1 PM: We’re at the Senior Center of West Seattle, where the upstairs meeting hall is filled with people here to see and hear the two men vying to run Seattle for the next four years, Mayor Mike McGinn and State Sen. Ed Murray. This is expected to last an hour; we will be updating here live. We also are rolling video, so if all works out, we’ll be able to add that to this later. (ADDED 3:32 PM: Here it is, in its entirety, starting with the center’s executive director Karen Sisson and moderator Lucy Gaskill-Gaddis:)

1:05 PM: Five-minute opening remarks from each candidate, starting with McGinn. He goes through introductory comments – why he ran four years ago, how he took off in the “deepest economic recession since the Great Depression.” He contends Seattle has the “fastest-growing urban economy in the nation.” After listing a few other things, he reiterates, “We DO have economic growth.” He says they made a promise to neighborhoods like West Seattle that have been “accepting growth,” promises not yet kept, such as how transportation and other infrastructure will be handled. He mentions that Sound Transit (whose board he’s on) is studying getting light rail to West Seattle. He says, “I want to invest in all our neighborhoods,” including making it “safe to walk.” His 5 minutes are up.

1:11 PM: Now, Murray’s introduction. He gets quickly to his West Seattle roots, including his time at Holy Rosary School, and how he doorbelled with his mom when he was five “for John Kennedy for president.” He says “West Seattle is a special place,” and promises it “won’t be an afterthought” if he is elected. Moving on to his legislative work, he says he is working with seniors’ best interest in mind – he talks about regulation for home-health-care workers. As for why he’s running for mayor, he touts himself as “bring(ing) people together … I think Seattle is craving leadership that is willing to sit people down at a table” to find solutions “not just ideologically based, but (to) move us forward as a city.” Then: “This is a city that has a public safety problem … a transportation problem .. that cannot be blamed on the Legislature alone …” He mentions Tatsuo Nakata (not by name)’s death at the 47th/Admiral crosswalk in 2006, and accuses McGinn of “resistance” to the long-sought-after crosswalk there. The mayor says “That’s false.” (Here’s what happened: He had proposed money for a beacon and to study a traffic signal there; the City Council then upgraded that to full funding of a signal.)

1:15 PM: Now to Q/A. Audience members have filled out cards with questions. First one read by moderator Lucy Gaskill Gaddis: Transportation problems and density with many apartments on the way and Metro facing more cuts. “What practical solution do you advocate” to those, she asks. Murray first: “We’re going to have to create a high-tech war room of (many jurisdictions’) officials” to make sure that traffic can move through. He says he’s feeling “positive” about a transportation solution in the Legislature. He says “you can’t starve cars without transit to replace it.” Next, McGinn – he starts with an attempt at correcting Murray regarding the 47th/Admiral light, and touts current paving projects that are under way such as Delridge. Then: “This tunnel project … isn’t going to do that much for us in the long run.” Transit is the only way to solve things, he says. He says “a legislative session or something else” is needed to solve things. “Our local transit money is being held hostage to highway projects around the state.”

(EDITOR’S POST-DEBATE NOTE: Here’s our coverage of what happened re: the signal)

Murray rebuttal: “You can bash Olympia or you can choose to work with Olympia. Your senators (state) are not the reason transportation is not moving forward … What we’re missing is a partnership with the city of Seattle,” instead of bashing Olympia.

McGinn rebuttal: He says the legislature has “underfunded” many things. He addresses Murray directly: “You couldn’t keep control of the Senate, you couldn’t manage the budget … I’m not blaming everyone in Olympia … that was your job to keep the majority.”

1:24 PM: New question: What role do communities and social issues play in land use policy and development? First McGinn: Affordability is important. He says he’s appointed a stakeholder committee that’s drawing up a report. “If you ask for too much, (developers) won’t use the incentives to build affordable housing.” He gets quickly to the Whole Foods/4755 Fauntleroy Way SW alley-vacation opposition and why he thinks that wages are important.

