In a press release on Dec. 7 Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that she will not seek re-election next year. 

The release reads:

With unprecedented challenges facing Seattle in 2020 and 2021, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced that she will focus on addressing the greatest challenges in our city and will not run for re-election.

In a video to supporters, Mayor Durkan highlighted the progress Seattle has made on key issues like free college, $1.7 billion in affordable housing, and protections for domestic workers and rideshare drivers. She also highlighted Seattle’s leadership during the pandemic in free citywide COVID-19 testing, a moratorium on evictions, securing PPE, and relief for small businesses, immigrants, and workers.

Mayor Durkan highlights the tough challenges still facing the City, including stopping the spread of the pandemic, reopening and distributing a vaccine, supporting our workers and small businesses, reimagining policing and community safety, and addressing challenges like the West Seattle Bridge, homelessness, and climate change.

"We know stopping the spread of the virus, protecting jobs and focusing on the economic recovery -- especially for downtown-- is going to take everything we’ve got. As Mayor approaching the last year of my term, that meant a choice. I could spend the next year campaigning to keep this job or focus all my energy on doing the job. There was only one right choice for our city: doing the job. I have decided not to run for reelection because Seattle, we still have some tough months ahead," said Mayor Durkan.