By Lindsay Peyton

 

Jenny Durkan is coming soon to a neighborhood near you. 

 

The mayoral candidate is planning walking tours of all of Seattle’s neighborhoods in a big push to get her message out before the primary election. 

 

Ballots will be mailed out on Wednesday, July 12 – and there’s a long list of candidates who have filed for the office.

 

Durkan is running against Cary Moon, Harley Lever, Michael Harris, Keith J. Whiteman, Jessyn Farrell, Dave Kane, Thom Gunn, Gary E. Brose, Mike McGinn, Jason Roberts, Tiniell Cato, Alex Tsimerman, James W. Norton Jr, Larry Oberto, Casey Carlisle, Lewis A. Jones, Nikkita Oliver, Mary J. Martin, Greg Hamilton and Bob Hasegawa. 

 

“I’m maximizing every minute I can to meet voters and continue to listen to them,” Durkan said. “It’s a modern grassroots campaign.”

 

She’s planning meetings, ringing doorbells, placing phone calls, heading to forums, sending out mailings and staying active on social media, besides hitting the streets to meet residents of various neighborhoods and learn about their top concerns. 

 

Going the extra mile is paramount in this highly contested race – and Durkan said it’s especially necessary when considering the importance of the job, one that comes with a nearly $6 billion annual budget. 

 

Durkan believes she’s the right woman for the job – and has the resume to prove it. 

 

Born in Seattle, Durkan spent her childhood on acreage near Issaquah, growing up in a large Irish Catholic family that she said always spoke openly and loudly about social and politial issues. 

 

Debating around the kitchen table gave Durkan a leg up in law school at the University of Washington. 

 

She earned her undergraduate degree at Notre Dame, taught English and coached girls’ basketball for two years in Alaska and worked as a baggage handler for Wein Air Alaska, becoming a dues-paying Teamster.

 

After law school, she dove into criminal defense work – serving the public defender’s office representing clients in Seattle Municipal Court. 

 

In 2009, she became the first openly gay U.S. Attorney – and possibly the first openly gay person ever appointed by a President to a leadership role at the Department of Justice.

 

As U.S. Attorney in President Obama’s Justice Department, she worked to reform the Seattle Police Department and created a civil rights unit within the U.S. Attorney’s Office to focus on housing discrimination, job discrimination and the rights of returning veterans. 

 

In addition, Durkan helped Washington reduce opioid abuse and violent crime, increasing gun prosecutions by 45 percent. She also chaired efforts to address cyber-crime and consumer privacy.  

 

She joined Attorney General Eric Holder’s advisory committee that made criminal justice reform a priority for every U.S. Attorney’s office, championing state and federal drug courts and a mental health court in King County to provide an alternative to incarceration.

 

Durkan served on the Washington State Bar Association Board of Governors, the Merit Selection Committee for the U.S. District Court, the board of the Center for Women and Democracy, the board of the Seattle Police Foundation and as chair of the Washington State Attorney General's Task Force on Consumer Privacy.

 

She is especially proud of her decades-long efforts to obtain full civil rights — including marriage equality — in Washington State. 

 

Durkan describes herself as a progressive fighter and fierce advocate  – and vows to bring those traits to the mayoral office if elected. 

 

“This election is not about who becomes mayor, it’s about what kind of city we will build for the next generation,” she said. “We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build the city of the future.”

 

Durkan explained that with the economic diversity and job growth, the city is posed for success. 

 

On the other hand, she said that rapid population growth brings with it a number of challenges. 

 

“We have to be much more intentional about how we handle that,” she said. 

 

Homelessness and affordable housing are her main concerns, Durkan said. 

 

“Those need to be tackled immediately – but we also need to do it in a way that considers the long-term effects,” she said. “We have urgent, urgent issues that require bringing all people to the table and carving out a path forward.”

 

Durkan added that the federal government is not helping – under the current administration. 

 

“The answer for America lies in the cities,” she said. “And there is no city better poised for that than Seattle. We have not just the ability but the moral obligation to move forward.”

 

Durkan wants Seattle to set the stage for better ways to help the homeless population find permanent housing, to protect the diversity of neighborhoods, to provide affordable places to live, to preserve the environment and to build smarter transit systems. 

 

“America as a national government has divorced itself from values that are quintessentially American,” she said. “It has caused us to reexamine where we are on a local level. People care, they’re interested and they want to make a difference. That gives me hope. I know if people are engaged, then we can solve the problems we’re facing.”

 

Durkan said her experience as U.S. Attorney provided her with the means to make effective change. 

 

“I know how, from day one, to go in and implement policy,” she said. 

 
If elected, Durkan said her first task would be to identify the staff, resources and programs that are working well. 

 

“Governing is not about ego,” she said. “It’s about getting results. You don’t wholesale start over. You identify the talent and let them lead.”

 

She said new approaches are necessary to provide more affordable housing and keep property taxes from rising and forcing people out of their homes. 

 

“It’s all about building a just and equitable society,” she said. “We can’t let the challenges we face make us blind to our strengths.”

 

Former city council representative Tom Rasmussen, a resident of the Alki neighborhood, said Durkan is the right choice for West Seattle – and the city as a whole. 

 

“Jenny Durkan is the right person to lead Seattle at this time,” he said. “Cities are facing incredible challenges, and they’re not getting the support they need from the federal government. Jenny it the kind of leader who can stand up for Seattle, work for the people of Seattle and do that very successfully.” 

 

Rasmussen added that Durkan’s credentials are unmatched. 

 

“She’s shown that she’s a progressive and effective leader, which is exactly what we want,” he said. “She’s trustworthy and courageous. We have other interesting and good people who are running, but no one has been tested over the years as she has. She’s been a true leader.” 

 

For more information about the upcoming election, visit www.kingcounty.gov/depts/elections.aspx

 

For more information about Jenny Durkan, visit https://jennyforseattle.com.