Alfred "Al" Runte (April 16, 1947) is an environmental historian and former college educator from

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

who ran for

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Seattle in

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

Background

Runte was born on April 16, 1947, in

Binghamton, New York Binghamton ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of New York, and serves as the county seat of Broome County. Surrounded by rolling hills, it lies in the state's Southern Tier region near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the c ...

, where he graduated from North High School in 1965 and the

State University of New York at Binghamton The State University of New York at Binghamton (Binghamton University or SUNY Binghamton) is a public research university in Greater Binghamton, New York, United States. It is one of the four university centers in the State University of New Y ...

in 1969. He also holds an M.A. from

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teachin ...

(1971) and a Ph.D. in history from the

University of California, Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Tracing its roots back to 1891 as an ...

(1976). Runte has taught at five institutions of higher learning, including

Baylor University Baylor University is a Private university, private Baptist research university in Waco, Texas, United States. It was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Te ...

and the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

. Runte's work focuses on parks, conservation, and public transportation. His first book, ''National Parks: The American Experience'' (1979) is a study of the national park idea. Runte has also completed a history of railroads and the environment: ''Allies of the Earth: Railroads and the Soul of Preservation''. He advised

Ken Burns Kenneth Lauren Burns (born July 29, 1953) is an American filmmaker known for his documentary films and television series, many of which chronicle American history and culture. His work is often produced in association with WETA-TV or the Nati ...

on the PBS series on the U.S. national parks.

2005 Mayoral campaign

In 2005 Runte ran for Seattle mayor, achieving second place amid a field of seven candidates in the September

primary election Primary elections or primaries are elections held to determine which candidates will run in an upcoming general election. In a partisan primary, a political party selects a candidate. Depending on the state and/or party, there may be an "open pr ...

, and finally losing to incumbent

Greg Nickels Gregory James Nickels (born August 7, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 51st mayor of Seattle, Washington. He took office on January 1, 2002, and was reelected to a second term in 2005. In August 2009, Nickels finished third in t ...

in the general election.

Post-election

Since the election, Runte has remained a popular figure among the neighborhood parks and environmental interests in Seattle. He spoke before a crowd of diverse neighborhood groups in early 2006 which marched on

Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo is a wildlife conservation organization and zoological garden located in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. The zoo is the recipient of over 65 awards across multiple categories. The zoo has a ...

to protest the mayor's plans to build a parking garage in the middle of a city park.

2007 City Council campaign

Runte ran for Position 3 on the

Seattle City Council The Seattle City Council is the legislative body of the city of Seattle, Washington. The Council consists of nine members serving four-year terms, seven of which are elected by electoral districts and two of which are elected in citywide at-larg ...

, formerly held by

Peter Steinbrueck Peter Steinbrueck (born October 14, 1957) is an American architect and politician from Seattle, Washington. He is the principal and founder of Steinbrueck Urban Strategies and was a member of the Seattle City Council from 1997 to 2008. He also wa ...

. Runte previously applied to fill Position 9 after it was made vacant in 2006, now held by Sally Clark.

Books by Al Runte

* ''Burlington Northern and the Dedication of Mount St. Helens: New Legacy of a Proud Tradition''. 1982. * ''Public Lands, Public Heritage: The National Forest Idea''. 1991. * ''Yosemite: The Embattled Wilderness''. 1993. * ''National Parks: The American Experience''. 1997. * ''Trains of Discovery: Western Railroads and the National Parks''. 1998. * ''Allies of the Earth: Railroads And the Soul of Preservation''. 2006.

External links

Al Runte Seattle City Council campaign site Denied Tenure in '85, former UW professor fights on
, ''

The Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is an American daily newspaper based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891, ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region. The Seattle Time ...

'', July 24, 2004
Al Runte For Mayor
on Al Runte

at Center for the Study of the Environment

''

Chronicle of Higher Education ''The Chronicle of Higher Education'' is an American newspaper and website that presents news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty and student affairs professionals, including staff members and administrators. A subscriptio ...

'' via History News Network
The Disgruntled Professor
'' The Stranger'', October 20, 2005
Runte's campaign under the radar
''

Seattle Times ''The Seattle Times'' is an American daily newspaper based in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1891, ''The Seattle Times'' has the largest circulation of any newspaper in the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region. The Seattle Time ...

'', November 1, 2005
One more may join mayoral race
''

Seattle Post-Intelligencer The ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'' (popularly known as the ''Seattle P-I'', the ''Post-Intelligencer'', or simply the ''P-I'') is an online newspaper and former print newspaper based in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington, United States. Th ...

'', July 23, 2005
A 3-minute campaign for City Council
''

'', January 13, 2006
Runte seeks Steinbrueck's Seattle City Council seat
, ''

'' (Strange Bedfellows blog), May 16, 2007 *, King County Records and Elections
Clark sworn in as newest City Council member
''

'', February 7, 2006 {{DEFAULTSORT:Runte, Al 1947 births Living people Politicians from Seattle University of Washington faculty Binghamton University alumni Illinois State University alumni University of California, Santa Barbara alumni