Murray: He says he supports the concept of what the mayor did but “not how (he) did it” – after sighing, “The attacks go on.” He also responds to something McGinn said earlier regarding accountability and goes on to point out city fraud – rather than replying to the question that the moderator had asked.

New question: Public safety, and what will they do about it? Murray first brings up the Justice Department/Seattle Police situation, going back to the beginning, and suggests that the city fought the feds and instead led to “years of a police force that was in turmoil… and remains in turmoil.” And: “We have to admit we have a problem … not all crime is down in all parts of the city … We have to move forward on public safety” and mentions a Junction business walkthrough and hearing from businesses: “The same thing I hear from downtown, the same concerns.”

McGinn: “I would love to have a discussion about the future … but Sen. Murray’s campaign has not been about the idea, it’s about saying I can’t get things done, I can’t work with people. … Let’s talk about crime. When I took office, we did in fact have a police department not trusted by the community.” He says he took action including bringing in a Community Police Commission. And he touts the announcement earlier today of 15 more officers to be added. He says Murray passed bills that put felons on the street without dealing with mental-health issues. Murray rebuttal: This year, we expanded social services bigger than anything since the Johnson Administration, and mentions a Medicaid expansion which will mean “mental health funding … for people on the streets.” And he talks about people being released because they are “not violent offenders” after being accused of having “too many people” behind bars … “we were able to close an entire juvenile facility because we could put them in programs with best practices.” McGinn rebuttal: “I was referring to Senate Bill 5891 … with respect to mental-health services … we do have a situation where this state is 50th in terms of mental-health beds available.” He says interim Police Chief Pugel testified about the situation in Olympia, and a bill is pending to eliminate a tax exemption for tourists, to use the money to spend on mental health – “But the business community objected, the same business community that’s funding his campaign.” He accuses Murray of “pretty neat trick” to vote to let felons out without voting for mental-health funding.

1:37 PM: New question: What will you do or have you done to preserve industrial job base? McGinn: Funding a freight master plan, working with the Port to mitigate traffic impacts … “When you cross the West Seattle Bridge, you’ll see the new Harley Marine building … we changed the rules for that …” to accommodate their headquarters. He says he is working on job training because he hears from industrial firms that they need qualified people. “We’re fortunate to have multiple thriving sectors.”

Murray: “This city’s traditional industrial industry is a key part of the future of our economy … Preserving and growing that has not been a priority of this administration.” He says that both the SODO and Ballard industrial areas should be addressed with plans, and mentions the possible sports arena (which McGinn did not mention) could affect industry and that should be dealt with. He also mentions that Nucor’s predecessor, Bethehem Steel, is where his father worked. He says he would work with the Port to “design a brand-new industrial plan.” He then brings up the mayor’s claim about campaign funding: “(He) inferred my supporters are rich” and mentions supporters who are not. He says he’s “not trying to divide the city by saying ‘he’s the rich guy'” … “I’m not trying to divide this city.”

1:41 PM: Last question, budget priorities for the city? Murray: “Serious inventory of our infrastructure – not just the roads and streets, but also (utilities) …. when infrastructure fails, it’s the poor and elderly who get stuck. You can see it in New Orleans, you can see it back east … #2, public safety … #3, deal with the backlog of major maintenance … of crumbling sidewalks and streets … Then he mentions he’d like to see some of the talent from past administrations come back “so that our budget will be a sustainable budget and not a budget where you read about … fraud that was never addressed.” McGinn: “We discovered that fraud, removed that person …” And then he accuses Murray of not taking responsibility for an issue he had to deal with. “Our big challenge is that we are a growing city and not everyone gets to share in that prosperity … What we’re doing: #1, Early Learning Academy … working with the council on a plan for universal preschool … We’ve increased our spending on basic infrastructure 37% in the past (few) years even without new funding from the state … Transit Master Plan, working to get Sound Transit to the ballot by 2016 so our neighborhoods will get the transit they need … If the state won’t act (on transportation) we’ll figure out how to get the money we need.” He mentions again his roots as a neighborhood activist.

