Seattle's Green Mayor Ousted In Primary

Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, known as the 'father' of the Cool Cities movement for penning the the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in Nov. 2007, will not see a third term. Apparently, his efforts to fight global warming were not enough to compensate for some local stumbles.

"After the latest results were released Thursday (August 20) afternoon, businessman Joe Mallahan led with 27.22 percent of the vote, environmentalist Mike McGinn was is in second place, with 26.69 percent. Nickels was third, at 25.56 percent. The top two finishers advance to the general election."

From NYT:
"Perhaps the most surprising of the top two early leaders was Mike McGinn, a neighborhood activist and local Sierra Club leader who built his low-cost campaign around opposition to one of the mayor's signature accomplishments, an agreement finalized in January to replace the earthquake-damaged freeway. The $4.2 billion plan, approved by the state, would open downtown to Elliott Bay and views of the Olympic Mountains by demolishing the 56-year-old highway, called the Alaskan Way Viaduct, and building a two-deck tunnel.

Mr. McGinn, who favors replacing the viaduct with a less expensive surface-level boulevard and expanded transit services, has won support from both fiscal conservatives and environmentalists."

Thanks to Tim Gould