ELECTION 2021: Colleen Echohawk running for Seattle mayor

The first high-profile candidate for Seattle Mayor has announced her campaign. Colleen Echohawk leads the nonprofit Chief Seattle Club, which provides services to urban Natives experiencing homelessness. Her announcement says she is “running on a people-first platform to achieve an equitable renewal from the COVID-19 pandemic” and quotes her as saying that “we have a once-in-a-generation chance to rethink how [the city] works, and who it works for.” The announcement describes Echohawk’s priorities as including “an investment in community-based organizations and businesses” as well as “the establishment of a Public Safety Department, with community-based mental health workers and neighborhood liaisons.” Echohawk is a North Seattle resident. In addition to her nonprofit work, she has been involved in a wide variety of advisory groups on major regional issues – our archives note that she was on the Stakeholder Advisory Group for Sound Transit‘s West Seattle to Ballard light-rail plan. Three other candidates have registered campaigns for mayor; this is the first announcement we’ve received. (Campaign website photo)

D January 25, 2021 (12:26 pm)

Hopefully we get a mayoral candidate who lives in West Seattle.

Resident January 25, 2021 (12:47 pm)

If we secede from Seattle we could have our own Mayor.

DG January 25, 2021 (12:49 pm)

I’ve worked with Colleen for a couple years and can report she is among the most genuine and kind people you’ll meet. She engaged with me as an equal partner on our shared work. She is solutions focused and loves the people of this region. I can’t wait to see who else runs for mayor, but if Colleen ends up being the strongest candidate, Seattle is in good hands.

WSOwl January 25, 2021 (1:24 pm)

Takes courage to run. Thank you!

brian January 25, 2021 (1:48 pm)

This lady won’t comment on Carmen Best because of some kind of confidentiality agreement? Seems like a compromised position from which to be running for mayor.https://twitter.com/BrettHamil/status/1353801561844027395

Mr E January 25, 2021 (1:55 pm)

I’m genuinely happy with the mayoral candidate announcements so far. This could be the first time I’ve ever felt proud about a Seattle Mayor!

CarDriver January 25, 2021 (1:59 pm)

D. We had one. We’ve got council members that live here.

Question Authority January 25, 2021 (2:37 pm)

There’s more to running a City then a hyper-focused platform, there’s bills to pay and bridges to fix Etc.

onion January 25, 2021 (3:43 pm)

I’d like to draft Greg Nickels for a second go-around. Our last good mayor.

Anne January 25, 2021 (4:29 pm)

Oh please- no!
Derek January 25, 2021 (7:06 pm)

Sorry, but no

Texas Tom January 25, 2021 (4:30 pm)

“the establishment of a Public Safety Department, with community-based mental health workers and neighborhood liaisons.”

This is politician weasel-speak for defunding the police. We’ve already had one social worker killed trying to do a job that should have been handled by a trained officer. Let’s not have any more.

Mj January 25, 2021 (5:29 pm)

Onion – I’ll second your motion to draft Greg for Mayor.

Derek January 25, 2021 (7:07 pm)

I want a candidate that makes budget cuts to the police and helps the homeless in a way that makes sense long term. We have a poverty problem and we can’t afford another mayor that bows down to Amazon. The people own this town, not Amazon!

anoninstl January 27, 2021 (10:39 am)

Amazon is just going to move over to Bellevue and the east side will benefit from the revenue. You need business to be happy too in order to fund all these social initiatives. I work for a small company that’s good to it’s employees and the constant barrage of new Seattle taxes and fees to fund what isn’t working for the homeless is taking it’s toll. I do believe most businesses believe in helping the community, but you have to make them part of the conversation. The Amazon hatred is getting old, I know many people that happily work there and are able to own a home and care for their families because of Amazon.

Mj January 25, 2021 (10:37 pm)

Onion – I second your motion to draft Greg to run for Mayor.

Quiz January 26, 2021 (9:41 am)

Hopefully we can elect a mayor that won’t be pushed around by our kooky city council. Sure, reform the police department but also pay officers more and hire more of them.

Derek January 26, 2021 (10:10 pm)

That’s exactly what we don’t want. Not more bad apples. You cannot reform this. A cop just ran over people in Tacoma. And they’ve been targeting activists in almost stalker-esque fashion over months. Many are paid 200k. Need to drastically cut the PD.
- Quiz January 27, 2021 (11:43 am)
  
  I’m glad to hear some are being paid well, as they all should be. And I love the “you can’t reform this” can-do attitude (spare the drama, please). Thankfully many other people aren’t afraid of hard work. Making police the enemy is not a solution to anything.

Anoninstl January 26, 2021 (10:53 pm)

Sounds like exactly what we have already and that’s not working so well. Agree with the other commenter that there are lots of big issues for the next mayor to address. Frankly talking to business owners they are fed up with the city. They need to partner with business, including Amazon if they hope to fund social projects otherwise Austin will continue to grow and we’ll die out.ly

Pessoa January 27, 2021 (9:33 am)

Philanthropy is one thing, but I doubt you want Bezo’s tentacles reaching into more of Seattle as there are no free lunches in life.

Sorry, comment time is over.