1:46 PM: Murray’s five minutes of closing remarks: He compliments the WS Senior Center for reaching out to LGBT seniors. “As I mentioned before, I have worked in Olympia for 18 years,” and he mentions that it took a long time for some things to get done, like the 17 years it took to pass marriage equality. “That’s what Olympia is like … you have to get people to the table…that’s why I want to be mayor … that’s the kind of leadership Seattle is craving.” He mentions he’s been endorsed by several City Councilmembers, “unusual when you have an incumbent who’s running.” He says West Seattle legislators have endorsed him as has County Councilmember Joe McDermott and the 34th District Democrats: “it’s good to be home in West Seattle … I want to work to bring this city together … I want to be a mayor who doesn’t spend two years fighting with the state over the viaduct.” He accuses McGinn of waiting four years to announce programs and says he will make announcements from the start. He says he grew up here as a “poor kid,” if “that kid from 61st Street would grow up to be the mayor of Seattle.”

1:50 PM: McGinn’s closing remarks – he says yes, Murray’s been a uniter, and rattles off corporation names. Then he says, yes, we all get contributions from all over the place. He says, “We’ve gotten a lot done … leading the nation in jobs … innovative new programs to hire local workers … doubled the Families and Education Levy … all of our libraries open on Sundays … rebuilding the Rainy Day Fund … and none of those things happened all by themselves … it took a team of people, the mayor and City Council .. to get them done … imagine what we can do if … I’ve been to ‘mayor’s school’. … I have made myself available, held myself accountable, passionate about this job, working to divest from fossil fuels, want universal preschool ….This city can be a leader demonstrating what it means to the world to live as a multicultural society … and other cities will look at us and say, ‘We want to be that city.’ … I would love to continue to be your mayor.”

1:53 PM: The forum is over and the two shake hands. A few minutes of mingling is promised for the standing-room only crowd. It was intense and lively and pointed; our words cannot quite convey it as well as the video will, and we will upload it as soon as we get back to HQ.

For the first time in almost two years, per our archives, City Councilmembers Sally Clark (current council president) and Sally Bagshaw will bring their “Coffee with the Sallys” community chat back to West Seattle. (Our photo above is from their stop at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market in November 2011.) Just got confirmation from council staff that they will be at High Point Branch Library (35th/Raymond) 2:30-4 pm on September 28th. It’s an informal drop-in event – so if you have a concern, question, idea, be there.

P.S. Not that it should limit what you bring up, but if you want to know which committees they’re on, check here. Clark currently chairs the Economic Resiliency and Regional Relations Committee, while Bagshaw chairs the Parks and Neighborhoods Committee.

With nine weeks until the November 5th election, and summer in the rear-view mirror, the campaign for Seattle mayor is about to resume in earnest, and what we believe to be West Seattle’s first post-primary mayoral forum has just been confirmed for two weeks from today: Senior Center of West Seattle executive director Karen Sisson says incumbent Mayor Mike McGinn and challenger State Sen. Ed Murray will be there at 1 pm on Tuesday, September 17th. Lucy Gaskill Gaddis will moderate, in a format including opening/closing statements, moderator questions, and audience questions. (The Senior Center is at California/Oregon in The Junction.)

Any other groups have forums/debates scheduled? Don’t wait until the last minute to let us know – we’d love to get your event in the WSB calendar now; editor@westseattleblog.com. Thanks!

(West Seattle section of Times’ mayoral-vote map, shown with permission; click to go to interactive map on ST site)
With a little over two months to go until the general election, our partners at The Seattle Times have mapped out the primary-election results in the mayoral race. As you can see when you click here to go to the interactive map (click any spot to get that precinct’s results, or put an address into the search box), State Sen. Ed Murray took more territory (purple), running strongest in north/west West Seattle – where, as he frequently noted – he grew up – while Mayor Mike McGinn (orange) finished ahead in much of the east and south. City Councilmember Bruce Harrell (green) took two precincts in Arbor Heights, one in the Roxhill area, and one in Admiral. And just in case you wondered, given pre-election developments regarding a certain development – McGinn won the precinct containing the 4755 Fauntleroy Way SW (aka Whole Foods) development site and much of The Triangle, with 27 percent of the vote to 25 percent for Murray and 21 percent for Peter Steinbrueck, who, according to The Times’ map, did not win any precincts in West Seattle outright. General election day: November 5th.

