Voters elect Charles Royer as mayor of the city of Seattle on November 8, 1977.

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On November 8, 1977, voters elect Charles Royer (b. 1939) as mayor of the City of Seattle.

The vote counts were as follows:

Charles Royer - 100,615
Paul Schell - 75,649

Paul Schell was a civic activist, past president of Allied Arts of Seattle, and director of the City of Seattle Department of Community Development, but his name was far from a household word. On the other hand, Charles Royer was widely known as a former reporter and commentator with KING-5 television news. Both men had survived a crowded primary field, including several sitting City Council members, and Royer triumphed in the final election.

Royer easily defeated the largely symbolic candidacy of City Council member Sam Smith in 1981 and a more serious challenge from Council Member Norm Rice to win a third term in 1985. Rice succeeded Royer in 1989, and Paul Schell won the mayor's office in 1997 -- with the support of his former opponent.

Sources:
Seattle City Clerk, "Mayors of the City of Seattle," (www.ci.seattle.wa.us/seattle/leg/clerk/mayors.htm).

By Dave Wilma, November 19, 2000

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1977 mayoral campaign button for Charles Royer
Courtesy Patty Graf and William Hoke

1977 mayoral campaign button for Paul Schell
Courtesy Patty Graf and William Hoke