Steinbrueck won't challenge Mayor Nickels

Former Seattle City Councilman Peter Steinbrueck announced today he won't run for Seattle mayor, ending months of his closely-watched consideration.

Steinbrueck, an architect who left the council in 2007, will spend next year in Cambridge, Mass., as a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. The fellowship starts in September 2009, and Steinbrueck said he found out about it a week ago.

"I think if I hadn't become a Loeb, it's very likely I would have become a mayoral candidate," Steinbrueck said this afternoon.

The news was disappointing to many in political circles who thought Steinbrueck had a chance to beat Mayor Greg Nickels, who is seeking another term. Nickels has three other opponents: corporate headhunter Norman Sigler, former Sierra Club leader Michael McGinn and former SuperSonics basketball player James Donaldson.

Steinbrueck made no secret of the fact that he felt Nickels deserved a good challenger, and he actively tried to recruit other candidates.

Steinbrueck supporters started a Facebook page urging him to run, and pressure for his candidacy mounted as other potential candidates rejected a run. Among those who considered and decided against it were four current city council members: Sally Clark, Richard Conlin, Tim Burgess and Nick Licata.

Steinbrueck said he will bring back to Seattle the "experience and knowledge" he expects to gain at Harvard.

"I think it will be life-changing," he said.

Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246 or eheffter@seattletimes.com