Just a few of the sightings at the 34th District Democrats‘ annual Garden Party in the bright Friday night sunshine at West Seattle Nursery: Above, guest auctioneer and City Council President Sally Clark with the 34th Dems’ hospitality chair Mike Heavey; another of the elected officials on hand, 34th District State Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon:

The 34th DDs’ State Committeeman Chris Porter was decked out in the spirit of this year’s party theme, “Fiesta”:

Busy weekend for the group – they plan to table at today’s Delridge Day festival, along with more than 70 other organizations and businesses (including us!).

(WSB photo from August 2012: Part of the crowd at last year’s Garden Party)
It’s a summertime staple – the annual Garden Party fundraiser for our area’s biggest political organization, the 34th District Democrats – and tomorrow (Friday) is the night, West Seattle Nursery‘s the place. This year’s theme is “Fiesta,” with a Tex-Mex buffet and live music, and some of the auction items even fit the theme – including a week in Sayulita, Mexico. Also up for grabs to the highest bidder(s):

* a half-case of wine from the Vashon winery,
* a yachting tour of Lake Union with Dow Constantine
* a week on the island of Majorca, Spain in a luxurious condo,
* cocktail party at Rep. Eileen Cody‘s home, co-hosted by County Councilmember Joe McDermott

This year’s guest auctioneer is Seattle City Council President Sally Clark, and the event’s always a draw for other local political leaders, so you never know who you’ll get a chance to chat with. Tickets are $34 individual/$60 couple; the event starts at 6 pm Friday at WS Nursery (California/Brandon).

King County Elections has released its second round of primary-election results – which look a lot like the first round, though in the races for mayor and Council Position 2, the distance between first and second place tightened a bit.

SEATTLE MAYOR – Results are here.
Murray 30%
McGinn 28%
Steinbrueck 16%
Harrell 15%

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, POSITION 2 – Results are here
Conlin 49%
Sawant 34%
Carver 17%

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, POSITION 8 – Results are here
O’Brien 58%
Shen 35%
Ishii 7%

KING COUNTY PARKS LEVY – Results are here
Yes 69%
No 31%

KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE – Results are here
Constantine 76%
Lobdell 12%
Goodspaceguy 7%

SEATTLE PORT COMMISSION, POS. 3 – Results are here
Bowman 66%
Wolfe 18%
Pilloud 15%

A plain-text file of all races is here. Next update is expected in the 4 pm hour tomorrow.

8:14 PM: King County Elections expects to be out with election results any time now. They will publish the first ballot count tonight – then another update around 4:30 tomorrow afternoon, and more updates daily (or near-daily) from there.

8:18 PM: The numbers are in, and we have updated below:

SEATTLE MAYOR – Results are here.
Murray 30%
McGinn 27%
Steinbrueck 16%
Harrell 15%

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, POSITION 2 – Results are here
Conlin 49%
Sawant 33%

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL, POSITION 8 – Results are here
O’Brien 57%
Shen 35%

KING COUNTY PARKS LEVY – Results are here
Yes 67%
No 31%

KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE – Results are here
Constantine 76%
Lobdell 12%

A plain-text file of all races is here.

