Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan became the
city's first lesbian mayor after she was sworn in on Tuesday.
“We must remember our common bonds
and our common purpose are so much more powerful than our challenges
and our differences,” Durkan said. “And as mayor, that will be my
goal – to pull us together, to remember those common bonds, and to
forge those common purposes together to face those challenges.”
Durkan was sworn in to office at the
Ethiopian Community Center by Judge Richard Jones. A symbolic
inaugural ceremony was held at each of the four stops she made on
Tuesday.
Durkan, a Democrat, is also the city's
first female mayor in 91 years.
She fended off twenty-one mayoral
candidates to win 61 percent of the vote. While Durkan is the city's
first openly gay female mayor, her predecessor, Ed Murray, was also
gay. Murray resigned following allegations of sexual misconduct when
he was younger. Murray has denied the charges.
(Related: Seattle
Mayor Ed Murray resigns after fifth accuser steps forward.)
Durkan's campaign focused on the lack
of affordable housing in Seattle.
Durkan, also the first openly gay
person to serve as a chief federal prosecutor, and her partner Dana
Garvey are raising two sons.