With the opening up of the Seattle Mayor's race and Lorena Gonzalez announcement she will seek that office, the top level of Seattle city government is seeing a shakeup. The announcements for city offices will likely pick up pace now with many months of work ahead of the candidates. 

In a press release on Wednesday, Mike McQuaid announced he would seek the seat now occupied by Teresa Mosqueda, at Position 8.

The release reads: 

Long time community council leader and civic activist Mike McQuaid will announce his candidacy to seek the city-wide Position 8 on the Seattle City Council in the 2021 municipal election in a Thursday morning news conference.

McQuaid, a fourth-generation Seattleite who served as elected member, president and transportation chair of the South Lake Union Community Council from 2010 - 19 during a period of significant growth and revitalization, will announce his candidacy at 9 a.m., Thursday, Feb, 18 in Denny Park - Seattle’s most historic park.

“All of our neighborhoods including downtown are facing historic challenges with the combined effects of the pandemic, job loss, ongoing civic violence and the unchecked public health crisis of homelessness.  We must be laser focussed on emerging from this pandemic and rebuilding the trust and promise of our city,” said McQuaid, whose family history includes civic leaders with catalytic roles with the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair and the Downtown Seattle Holiday Star on the former Macy’s / Bon Marche building in the downtown core.  

“Over the past decade, I’ve been fortunate to have earned trust in guiding my community through an unprecedented period of prosperity and growth. Now is our time to carry Seattle forward in recovery - reasonably, predictably and urgently as a member of the Seattle City Council.” 

Following the Denny Park announcement, McQuaid will embark on day-long tour of Seattle neighborhoods visiting small, family owned restaurants and grocery stores in all seven Seattle City council districts with a focus on neighborhood business resiliency and the path to recovery.  Stops will include the QFC locations set to be closed on Capitol Hill and in Wedgwood.  On Tuesday, QFC’s decision to shutter the two neighborhood grocery stores, both of which it acknowledged were “underperforming”, was said to be accelerated by Seattle’s hazard pay law, approved by the City Council in late January.  

“As a city we have to be acutely aware of the delicate balance that exists with many of our front-line businesses serving our community, those who are working hard every day and the long-term consequences of well-intended actions on our neighbors,” McQuaid said. “While our City Council proactively imposed the new law benefiting grocery workers in the short term, the long-term consequences of the action upset the known balance of the industry at time when we can’t afford to lose additional jobs in our city and our neighbors can ill afford to lose a critical resource.”

Over the past decade, McQuaid has played leadership roles throughout the city that have touched immigrant groups, cultural and entertainment initiatives, parks revitalization, transportation networks, and libraries with a track record of considering and bringing together those of opposing viewpoints to work toward community oriented outcomes.

In South Lake Union, McQuaid played an early role to craft and steward the neighborhood’s Urban Design Framework and Mobility Plan - frameworks for a neighborhood that has come to be recognized as perhaps the most significant urban revitalization in America today.  

The 57-year-old small business owner and community volunteer has also served in a number of volunteer civic leadership capacities including a mayoral appointment to the Seattle Sister Cities Coordinating Council and a leadership role in the then Key Arena - Redevelopment Community Advisory Group.  The coalition brought together North Downtown neighborhood leaders, arts and culture leaders of Seattle Center resident organizations, business, labor and elected officials to frame the guiding principals of the development agreement for the rebuild of the 59-year-old sports and entertainment venue that opened the door to Seattle being granted an NHL franchise for the new Climate Pledge Arena. 

Passionate about Seattle’s parks, transportation infrastructure and neighborhoods, McQuaid was a founding member of the Friends of Cascade Park, which brought together community stakeholders, elected leaders, law enforcement, local activists, the business community and others to improve and activate the South Lake Union area park that had fallen into disrepair and become a haven for criminal activity. McQuaid has also played roles supporting revitalization efforts at Denny Park and Lake Union Park. 

In transportation, McQuaid’s work alongside business and neighborhood leaders from the Downtown Core and Pioneer Square helped successfully advocate for the revitalization of the Center City Connector streetcar line connecting the existing South Lake Union and Capitol Hill lines https://www.seattlechannel.org/videos?videoid=x102561 He also served on an inter-jurisdictional advisory committee that sought to bring innovative fast-foot ferry service to Lake Washington https://www.king5.com/article/traffic/traffic-news/proposed-renton-seattle-water-taxi-goes-on-test-ride/281-542930524. The group’s work contributed to a Puget Sound Regional Council study examining the potential of passenger only ferry service on Puget Sound and Lake Washington. 

An advocate for neighborhoods and libraries, McQuaid supported the 2019 Yes! Seattle Libraries campaign as a spokesperson and by riding his bike on an 70-mile tour of all 27 neighborhood branches of the Seattle Public Libraries. https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/Seattle-Public-Library-cyclist-bike-27-branch-ride-13780694.php The Yes! Seattle Libraries Proposition I initiative passed with a 73 percent margin.  

 NOTE: The website and social media accounts will be live and have more content as of Thursday.

To learn more about Seattle City Council candidate Mike McQuaid, visit http://www.McQuaidSeattle.com or follow Mike @McQuaidSeattle on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.