Making the rounds at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market this morning, Peter Steinbrueck became the third mayoral candidate in five days to visit the peninsula. He brought along what seemed like an armada of supporters – they staked out the corners by the market, offering literature to passers-by (we were hit up twice in each direction) even as the former city councilmember mingled. No soapbox speeches, just handshakes and on-the-fly chats. His visit follows incumbent Mayor Mike McGinn‘s coffeehouse chat yesterday (WSB coverage here) and State Sen. Ed Murray‘s Wednesday night event at the Masonic Temple (WSB coverage here). Any of the other six candidates (here’s the online voters’ guide for all 9) headed this way before voting ends Tuesday night? Let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com. And if you haven’t voted yet – whoever you’re voting for – the West Seattle and White Center ballot-dropoff vans will be back tomorrow and Tuesday.

Nine candidates are in the running for Seattle Mayor, going into Tuesday’s primary election, and another one made a final-days campaign stop in West Seattle this afternoon – the incumbent himself, Mike McGinn. His campaign sent word at 1 pm that he would be at C & P Coffee (WSB sponsor) around 3 for an informal coffee-hour chat. Several people asked the mayor questions about topics from transportation to development to the 4755 Fauntleroy Way development; he said he understands West Seattle’s undergoing growing pains and – as he had said in this interview we reported on two months ago – needs more transit, which he says he’s working for. We asked how he thinks the effort to clear the “Nickelsville” encampment by next month is going; he said that while he didn’t have specific numbers handy, it didn’t seem as if the City Council-approved efforts to help find housing for campers was making much of a dent in their numbers yet.

Elsewhere on the mayoral campaign front, State Sen. Ed Murray was in West Seattle this past Wednesday night, and we learned this afternoon that Peter Steinbrueck plans to campaign at the West Seattle Farmers’ Market around 11 tomorrow morning. Any other mayoral candidates campaigning here before voting ends Tuesday night? Let us know – editor@westseattleblog.com.

Anthony is one of the friendly King County Elections reps you’ll find at the official ballot-dropoff van in West Seattle, open until 5 pm today, 10 am-5 pm Monday, and 10 am-8 pm Tuesday. As with previous visits, the van is parked along the driveway into the West Seattle Stadium parking lot (from the northbound side of 35th SW, just south of SW Avalon Way). This year, there’s a White Center dropoff van too, same hours, at 9720 8th SW by the Greenbridge Library. If you’re looking for a fixed-location 24-hour box (until 8 pm Tuesday), the nearest ones are downtown and in Burien – all listed here. No stamp needed if you drop off your ballot at a van or box BUT if you mail it – do be sure it’s stamped.

With less than a week until voting ends and vote-counting begins in the August 6th primary, one of the 9 candidates for Seattle Mayor came to West Seattle tonight to speak to supporters. State Sen. Ed Murray, a former West Seattleite, campaigned tonight at the Alki Masonic Temple on the east edge of The Junction. We arrived mid-event, noting about 60 people on hand, so can only note a few points from his speech: Critiquing the incumbent mayor, Murray repeatedly referred to contentiousness – “frayed relationships with regional partners,” “arguing” with the City Council – and framed himself as someone who “brings people together.” Regarding a contentious issue from his last sessions in Olympia, Murray said he was hopeful an agreement for transportation funding would be worked out with legislators before year’s end, or, almost certainly in the next session of the Legislature, because Eastside legislators, he said, don’t need Metro cuts any more than we do on this side of Lake Washington. After he finished speaking, his former fellow state senator, this area’s King County Councilmember Joe McDermott, took the microphone to close the event.

So far as we know, Murray is the only mayoral candidate with a final-days-of-voting event planned in West Seattle (this one, by the way, was organized by local supporter Nils von Veh, not by the campaign); if you know of anyone else, please let us know so we can include it in the calendar and also cover it – even if it’s just informal campaigning, from doorbelling to sign-waving – editor@westseattleblog.com.

Whoever you’re voting for, next Tuesday night is the deadline to get your ballot in – and if you don’t want to mail it, as noted here two weeks ago, ballot dropoff vans will be available this Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday at West Seattle Stadium and Greenbridge – details here.

