2021 Seattle mayoral election


The 2021 Seattle mayoral election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the Mayor of Seattle. It was won by former Seattle City Council President Bruce Harrell, who defeated Lorena González. Both candidates advanced from the nonpartisan primary election on August 3.
Incumbent mayor Jenny Durkan initially sought reelection but withdrew that December due to backlash from her handling of the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic in Seattle as well as the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest during the George Floyd protests.
González conceded to Harrell on November 4. The 17-point margin of victory was the largest of a non-incumbent candidate in a Seattle mayoral race since the 1969 election of Wesley C. Uhlman. Harrell assumed office on January 1, 2022, having previously held the position as acting mayor for five days in September 2017 upon the resignation of Ed Murray. Due to COVID-19, he was sworn in privately the prior week and held a small inauguration ceremony on January 4.
The 2021 election was the first in which mayoral candidates were eligible to use Seattle's democracy vouchers program, which has captured the interest of other cities.

Primary election

Candidates

Declared

Withdrew

Declined

Polling

Graphical summary

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Colleen
Echohawk		Jessyn
Farrell		Lorena
González		Bruce
Harrell
Houston		Casey
Sixkiller		OtherUndecided
Change Research July 12–15, 2021617 ± 4.3%10%6%12%20%6%4%9%32%
Washington Research Group July 13–14, 2021524 ± 4.3%5%4%8%17%4%3%5%55%
ALG Research May 10–16, 2021500 ± 4.4%7%7%11%23%3%5%3%41%
GQR Research March 23–28, 2021400 ± 4.9%9%6%19%20%––8%38%

Results

By August 6, Echohawk, Farrell, and Houston had all conceded, and Harrell and González were viewed as the winners of the primary.

General election

Candidates

Endorsements

Endorsements in bold were made after the primary election.

Polling

Graphical summary

Poll sourceDate
administered		Sample
size		Margin
of error		Lorena
González		Bruce
Harrell		OtherUndecided
Change Research October 12–15, 2021617 ± 4.1%32%48%2%18%
Strategies 360 September 13–16, 2021450 ± 4.6%33%40%–27%
Strategies 360 September 13–16, 2021287 ± 5.8%37%48%–15%
GQR Research September 11–14, 2021400 ± 4.9%45%45%–10%
Elway ResearchSeptember 7–9, 2021400 ± 5.0%27%42%7%24%