Port Commissioner Leads In Race For Seattle Mayor

Seattle faces a major overhaul in local politics as voters cast ballots Tuesday to choose the finalists for November’s mayoral and council elections.

With 99 percent of the ballots counted, Paul Schell, a Seattle Port commissioner, won one of two November runoff spots with 27 percent of the vote.

City Councilman Charlie Chong and Greg Nickels, a County Council veteran endorsed by Rice, were in a battle for the second spot that may not be decided for days since an unknown number of absentee ballots are expected in the mail. Chong had 22 percent of the vote to Nickels’ 21 percent. City Council members Jane Noland and Cheryl Chow were further behind.