Though the plan to close the “Nickelsville” encampment in West Seattle has been final for a while, a semi-related proposal to allow more potential encampment sites in the city didn’t come up for a final vote until today – and a majority of City Councilmembers said no. The proposal sought to set up a process by which temporary encampment sites could be approved, with a long list of rules and prerequisites – you can read them here. Its sponsor, Councilmember Nick Licata, was one of four “yes” votes, along with Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw, Bruce Harrell, and Mike O’Brien; “no” votes were by Council President Sally Clark and Councilmembers Tim Burgess, Richard Conlin, Jean Godden, and Tom Rasmussen.

Ballots for the August 6th primary go out today. If you would rather drop yours off than mail it, you’ll have a second “drop van” option in this area this time around. In addition to the ballot-dropoff van that will again be stationed on the driveway of West Seattle Stadium (4432 35th SW), King County Elections has added one in White Center – at Greenbridge Library (9720 8th SW), right across Roxbury from the south edge of Highland Park. Here’s the map showing all drop vans and 24-hour dropboxes around the county. The county says the drop vans will be available on Saturday, August 3rd, and Monday, August 5th, 10 am-5 pm, and on Election Day, Tuesday, August 6th, 10 am-8 pm; the 24-hour dropboxes will be available starting tomorrow.

This year’s primary election is August 6th, four weeks from tonight. Tomorrow night, our area’s largest political organization, the 34th District Democrats, has one more round of endorsements to make, for one position on the Burien City Council and three on the Seattle School Board. (Endorsements already made are listed here.) The meeting also will include a review of the legislative session that’s just concluded with two special sessions, featuring updates from all three 34th District legislators, Sen. Sharon Nelson and Reps. Eileen Cody and Joe Fitzgibbon. The public’s welcome at the meeting, which starts at 7 pm Wednesday (July 10th) at The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW).

If you have just moved to this state, or have just reached voting age, July 8th (one week from tomorrow) is the registration deadline if you want to vote in the August 6th primary, headlined by the vote that will winnow the field of Seattle mayoral candidates down to 2. If you’re ready to register, you can sign up right here, right now, via this link. If you need to register another way – or if you need to take some other action, such as changing your address – there’s lots of helpful info on this page of the King County Elections website.

(UPDATE: Here’s the official Council news release)

(Updated Tuesday – Archived meeting video now substituted above – public comment starts 27 minutes in)
ORIGINAL REPORT, 2:43 PM: The City Council is in the middle of public comment right now, preceding the rest of this afternoon’s agenda, which starts with the proposal to give an as-yet-unspecified human-services organization $500,000 for shelter and other assistance to be given to “Nickelsville” campers, so they can be moved out and the camp closed by September 1st. You can watch live, while the meeting is under way, by clicking “play” above. Three commenters have spoken so far, all expressing concerns about the item – two regarding accountability, and one in opposition. As we publish this, Joanne Brayden, known as “JoB” here on WSB, is speaking about her experience volunteering to help the camp residents, and urging the council to use this expenditure to also help those living in other “encampments,” such as the nearby greenbelts. “There are families there, and children – we need to help them,” she concluded. The public-comment period is open to any topic on the agenda, so the person following her is speaking about something else. Updates as we go.

2:53 PM: Highland Park Action Committee co-chair Billy Stauffer is speaking now. He reinforces the request for using part of the money to get “campers” out of the greenbelt. “As people leave Nickelsville, the greenbelt will see more and more campers,” he warns. He also suggests the restoration work Nature Consortium has been doing in the greenbelt – some of which, he says, has been undone by “campers” – could use some support. He reminds the council this is the third summer Nickelsville has been occupying the 7116 W. Marginal Way SW site without authorization.

3 PM: The formal discussion of the bill now begins. It’s a substitute version – we’re not seeing the new version on the agenda; here’s what’s currently there. Council President Sally Clark says this was introduced “a couple weeks ago” (actually, it was introduced just one week ago). She says the substitute version has some “technical” changes – including cleaning up language about what other cities had done, and spelling out accountability for what’s being done with the money and who is spoken to, setting a mid-August date for a formal report on how it’s going. Clark addresses the HPAC request about the greenbelt and says they’d have to talk about whether that comes out of this money or additional money. She also alludes to a discussion during this morning’s Council briefing meeting regarding the greenbelt-restoration issue (we’ll check that out later). “This is not a small undertaking, but that should not stop us from trying,” Clark concludes, opening the floor to comment from other councilmembers.

