Michael McGinn

Michael McGinn
McGinn at a town hall meeting in November 2011
52nd Mayor of Seattle
In office January 1, 2010 – December 31, 2013
Deputy	Darryl Smith
Preceded by	Gregory J. Nickels
Succeeded by	Ed Murray
Personal details
Born	(1959-12-17) December 17, 1959 (age 57) Long Island, New York, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Children	Jack Miyo Cian
Residence	Greenwood, Seattle, Washington
Alma mater	Williams College (B.A. 1982) University of Washington School of Law (J.D. 1992)
Profession	Attorney, activist, politician
Religion	Catholic Church

Michael McGinn (born December 17, 1959) is the former mayor of Seattle, a lawyer, Greenwood neighborhood activist, and a former Sierra Club state chair. In what was characterized as a "sea change in the power structure of Seattle", McGinn differentiated his campaign by his opposition to the proposed tunnel replacement to the Alaskan Way Viaduct. He won election in November 2009 with the support of groups considered to be "political outsiders" such as environmentalists, biking advocates, musicians, advocates for the poor, nightclub owners, and younger voters.

Originally from Long Island, New York, McGinn grew up in a family of eight. He earned a B.A. in economics from Williams College and worked for Congressman Jim Weaver as a legislative aide. McGinn attended law school at the University of Washington School of Law. After graduating, he practiced business law for the Seattle firm Stokes Lawrence, becoming a partner. He left Stokes Lawrence in 2005 and started Great City Initiative, a non-profit advocacy group.

McGinn is credited with increasing the "clout" of the Sierra Club, helping transform it into a "real political force" in Seattle. According to McGinn, the club's political committee was "moribund" when he volunteered to lead it in the mid-1990s. The group grew to 50 active political leaders by 2009.

McGinn is the founder and former executive director of the Seattle Great City Initiative, a non-profit advocacy group, as well as a former head of the Greenwood Community Council. While at Great City, McGinn oversaw a budget of $160,000 and worked alliances with companies like Triad Development, Harbor Properties and Paul Allen's Vulcan Inc. on environmental and urban development issues. As a neighborhood organizer and head of his non-profit, McGinn endorsed his future opponent Mayor Greg Nickels and worked with him to bar development of large, commercial "big box stores", eliminate street parking in favor of bus lanes and push for changes in zoning laws to encourage greater density in the Greenwood neighborhood. McGinn stepped down from his position as head of the Greenwood Community Council in 2006 and stepped down as executive director of his non-profit in March 2009 in order to run for Mayor. In 2007, McGinn used his position as a leader in the Sierra Club's Cascade Chapter to help successfully campaign against metropolitan Seattle's Proposition 1, a combined road and mass transit measure, in favor of a transit-only measure. Later McGinn chaired the successful campaign to pass a Seattle parks levy.