By Jean Godden

There were 21 candidates running in Seattle's mayoral primary. Five of them were women; 16  were men. But, when the August primary votes were counted, four women led the pack: Jenny Durkan, Cary Moon, Nikkita Oliver and Jessyn Farrell. The women had left the men, including a former mayor and a state legislator rated among "the front runners," in the dust.

It was an incredible outcome, showing that voters made some distinct and discriminating choices. They overwhelmingly decided that the city will have its second woman mayor. Competing in the general election are the top two vote getters, Jenny Durkan and Cary Moon.

That decision was a long time coming.

Seattle elected its lone woman mayor just a few years after U.S. women were first able to cast a ballot. In 1926, Bertha Knight Landes made history as the first woman mayor of any major American city. She first served as a councilmember and then was elected council president. Taking advantage of the mayor's absence, she fired a corrupt police chief. Afterwards, a group of women supporters, new to politics, rallied to make history and elect Bertha Landes mayor. 

Landes had been an inspiring leader as a councilmember, promoting city planning and zoning, regulation of dance halls and improved public-health and safety programs. As mayor, she expanded her agenda to include progressive environmental goals, police training and social concerns such as recreation and hospital programs.

Sad to say, Landes' breakthrough did not have legs. In her bid for reelection in 1928 (mayors then served two year-terms) she was defeated by Frank Edwards, a political unknown who ran an ugly campaign based on gender. Although all three Seattle daily papers had supported Landes, Edwards claimed the real reason was so that the newspapers could control the mayor's office. 

Edwards asked: "Who will be mayor if Landes is reelected? Will it be King Dykeman of the P-I? Will it be Colonel Blethen of the Times?" He implied a woman mayor could not be independent.

After Bertha's loss, women would wait a long time before filling influential elective offices in Seattle. Although Bertha and her colleague Kathryn Miracle had been councilmembers in the 1920s, the Seattle City Council would not see another woman in office until 1935, when Mildred Powell occupied what was thought of as "the woman's seat." It was a seat Powell would retain, as a lone woman councilmember, until 1955.

In the 1960s, there was still but a single woman on the City Council. Mrs. Harlan Edwards (not then called Myrtle), occupied the woman's seat. Years would pass before the council, mostly businessmen and realtors, would become more than an old boys club. In fact in 1969 when Myrtle Edwards died in a collision with a fire engine, she was replaced by Businessman Ray Eckman.

In 1967, a bipartisan group of citizens founded a movement called CHECC for Chose an Effective City Council. CHECC was able to persuade voters to elect Phyllis Lamphere, soon joined by Jeanette Williams, as well as a handful of other reform-oriented officeholders, among them Tim Hill, Bruce Chapman, John Miller and Randy Revelle.

But it would be years before the Council boasted a majority of women. That would wait until after the 1992 "Year of the Woman." It was 1994 when seven women dominated the nine-member council. They were confident enough that they even joked about abolishing the council's men's room. Their example inspired a few brave women to run for mayor.

Prior to this year's primary, you could count the women who ran a serious race for Seattle mayor on the fingers of two hands. Among them: Kathryn Miracle (in the '20s) and Phyllis Lamphere (in the 70s). They were followed by Dolores Sibonga, Jane Noland, Cheryl Chow, Jan Drago, Elizabeth Campbell, Kate Martin and Mary Martin, a frequent Socialist Alternative candidate. None would survive a primary election for a chance in the general election.

This year, however, things are different. We are now certain to add a woman's name along with Bertha Knight Landes to the revolution. It was a long time -- 89 years -- coming, but it is something worth celebrating. May the best woman win.