What the different styles of Seattle mayoral candidates might tell voters

Seattle mayoral candidate Joe Mallahan pays a former U.S. Senate press secretary to handle his media calls. Last month, the campaign spokeswoman, Charla Neuman, made $4,500.

His opponent, Mike McGinn, takes media calls on his cellphone. His volunteer media contact holds down a part-time job as a receptionist and, McGinn said, "is doing his best not to get quoted."

The stylistic differences between McGinn and Mallahan were on display even before they defeated Mayor Greg Nickels in the primary, but were made all the more clear once the field was down to two.

The morning after the primary, McGinn held a relaxed news conference in his backyard, where his supporters offered berries and pastries to the press. Mallahan held a terse, 10-minute news conference the same week, behind a podium in his campaign office.

Mallahan is escorted to and from meetings by his staff. McGinn rolls up alone on his bicycle.

Their styles might tell voters something about how each would approach the top job at City Hall, especially in a year when many voters are just being introduced to these two political newcomers.

Knowing that image matters, Mallahan is campaigning as a practical problem solver, and portrays McGinn as an out-of-touch idealist. McGinn is trying to paint himself as a principled visionary, and Mallahan as a distant executive who lacks the civic experience to run the city.

Mallahan, 46, on leave from his job as a T-Mobile vice president, has put $230,000 of his own money into his campaign and raised another $215,000 from donors. He has hired six paid staff plus a political consulting group, which he keeps on retainer for $5,000 a month.

He wears a suit to almost every event, reads talking points off index cards, and says his executive experience will improve basic services in Seattle.

At a recent Democratic district endorsement meeting, he boasted that "the insiders, if you will," were supporting his campaign.

He hired Rory Steele, a political consultant who was instrumental in President Obama's breakout win in the Iowa primary, to help with strategy. As his communications consultant, he selected Neuman, a former press secretary for Sen. Maria Cantwell who is not afraid to get between her candidate and the media. Neuman lists "wise cracks" among her interests on her LinkedIn social-networking page and sometimes leaps headlong into disputes on political blog comment strings.

"Any major campaign has professional staff, and I know it's important to hire people who have a broad range of skills," Mallahan said. He described his campaign as disciplined and strategic.

Mallahan frequently talks about his reputation as an "open and transparent leader" at T-Mobile, but he can be difficult to get on the phone and refers to prepared answers to interview questions. He said in an interview he wants to be accessible, but is often busy in meetings.

McGinn, 49, has no campaign manager and hired a family friend, Bill Broadhead of The Mercury Group, as his consultant. Day to day, he relies on volunteers working 12-hour days to pass out fliers, organize events, advise him on policy and update his Web site. "We have much more of an egoless campaign," McGinn said. "People are doing it because they really, really care."

Two of his central campaign volunteers, Derek Farmer and Ainsley Close, deferred school for a year to work on the campaign. His scheduler, unemployed engineer Nathaniel Merrill, is borrowing money for his living expenses. Web site administrator Elliott Day — a recent University of Chicago graduate with a geography degree — is running down his savings: "We feel like we're on a mission together," Day said of the campaign.

McGinn spent $80,000 on his primary win. He has raised just over $110,000 to date, including $9,400 he loaned to the campaign.

Mallahan largely disappeared from the public eye after the primary to pursue endorsements of groups that previously endorsed Nickels. On Tuesday, he released a list of community leaders who are making up his advisory committee. They include the president of the School Board, business and labor leaders and prominent current and former elected officials.

Mallahan's work behind the scenes has meant that since the primary, McGinn has been able to control the debate. He has rolled out details about his platform, held a news conference about light-rail expansion, and planned several town-hall meetings in neighborhoods around the city.

King County Labor Council leader Dave Freiboth said his group endorsed Mallahan mainly because he seemed more willing to listen.

The labor council paid for anti-Mallahan robo-calls before the primary, but Freiboth was impressed that Mallahan approached the group after the election to say he had no hard feelings and wanted to earn their support. McGinn seemed less willing to modify his positions, Freiboth said.

It's important for the next mayor to be able to work through issues as they come up, he said.

"I think that style on Joe's part gave folks more confidence that he was someone they could work with, that they could gamble on," Freiboth said. "Mike came across as ... his style wasn't as empathetic ... If he wasn't with us on an issue, the feeling was that it was going to be very tough to bring him to some sort of a compromise position."

While McGinn has picked up endorsements from some Democratic district organizations and the Cascade Bicycle Club, Mallahan is supported by a wide range of mainstream groups, including labor, business leaders and the King County Democrats.

At debates, McGinn often cites his work as a neighborhood leader and head of his nonprofit, Great City, where he says he brought together people with different views.

But he has made central to his campaign his opposition to the tunnel planned to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct. If elected mayor, McGinn is certain to restart an epic debate with business and labor leaders, as well as leaders on the City Council and in Olympia, who support the tunnel.

Now that he's in a two-way race, McGinn is seeking to broaden his appeal beyond the tunnel issue.

In robo-calls to Southeast Seattle residents last week — a part of Seattle that supported Nickels in the primary — McGinn sought to assure voters that there is more to his platform than his stance on the tunnel.

At a recent debate in Belltown, McGinn called on voters not to get caught up in a single issue. "Issues will come and go," he said, "but values remain."

At the same debate, Mallahan urged pragmatism. "Mike bikes, and I respect that," he said, referring to McGinn's outspoken advocacy for bicyclists. "But not all of us can bike ... I think the choice is clear. I have a long track record of effective management and I want to lead us forward on a number of issues."

Mallahan stresses his experience in the private sector to help streamline city government, yet his campaign is more expensive and highly staffed even than Nickels'. Mallahan says it's just practical management.

"There are 600,000 people in Seattle, and my goal is to tell them who I am and what I stand for, and the way you get that done is through a well-disciplined and planful campaign," he said.

Emily Heffter: 206-464-8246