(WSB photo by Christopher Boffoli, added 10:21 am)
Mayor Nickels has just announced at City Hall, with family at his side, and applause greeting him as he entered, that he’s called Joe Mallahan and Mike McGinn to congratulate them on advancing to November’s general election. He is making his statement with a tone of “no regrets” and pride. He says he and city government has “made a difference each and every day” of his two terms. He says, “The Seattle today is stronger, better and kinder than the Seattle of yesterday” and says this is “an amazing place in an amazing time.” He says he will continue working hard for the “131 days left” of his administration. In response to the first question after his statement – why he lost – “I think the people of Seattle have decided it’s time for a new generation of leadership” and then he semi-joked, “I think there are dozens of issues” which caused people to vote against him. He said leadership means making tough decisions and “You get to make everybody unhappy – The Viaduct might be an example of that.” He says he hasn’t decided which candidate he will support in November. And regarding what he’ll do next – he says he has “no idea” yet. 10:19 AM: The mayor’s news conference just wrapped up. (Side note: In our photo above, in addition to family members with the mayor, that’s Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis near the center of his photo, also a West Seattleite, looking on.) ADDED 12:03 PM: Seattle Post-Globe has published a statement from City Council President Richard Conlin (who decided against a mayoral run, going for re-election instead; he faces West Seattleite David Ginsberg in November). ADDED 12:56 PM: You can see some of the humor that the mayor displayed, in this clip published to YouTube by the politics site horsesass.org:

ADDED 2:06 PM: Covering the announcement for WSB, Christopher Boffoli provides this transcript of what Mayor Nickels said this morning, including the questions that followed from the assembled media:

Thank you so much for being here this morning and for joining me this
morning for this announcement. I’ve got a statement that I’m going to
make and then I’d be happy to open it up to questions and I’m very
pleased that some of you decided to come today.

When I became mayor in 2002 I decided to conduct myself in office in a
certain way. That I would rather be an effective mayor and get things
done than a politician who left nothing more significant behind than
footprints in the sand. That I would make the right decisions for the
future of the city rather than ones that would preserve my personal
popularity. Based on Tuesday’s primary election results I have
succeeded beyond my wildest dreams.

This morning I called Mike McGinn and Joe Mallahan and I congratulated
them on advancing to the November 3rd general election. One of them
will be Seattle’s next mayor and I wish them both well. When the
election has passed and the voters have made their decision known I
will work with the new mayor elect to ensure a smooth and positive
transition. Serving as mayor of this fine city has been the greatest
honor of my public life. And I humbly thank the voters for bestowing
that honor in 2001 (though not by much) and again in 2005. Having
made wise decisions in both of those instances, I’m in no position to
second guess their decision on Tuesday.

I’m very proud though of the many accomplishments that we have made
these last eight years. And deeply grateful to the many fine City of
Seattle employees who have done the hard work to make that happen. I
believe that when the history of this decade is written it will be
seen as a time of tremendous change and positive change in our city.
Together we built and opened the first light rail line after decades
of debate and dithering. We began construction on the second line and
successfully passed a ballot proposition to extend the system north,
south and east. We built a modern streetcar line in 18 months from
groundbreaking to opening service. And now have funding for a second
line. Working with the governor, King County, civic groups, labor
unions and others we achieved a breakthrough agreement on replacing
the dangerous elevated highway on our waterfront. That was an eight
year process and a decision that had to be made.

As we saw with light rail, leadership means moving forward. We reaped
tremendous benefits when we work together for a common purpose, such
as reclaiming our waterfront and creating a great public space for all
to enjoy. Together we built sidewalks, bike trails, fire stations,
libraries, and parks. We created a sense of grace and social justice
and led the nation in protecting the climate from greenhouse gas
emissions. We created vibrant, dynamic 24/7 communities where people
can live in proximity to work and each other. We housed those in need
and worked to make sure that kids could grow up without falling victim
to street violence. In short, we have made a difference each and
every day. And that’s the goal that guided my every decision. In the
end though, this job is all about people: where we live, how we get to
work, our hopes for the future, and the community that we want to
build around them. I’ve been inspired by so many of our people…by
the world-renowned scientist who is curing disease just a few blocks
from the Space Needle, the Rainier Beach teenager who is working her
first summer job, commuters who’ve discovered they can get around
without having to use an automobile, the union apprentice who is
learning new skills for a great economy. The Seattle of today is
stronger, better and kinder than the Seattle of yesterday.

