Posted at 10:30 a.m.
Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels has just wrapped up his news conference and Gov. Chris Gregoire has issued the following statement:
“I want to thank Mayor Nickels for his decades of public service. Mayor Nickels made it a priority to improve the lives of those not only in Seattle, but across the state. He has provided essential leadership and has been a strong partner to keep our neighborhoods safe, find regional transportation solutions and to protect our natural resources.
“I commend Mayor Nickels’ advocacy to combat climate change, which has led to national accolades and laid a strong foundation in Seattle and Washington state. “I look forward to working with Greg through the end of his term. I wish Greg and Sharon all the best, and am confident that Greg will continue to be a valuable advocate for the state of Washington.”
In the meantime, Nickels said of his showing: “I think the people of Seattle have decided they wanted a new generation of leadership.”
He didn’t blame his performance on any single issue or decision. But the December snowfall and clean-up appeared to be on Nickels’ mind when he answered a question from Reporter Essex Porter of KIRO-TV this way:”There’s two weeks in December I’d like have back.”
As for his political future after 22 years in public office, he said: “I really have no idea at this point.”
Posted at 10 a.m.
Greg Nickels conceded today he won’t be Seattle’s mayor much longer.
He admitted at a press conference this morning he trails by too many votes to hold out hope any longer of securing a spot in the November election.
With an onslaught of punditry and political obituaries sure to come, let me share a few random thoughts on Nickels’ defeat..
From the outside, it sure looks like he failed largely because he lacked any identifiable constituency willing to keep him around.
There were some who wanted him out simply not shoveling enough snow off the streets, losing the Sonics or pushing for a tunnel to replace the viaduct..
Literally, he had no green votes, no red votes and too few blue votes to pull it off.
While Outside magazine dubbed him the nation’s greenest mayor, the city’s enviros found someone else to support.
It appears he didn’t turn out enough of the core Democrat vote either, dividng the pool of Obamamaniacs with others in the race while the party’s moderates sat this one out. That’s the price paid with low voter turnout.
Republicans for Nickels? Sure there were a few but c’mon more of them chose Anyone But Greg this time around.
That’s my one-and-a-half cents. Want to share yours?
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