This week in politics: Lines getting longer for Seattle mayoral and vaccine hopefuls

The Seattle mayoral race is on — a real, rip-roaring Seattle mayoral contest.

Former Seattle City Council president and former mayor for five days Bruce Harrell announced his candidacy for mayor earlier this week.

And Thursday, transit advocate and former state Rep. Jessyn Farrell joined the fray. Farrell was a candidate for mayor in 2017 and came in fourth in that busy primary.

"What took Harrell and Farrell so long," said Essex Porter, politics and government reporter for KIRO TV. "It’s less than five months to the top two primary in August, and campaigns take time to organize, raise money and execute."

Porter noted Harrell, Farrell and the other most prominent candidates — including Colleen Echohawk, executive director of the Chief Seattle Club; and City Council President Lorena Gonzalez — are all "varying degrees of liberal," but there is a contrast in their government experience.

For example, Harrell and Gonzalez have years of directing city policy.

Farrell does not, but that puts her in a better position to attack the current state of the city. On the other hand, that could mean others can challenge her on what she did for Seattle while serving in the state Legislature.

"I’m thinking this is either a Bruce Harrell versus Lorena Gonzalez contest or a Harrell versus Colleen Echohawk contest," Joni Balter, host of Civic Cocktail on the Seattle Channel, predicted. "Basic numbers suggest to me it is Harrell and someone simply because Farrell and Gonzalez and Echohawk appeal to a more Progressive crowd. Harrell occupies the moderate lane."

However the race shakes out, it's sure to get interesting.

The race to get vaccinated against Covid-19 is heating up, too. More Washingtonians became eligible this with many more to follow.

But will supplies keep up?

Balter and Porter joined KUOW's Angela King to talk about the week in politics. Listen to the conversation by clicking the audio above.