We are well-poised to bring a future of renewed prosperity. Our house
is in good order. Those who are running for office must make a case
that they are the best person. But they should not denigrate what we
have done. We’ve done those things together and we are not a broken
city. Far from it. The challenges that we face are the challenges of
success. Across the nation other cities are envious of our economic
strength, our fiscal discipline, our public safety and our commitment
to the most vulnerable. Do not distort the true picture of Seattle.
We are an amazing place in an amazing time.

I want to thank the many people who volunteered on my campaign and who
have worked so hard these last few months. My family and I are
grateful for your dedication and your enthusiasm. And I also want to
thank all those who voted, no matter who they picked, for
participating in our democracy as it keeps our city and our country
strong. I want to thank my family for putting up with the
inconveniences and the difficulties that such a public life
necessitates and imposes on our privacy and our time together. I want
to thank the wonderful staff of the mayor’s office and my cabinet for
their excellent service on behalf of the people of Seattle. I have
131 days left in my tenure as mayor. And I pledge to the people of
Seattle that I will work hard each and every one of those days, as I
have the last 2,800, to create a bright and prosperous future for the
people of this city. I want to thank them for the honor of being able
to serve and ask God to bless our home, Seattle. Thank you all for
being here.

Q&A:

Q: Mr. Mayor, could you explain, as you see it, why this disconnect between the accomplishments you talked about and the voters’ response on Tuesday?

A: Well, you know, I’ve actually spent a little time thinking about that. (laughter) And I guess I would say I think the people of Seattle have decided it was time for a new generation of leadership. And we give the voters all due … they’re the ones who make the decision. And I’m honored that twice they gave me the honor of doing this. They want a new generation of leadership and I think they made that very clear on Tuesday.

Q: Do you think there is a particular issue on which you lost votes?

A: You know, I think there were dozens of issues (laughter). The things about being mayor is that you make decisions. If you’re going to be successful you have to move the city forward. And every decision someone disagrees with. I have yet to find one that has made everybody happy. And some of the most wonderful issues are those where you get to make everybody unhappy (laughter). The Viaduct might be an example of that. But at the end of the day you have to make those decisions or you’re not doing the job. And that’s what I tried to articulate in saying that I’ve tried to keep my focus on how we build a prosperous and bright future for the people of this city and let the chips fall where they may.

Q: Do you regret going negative against your opponents in the last days of the campaign?

A: You know, I’m not so reflective today on the campaign. I think that what we found in this campaign was that there was a ceiling of about 25 or 26%. And if my opponents got more than that I was in trouble and if they got less than that I would have gone on to the general.

Q: Mr. Mayor will you be supporting Mr. McGinn or Mr. Mallahan going forward?

A: Well, as I said, I called them both today. I wished them both luck because whichever one is elected will be my mayor as well as yours. And I have not made a decision who I’m going to vote for much less whether I’m going to make an endorsement.

Q: After the 2007 tunnel vote your administration had a position that was similar to the one Mike McGinn has today. Do you think if you had stuck by that decision the numbers would be different for you today and you might be in the top two spots?

A: You know again, I don’t think it is any one issue. I think it was, really, the public deciding that it was time to make a change in terms of … really a generational change. In terms of the Viaduct, you know, I had a strong position and three years ago we had a kind of a political nuclear meltdown around that with Olympia. We got to work and I tried to find a way to solve that without creating a new corridor of any kind. But I certainly was insistent that we weren’t going to have another elevated highway on that waterfront. That public space will be our Central Park someday. And we cannot afford to let the Legislature or anyone else put another freeway on Elliott Bay. So that was the principle that I fought for and the end of that process, the answer, was a compromise and in this business you’ve got to be able to make compromises … figure out what’s important for you to preserve and what areas you can give a little bit and maybe get an agreement.