Councilmember Sally Bagshaw suggests the issue of campers in the greenbelt(s) could be addressed by changing the language; Clark expresses concern about that, particularly since the number of such “campers” is unknown. Councilmember Tim Burgess notes that the most recent city budget has money specifically earmarked for “encampment cleanups” and protocol for how it can be used.

Councilmember Nick Licata, who wasn’t one of the seven councilmembers who sent the mayor the “close it by September 1st” letter that sparked this bill, says he will support it. He thinks there will need to be more money to deal with people in greenbelt encampments.

Councilmember Bagshaw says she agrees with him and others that this is “a start.”

3:15 PM: The bill passes unanimously. Who gets the $500,000? Last time we asked the Human Services Department last week, that was yet to be worked out.

4:26 PM: Here’s the official Council news release. Another encampment issue comes up tomorrow – a 5:30 pm hearing on Councilmember Licata’s proposal to expand the zones where they could be allowed.

4:52 PM: We’re listening to the video of the morning “briefing” meeting mentioned during this one; starting around 20 minutes in, there was extensive discussion about how this should be monitored and what if it’s not as successful as they hope. (See for yourself, here.)

(State Sen. Ed Murray, right, speaking with four local political leaders at his side)
We’re at the 34th District Democrats‘ biggest meeting of the year – 139 voting members here, making endorsements for the year’s big races, starting with Seattle Mayor.

SEATTLE MAYOR: Five of the nine candidates were nominated to be in the running for the endorsement. They spoke in this order: St. Sen. Ed Murray, Peter Steinbrueck, Mayor Mike McGinn, Councilmember Bruce Harrell, Kate Martin. (Video added:)

The first two drew no speakers in opposition; a 34th member identifying himself as a longshoreman spoke against McGinn because of his arena support, and McGinn defended the plan – “There (will be) union jobs building it, and union jobs working there’ – which otherwise had not been mentioned. A woman who spoke against Harrell accused him of not coming to neighborhoods except when he’s campaigning. Speaking in rebuttal, Councilmember Harrell apologized for disappointing her, after a defender countered the allegation. No one spoke against Martin. Now, we’re waiting for the vote and results.

8:01 pm update: Murray 1st, McGinn 2nd after the first ballot. So there’s a 2nd ballot. To get a solo endorsement, one will have to win 60% of the next vote.

8:22 pm update: On the second ballot, Sen. Murray gets 70 percent, Mayor McGinn 30 percent. Sole endorsement for Murray, a former West Seattleite.

SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL: First up, position 2, with incumbent Richard Conlin taking the floor first. “I really want to do some great things for West Seattle, great things for the region,” he says, having arrived moments earlier – another LD has an endorsement meeting tonight on the other side of the city, it seems. Challenger Brian Carver follows. … Mike O’Brien speaks but his challenger Albert Shen doesn’t get here in time to … 8:20 pm update: Conlin is endorsed. … 8:32 pm update: O’Brien is endorsed.

BLOCK ENDORSEMENT: In a block “yes” vote toward the start of the meeting, the 34th endorsed a slate including Seattle Councilmembers Sally Bagshaw and Nick Licata, City Attorney Pete Holmes, the King County Parks levy, County Sheriff John Urquhart, Port Commission members John Creighton and Courtney Gregoire (see the full block slate here).

MEETING ADJOURNED … just before 9 pm. We have video from the mayoral candidates’ speeches and are processing it now. The primary election, by the way, is August 6th. And before the 2009 primary, datapoint, the 34th gave a dual endorsement in the mayor’s race to McGinn and then-incumbent Greg Nickels.