Greg Nickels

Nickels, the oldest of six siblings, was born in Chicago to Bob and Kathie Nickels. In 1961, his family moved to Seattle, where he graduated from St. Joseph's Catholic Primary School and the Jesuit Seattle Preparatory School. He attended the University of Washington but left before graduating to pursue his passion for politics.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

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Nickels was legislative assistant to Seattle City Council member and future mayor Norm Rice from 1979 to 1987. Nickels was elected to the King County Council in 1987, defeating longtime incumbent Bob Grieve, and reelected in 1991, 1995 and 1999. In 2001, he was elected Mayor of Seattle (defeating Seattle City Attorney Mark Sidran) and was re-elected in 2005. Nickels ran for a third term in 2009, but he failed to advance to the general election after coming in third place in the primary election held in August 2009. He had several notable events during his tenure as mayor of Seattle. In 2003, he helped to break ground for the Sound Transit Link light rail project in November, and signed an executive order in 2004 giving equal rights to everyone who is married and works for Seattle city government regardless of sexual orientation.

Nickels' popularity began to decline in July 2008, when the Seattle SuperSonics NBA franchise relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma after a lawsuit against the team's ownership group was settled out of court – an outcome in which Nickels' administration, as well as Washington State lawmakers were faulted by many Seattle sports fans for not doing enough to keep the team in Seattle.{{cite news | url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nba/2008035386_sonianalysis06m.html | title=The deal: What was the city thinking? | author=Jim Brunner | publisher=The Seattle Times | date=2008-07-06 | access-date=2009-01-05 | archive-date=April 9, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090409082525/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nba/2008035386_sonianalysis06m.html | url-status=live }}

In December 2008, Nickels was criticized after an unusual snowstorm blanketed the city with the greatest snowfalls it had seen since 1996. The Seattle "snowpack", which began accumulating on December 13, did not melt until December 27, the longest period of time snow had remained on the ground in Seattle since the mid-1980s. Seattle did not use salt to clear its roads, citing environmental concerns, which led to severe problems with the city's public transit system.{{cite news | url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008579442_snowpolitics01m.html | title=After storm of criticism, Seattle mayor reverses no-salt policy for snow | author=Emily Heffter | publisher=The Seattle Times | date=2009-01-01 | access-date=2009-01-05 | archive-date=January 3, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103213807/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/politics/2008579442_snowpolitics01m.html | url-status=live }}

{{anchor|Nickelsville}}Due to disapproval of Nickels' handling of illegal tent cities in Seattle, a tent city community in the Seattle area was known colloquially as "Nickelsville".{{cite news | url=http://www.realchangenews.org/index.php/site/archives/1216/ | title=Here comes Nickelsville | author=Susanna Pehrson | publisher=Real Change | date=2008-05-21 | access-date=2009-11-10 | archive-date=June 15, 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615175256/http://www.realchangenews.org/index.php/site/archives/1216/ | url-status=live }}

A late 2008 poll of likely Seattle voters reflected dissatisfaction with the incumbent mayor, showing that 31% approved of Nickels's performance as mayor while 57% disapproved.{{cite news | url=http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/and_now_for_some_election_news | title=And Now for Some Election News | author=Erica C. Barnett | publisher=The Stranger | date=2008-11-03 | access-date=2009-01-07 | archive-date=August 22, 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090822151925/http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/11/and_now_for_some_election_news | url-status=live }} Nickels' low popularity numbers did not recover by August 2009, when he was defeated in the primary election in his bid for a third term as Seattle's mayor. In Nickels' concession defeat, he thanked Seattle voters and noted, "Twice they gave me the honor of doing this. They want a new generation of leadership."{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/us/22seattle.html | title=Incumbent Loses 3rd Term Bid as Seattle's Mayor | author=William Yardley | work=The New York Times | date=2009-08-21 | access-date=2009-08-21 | archive-date=January 31, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131224402/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/22/us/22seattle.html | url-status=live }}

Shortly before his defeat in his re-election campaign he had been appointed the 67th President of the United States Conference of Mayors earlier in 2009. With his defeat Elizabeth Kautz filled the remainder of his term until 2010. Nickels left Seattle to pursue a teaching position at Harvard University.{{cite web |url=http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Programs/Fellows-Study-Groups/Former-Fellows/Greg_Nickels |title=Harvard University Institute of Politics - Greg Nickels |access-date=2010-09-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617101709/http://www.iop.harvard.edu/Programs/Fellows-Study-Groups/Former-Fellows/Greg_Nickels |archive-date=June 17, 2011 |df=mdy-all }}

