybe you’re not paying attention, Schuyler. Not wanting apodments doesn’t make somebody anti-Seattle. It means they have enough common sense to know that people need liveable safe housing, not some little tiny cracker box that’s built for no other reason than to put money in a developer’s pocket.

The comment about the tunnel is dead-on. McGinn saw that he wasn’t the favored candidate and changed his position on the tunnel and got elected solely for that reason. The minute he took office, he delayed the entire project causing serious cost increases.

Both people have legitimate reasons and both people have every right to call Seattla and/or Cap Hill home.

Maggie
Maggie
10 years ago

Micro Housing is ridiculous & unneccessary. As a married person with no kids who recently tried to find a new place to live on the Hill, I found that 99% of the available places for rent right now are overpriced and under 700sq ft. The reason Capitol Hill is overrun with clubby 20-something douchebags is because single mid to upper income people are the only people who can afford to/want to live in places this tiny.

I’m not against gentrification, but Cap Hill is doing it wrong.

timmy73
timmy73
10 years ago
Reply to  Maggie

I’m pretty sure the mayor isn’t in charge of prices per square foot on Capitol Hill, or any neighborhood in the city.

Grand Finale
Grand Finale
10 years ago
Reply to  Maggie

Most of the douchebags roll in from other neighborhoods. You’re right about their disposable income, but their disposable income allows them to easily roll in and out via cabs, towncars and rideshares.

The residents are more high dollar pretentious middle aged emigrants from SF, NYC, LA, etc… than high dollar douchebros.

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[…] neighborhood vote to handily beat then-incumbent Greg Nickels. CHS sat down with McGinn in July to ask him if he could, once again, charm Capitol Hill voters. While Murray’s Summit and Pike campaign headquarters is in solid McGinn-land, Murray is […]

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[…] no doubt continued to charm many Hill voters during his recent CHS interview, where he discussed plans for cheaper housing through density, expanded transportation, and […]

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[…] Ed Murray have more or less brushed aside the idea of pushing for the issue. McGinn has touted his work to bring affordable housing projects online during his tenure, while Murray talks up increasing affordable housing incentives and has hinted at […]

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[…] Meanwhile, we asked whether incumbent McGinn could charm the Hill again? […]

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[…] July 24th: The mayor sits down with CHS to discuss why he should win over Capitol Hill again. […]