Q: Mayor Nickels, Mike McGinn wants to stop (the tunnel). From your perspective is that even possible at this point?

A: You know, I’m not going to get into that. I’ve already gone further into that issue than I care to. The debate is going to be between Mike McGinn and Joe Mallahan and I’m not going to engage in that.

Q: Mayor Nickels you’ve been in public office for three decades…

A: (Mayor interrupts): Well, twenty-two years. (laughter)

Q: (Reframes the question) For twenty-two years you’ve been in public office in some capacity. Have you had a chance to ponder what’s next?

A: You know, that question has come up in my mind and I really have no idea at this point. I think that the best days are ahead and that it will be in another area that I will find very satisfying. But I predict that nothing in my future career will match the honor of being the mayor of this city. (applause) It may pay better..I don’t know (laughter)

Q: In your campaign advertising you admitted mistakes. What decisions, what actions would you like to have back?

A: Well there are two weeks in December I would love to have back. (laughter) But there are a lot of decisions over the years that you make based on the best information that you have and in retrospect you can find that there were perhaps other paths that might have worked out better. I’ve talked a bit on the campaign trail about the rebuilding of Westlake. I think that’s an example of where we could have thought more broadly about using that as a way for pedestrians and bicycles and transit. And instead we simply built it as an arterial for automobiles. There are many of those. Some of them have been well-examined publicly. Some of them were private teaching moments for me. And I think over the years to come I’ll probably reflect on that more and come up with other examples.

Q: What initiatives do you feel might go by the wayside because you’re no longer here to drive the agenda?

A: You know, again, the people of Seattle have yet to pick their leadership and whoever is elected I’m going to wish well and if there is any way that I can be helpful to them in making this city successful I will offer to do whatever they would like. I’ll even oppose things if they’d like (laughter) But, you know, I’m really proud of the light rail and in fifteen years we’re going to have a system that will be within an easy bus ride, bike ride or walk of 70% of the residences and 85% of the jobs in metropolitan Seattle. (applause) And as we saw with the initial light rail line, there will be hard decisions that will need to be made to make that happen. And I hope that the regional leadership will be able to step up and make the hard decisions and I have confidence that they will.

Q: Do you see yourself, in any way, getting involved in the future? You’ve listed off so many of your accomplishments. I imagine it would be difficult for you to just completely step aside, having a vision for what you want to see in the future for the city.

A: Well, I don’t intend to be one who spends a lot of time second-guessing or shadowing whoever follows me. I’d like to support and help them where I can. Yes, public service has been part of my entire adult life and it will be part of the rest of my life.

Q: Mayor Nickels how difficult of a day is this for you? You have to be going through a lot of different emotions.

A: You know I thought I was doing just fine until I was sending a message to a couple of my long-time staff people and I ended it, unlike most messages, I leave them by telling them I love them. (laughter) So there are a lot of emotions. And I tell you … it is hard for me when I look around the room at friends and family. It’s harder on them than it is on me because I accept this as part of the deal. And they didn’t get a choice.

Q: Mayor Nickels you were an early endorser of the President. Would you like to work for him now?

A: You know, in a way, I think we all are working for him. (laughter)

Q: (Follow-up) Well, would you like to get paid for working for him? (laughter) Take a job in he administration?

A: Again, I haven’t gotten to that point of what I want to do next. Public service I suspect will be involved. Whether it is government service I don’t know. And we’ll let that unfurl in the next few months.

Q: Quick one… this race does look like it might be heading towards a recount. Is there any reason you are making this decision and this announcement today, right now.

A: Yeah, I’m a pretty good vote counter. (laughter)

Q: (Follow-up) I imagine you are trying to help the city to progress, etc….?

A: It’s time…the general election is an important time for the people of this city to make a decision and it ought to be a clear choice and I want to remove myself as an issue and as a contestant in it because clearly the people have made their choice and the other two candidates need to move on and I wish them well.

Again, I want to thank you all for being here and, to many of you, I want to say thank you for the support that you’ve given me these last eight years. You should be very proud of it and I think history will validate that. Thank you.