Tale of 4 mayors: A look back at Seattle’s most unstable political year
SEATTLE - After months of campaigning and a full week of vote counting, the race for Seattle mayor is razor-thin.
As the November 2025 election results continue to trickle in — giving Katie Wilson a slight lead over incumbent Bruce Harrell — we take a look back at a year when Seattle saw four different mayors in the same year.
Keep reading to learn more about the tale of four mayors.
The history of Seattle's 4 mayors in one year
The backstory:
Back in 2017, Seattle actually had four different mayors in office.
The unique circumstances were brought on by a series of decisions at the top of the helm for Washington's biggest city.
In just three months, Ed Murray, Bruce Harrell, Tim Burgess and Jenny Durkan all held the title of Seattle mayor.
Here's how it played out:
Ed Murray speaks to his supporters on stage.
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray resigns
Murray served from Jan. 1, 2014, until his resignation took effect on Sept. 13, 2017. The mayor left office in the face of rising allegations of sexual abuse.
"I am announcing my resignation as mayor, effective at 5 p.m. tomorrow," Murray said in a statement. "While the allegations against me are not true, it is important that my personal issues do not affect the ability of our City government to conduct the public’s business."
Seattle City Councilman Bruce Harrell listens to comments from residents concerned about violence in south Seattle Wednesday night. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Bruce Harrell's appointment
Harrell was serving as Seattle council president at the time of Murray's resignation. Since he held this post, he was automatically appointed mayor when Murray left office.
"First and foremost, my heart goes out to survivors and their families who have been affected by sexual abuse and the re-traumatization these allegations have caused," Harrell wrote in a statement upon taking office.
"These accusations are unspeakable and require the utmost attention from our legal and social service system no matter how long ago they might have occurred.
The City must focus on governance and day-to-day business without distraction. I have a plan in place for a seamless transition in order for City operations to continue at the highest standard. Seattleites deserve a government that holds their full confidence and trust."
Harrell was mayor in 2017 from Sept. 13 to Sept. 18. He returned to this position when he was officially elected mayor five years later. Harrell has been serving as mayor since Jan. 1, 2022.
Tim Burgess speaks to the media in Seattle, Wash.
Tim Burgess steps in
After just days in office, Harrell chose to remain in his previous position. City council members then appointed Tim Burgess to serve the remainder of Murray's intended term.
In his short term, Burgess wasted no time pushing policy. Just a week after taking office, he announced the 2018 city budget, which included a personal push for a city retirement savings program.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan speaks at a press conference. (Karen Ducey via Getty Images)
Jenny Durkan elected
In the 2017 election, Seattle voters chose Durkan to end the revolving door and lead the city for a full term. She took office on Nov. 28, 2017. This was earlier than typical because the previously elected mayor, Burgess, had already vacated the office.
At the time of Durkan's election, she became the first woman to hold the office since 1926. The former U.S. attorney defeated urban planner Cary Moon.
The city of Seattle would eventually pay out $2.3 million to whistleblowers over Durkan's 2020 deleted texts amid summer protests over George Floyd’s death.
Seattle's 2022 mayoral election
After one term, voters unseated Durkan with Bruce Harrell. He has served as mayor since Jan 1, 2022.
In the 2025 race, he ran for reelection. However, a progressive challenger, Katie Wilson, has proved to be tough competition.
A week after polls closed, election officials continued to publish results. On Nov. 10, Wilson officially took the lead in the race by a mere 91 votes. Tuesday's results increased Wilson's lead by more than 1,300 votes.
Featured
Katie Wilson extends lead over Bruce Harrell in tight Seattle mayor race
In the race for Seattle mayor, the latest ballot drop has put Katie Wilson 1,346 votes ahead of Bruce Harrell, having come back from as much as an eight-point deficit last week.
When will the next batch of King County election results be released?
By the numbers:
The next major update for King County election results will be released Wednesday afternoon.
King County officials are reminding the public that information on vote margins needed to pass various ballot measures can be found on the county's November General Election page.
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The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle Municipal Archives and FOX 13 Seattle original reporting.