In 2012, Nickels ran for Washington Secretary of State as a Democrat. He received 15.85% for third place in the August 7 top-two primary, behind Kathleen Drew (D) and Kim Wyman (R).{{cite web|url=http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20120807/Secretary-of-State.html|title=Secretary of State|website=results.vote.wa.gov|access-date=July 22, 2018|archive-date=August 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807090349/https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20120807/Secretary-of-State.html|url-status=live}}

File:Nickels obama rally 20080208.jpg]]

Nickels is a member of the Washington State Democratic Party and served as the President of the United States Conference of Mayors, but left that post on the day he left office as Seattle mayor. Nickels served on the board of directors of Sound Transit. Since 2003, he has also been the chair of the Transportation and Communications Committee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and served on the Conference's Board of Trustees.

Nickels is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,{{cite web|url=http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/members.shtml |title=Mayors Against Illegal Guns: Coalition Members |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117164429/http://www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org/html/about/members.shtml |archive-date=November 17, 2007 |df=mdy-all }} a bi-partisan group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition is co-chaired by former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

He was the key negotiator for the City of Seattle in accepting $45 million up front from the Bennett Group to move the Seattle SuperSonics of the NBA to Oklahoma City.{{Cite web |url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/122091 |title=Sonics Leave Seattle, Part I: Bennett's Group to Pay City up to $75M |access-date=November 1, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090317092145/http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/122091 |archive-date=March 17, 2009 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}

File:Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels and Al Gore, circa 2006.jpg]]

In 2005, Nickels announced an "Environmental Action Agenda" with the goal of protecting air quality and public health. The primary goal of the agenda is to reduce Seattle's greenhouse gas emissions "to meet or beat" the levels stipulated in the Kyoto protocols.{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofseattle.net/environment/|title=OSE Home - Environment - seattle.gov|website=www.cityofseattle.net|access-date=July 22, 2018|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203083624/http://www.cityofseattle.net/environment/|archive-date=3 February 2007}} Nickels spearheaded the US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, an accord between over 600 US cities committed to reducing greenhouse emissions.{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6366349.stm | work=BBC News | title=Climate of hope: US cities lead the way | date=2007-02-15 | access-date=2010-05-04 | archive-date=February 26, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070226200703/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6366349.stm | url-status=live }}[http://usmayors.org/climateprotection/ClimateChange.asp Mayors Climate Protection Center: The Agreement] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927230209/http://usmayors.org/climateprotection/ClimateChange.asp |date=September 27, 2007 }} Nickels won the 2006 Climate Protection Award from the Environmental Protection Agency, the 2006 Edgar Wayburn Award for Environmental leadership from the National Sierra Club, and the 2006 National Conservation Achievement Award from the National Wildlife Federation.{{cite web|url=http://www.epa.gov/cppd/awards/2006winners.html#ia|title=2006 Climate Protection Award Winners - Climate Protection Partnerships - US EPA|access-date=July 22, 2018|archive-date=October 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019143742/http://www.epa.gov/cppd/awards/2006winners.html#ia|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=6321&Dept=40|title=Nickels and Sims Receive Prestigious Sierra Club Award|first=Citywide Web|last=Team|website=www.seattle.gov|access-date=July 22, 2018|archive-date=June 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618003928/http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=6321&Dept=40|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nwf.org/news/story.cfm?pageId=F777103D-B055-8244-8576E7AA592F7999|title=Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels Honored for Conservation Leadership – National Wildlife Federation|access-date=July 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090825141258/http://www.nwf.org/news/story.cfm?pageId=F777103D-B055-8244-8576E7AA592F7999|archive-date=August 25, 2009|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [http://www.seattle.gov/mayor/ Seattle Mayor's Office]
• [https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna8291649 Mayor leads crusade against global warming: Seattle's Greg Nickels interviewed about how he got peers to go along], June 20, 2005
• [http://www.seattle.gov/news/detail.asp?ID=4166&dept=40/ Mayor Signs Executive Order Recognizing Same Sex Marriage]
• [http://www.citymayors.com/mayors/seattle_mayor.html CityMayors profile]
• [http://www.komonews.com/news/22854199.html Weather calms after Mother Nature's firework show]
• {{C-SPAN|92266}}

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Category:1955 births

Category:20th-century Washington (state) politicians

Category:21st-century mayors of places in Washington (state)

Category:Living people

Category:King County Councillors

Category:Mayors of Seattle

Category:Washington (state) Democrats

Category:Politicians from Chicago

Category:Presidents of the United States Conference of Mayors

Category:University of Washington alumni