After a September election that knocked Seattle's incumbent Mayor out of last week's runoff election leaving two political novices in the race, Mike McGinn (49) the former chairman of the local chapter of the Sierra Club is well on his way to becoming Mayor of Seattle. His low budget campaign was badly outspent by over 11 to 1 by his opponent a former T Mobile executive running with a professionally staffed campaign, that had the backing of the old boy network that makes up the State's political establishment.
Against that McGinn had a campaign staffed with an impressive network of energetic, and mostly young volunteers.
McGinn expands lead over Mallahan in Seattle mayor's race
With late votes breaking his way, Mike McGinn expanded his lead Friday over Joe Mallahan in the Seattle mayoral race.
McGinn, who ran a populist campaign without the support of the city's business and labor establishment, now leads by 2,384 votes - well outside the margin for a mandatory recount, according to the latest results posted Friday evening.
McGinn ran a volunteer-driven campaign that was built around his opposition to replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a tunnel. Though he softened his stance late last month he continued to rail about possible cost overruns on the $4.2 billion project.
The businessman Mallahan raised far more money than McGinn and enjoyed the backing of the city and state's political power brokers, who were spooked by McGinn's anti-viaduct tunnel rhetoric.
This is turning out to be the political equivalent of David vs Goliath. Seeing a collection of committed volunteers overcoming daunting odds like these, and beating the state's political power brokers renews my optimistic view that grassroots populism can rear up to become a political force to be reckoned with.