WASHINGTON

MAYOR: SEATTLE

- Non-partisan general election
- Mayor Greg Nickels wins second term
CANDIDATES

Winner: Gregory J. "Greg" Nickels, 50, a Democrat, is the current mayor. From 1979 to 1987, he was legislative assistant to then-Seattle City Council member Norm Rice who later became mayor of Seattle. Nickels also sat on the King County Council from 1987 to 2001. In addition to being mayor of Seattle, Nickels is on the executive committee and board of directors of Sound Transit. Since 2003, he also has been the chairman of the Transportation and Communications Committee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Nickels failed to get 60 percent of the vote in the September primary to avoid a runoff with second-place finisher Al Runte.

Democrat Al Runte, 58, is a researcher, writer and a former University of Washington professor. He's a self-proclaimed staunch environmentalist and supporter of national parks.

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State Issues

Rejected: Place cap on certain types of jury awards in medical malpractice cases and limit lawyers' fees.

Rejected:: Set up state-run supplemental malpractice insurance program, and allow doctors' licenses to be revoked after three malpractice verdicts against them in 10 years.

Approved: Expand ban on indoor smoking to include bars, restaurants, non-tribal casinos.

Rejected: Overturn the Legislature's gas-tax increase of 9.5 cents a gallon.

Approved: Expand the state auditor's power to judge how well state and local agencies spend taxpayer dollars.

Approved: Constitutional amendment to allow municipal judges to stand for election by their peers to the state's judicial watchdog agency, the Commission on Judicial Conduct.

 Voter Information Guide