Joe Mallahan
Encyclopedia
Joe Mallahan is a telecommunications executive, former Chicago community organizer and unsuccessful candidate in the 2009 Seattle mayoral election
. In preliminary results in the August 18 primary, he and Michael McGinn
received the greatest number of votes and, as a result of Washington State's nonpartisan blanket primary system, became the two candidates in the November 3, 2009 general election.
and is the seventh of nine children. He completed his undergraduate studies in American politics at the The Catholic University of America
in Washington, D.C., where he worked during college as a legislative aide to Washington State Democratic Congressman Al Swift
. He also holds a master's degree in East Asian Studies from the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington
and an MBA from the University of Chicago
. During his studies for his master's degree from the University of Washington Mallahan spent a year in a fellowship at the Japanese Ministry of Education conducting research on economic development aid. Joe is married to Carolyn Mallahan and they have two daughters, Irina and Masha. Both Joe and Carolyn Mallahan are volunteers and major fundraisers for the AmeriCorps
organization City Year
. The family lives in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood.
and brought Mallahan and family back to Seattle in 2000. He is now Vice President of Operations Strategy at T-Mobile. Joe left T-Mobile in 2011 to pursue other opportunities.
. After returning to Seattle in 2000 Mallahan worked on fellow Industrial Areas Foundation alumus Barack Obama's presidential campaign
but it was not until the 2009 Seattle mayoral race that he ever ran for political office. In addition to his work earlier work with Representative Al Swift
Mallhan later worked as a legislative aide to Washington Republican Senator Slade Gorton
. Since his return to Seattle and registering to vote in April 2000 elections records in King County
show that Mallahan has voted in 12 of the 25 elections he was eligible to participate in.
Seattle mayoral election, 2009
The 2009 Seattle mayoral election took place November 3, 2009.Incumbent Mayor Greg Nickels sought reelection but finished third in the August 18, 2009 primary election. The general election was instead between Joe Mallahan and Michael McGinn...
. In preliminary results in the August 18 primary, he and Michael McGinn
Michael McGinn
Michael "Mike" Patrick McGinn is the mayor of Seattle, a lawyer, Greenwood neighborhood activist and a former Sierra Club state chair...
received the greatest number of votes and, as a result of Washington State's nonpartisan blanket primary system, became the two candidates in the November 3, 2009 general election.
Biography
Joe Mallahan was born and raised in EverettEverett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
and is the seventh of nine children. He completed his undergraduate studies in American politics at the The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
in Washington, D.C., where he worked during college as a legislative aide to Washington State Democratic Congressman Al Swift
Al Swift
Allan Byron Swift , an Emmy award–winning broadcaster, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1995. He represented the Second Congressional District of Washington as a Democrat....
. He also holds a master's degree in East Asian Studies from the Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
and an MBA from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. During his studies for his master's degree from the University of Washington Mallahan spent a year in a fellowship at the Japanese Ministry of Education conducting research on economic development aid. Joe is married to Carolyn Mallahan and they have two daughters, Irina and Masha. Both Joe and Carolyn Mallahan are volunteers and major fundraisers for the AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 and later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
organization City Year
City Year
City Year is an education-focused nonprofit organization that partners with public schools to provide full-time targeted intervention keeping students in school and on track to graduate...
. The family lives in Seattle's Wallingford neighborhood.
Professional career
Mallahan began his career working in Chicago with an auditing firm and then for Century Supply Company, where company executives were sufficiently impressed with his suggestions for improving efficiency to appoint him President of the company in 1995 at age 31. He later worked for cell-phone service provider VoiceStream, which was purchased by T-MobileT-Mobile
T-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
and brought Mallahan and family back to Seattle in 2000. He is now Vice President of Operations Strategy at T-Mobile. Joe left T-Mobile in 2011 to pursue other opportunities.
Political Activism
Mallahan began his political activism in Chicago while working as the President of Century Supply Company. There Mallahan helped establish United Power for Action and Justice and received training and work as a community organizer from the Industrial Areas FoundationIndustrial Areas Foundation
The Industrial Areas Foundation is a national community organizing network established in 1940 by Saul Alinsky. IAF provides training and consultation, furnishes organizers, and develops national strategy for its affiliated broad-based community organizations. There are currently 57 IAF...
. After returning to Seattle in 2000 Mallahan worked on fellow Industrial Areas Foundation alumus Barack Obama's presidential campaign
Barack Obama presidential campaign, 2008
Barack Obama, then junior United States Senator from Illinois, announced his candidacy for the presidency of the United States in Springfield, Illinois, on February 10, 2007. On August 27, 2008, he was declared nominee of the Democratic Party for the 2008 presidential election...
but it was not until the 2009 Seattle mayoral race that he ever ran for political office. In addition to his work earlier work with Representative Al Swift
Al Swift
Allan Byron Swift , an Emmy award–winning broadcaster, served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1979 to 1995. He represented the Second Congressional District of Washington as a Democrat....
Mallhan later worked as a legislative aide to Washington Republican Senator Slade Gorton
Slade Gorton
Thomas Slade Gorton III is an American politician. A Republican, he was a U.S. senator from Washington state from 1981 to 1987, and from 1989 to 2001. He held both of the state's Senate seats in his career and was narrowly defeated for reelection twice as an incumbent: in 1986 by Brock Adams, and...
. Since his return to Seattle and registering to vote in April 2000 elections records in King County
King County, Washington
King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States....
show that Mallahan has voted in 12 of the 25 elections he was eligible to participate in.
2009 Seattle Mayoral Campaign
On April 29, 2009 Mallahan declared his candidacy for in an open letter to Seattle Mayor Greg Nickles declaring city government broken, no longer providing basic services and that Nickels was out of touch. In an effort to match Nickles' already existing $280,000 campaign reserves Mallahan committed $200,000 of his own money to his campaign. In between declaring his candidacy and the primary elections Mallahan raised nearly $200,000 in additional contributions from independent sources. After successfully passing the primary election Mallahan personally contributed approximately $30,000 in additional funds and raised another $130,000 from independent sources. Mallahan has come under substantial criticism from people such as Mike McGinn and Washington State Senator Ed Murray accusing him of "buying his way into the campaign". On November 9 Mallahan conceded the election to Mike McGinn to a margin of less than one percent.See also
- Seattle
- Seattle mayoral election, 2009Seattle mayoral election, 2009The 2009 Seattle mayoral election took place November 3, 2009.Incumbent Mayor Greg Nickels sought reelection but finished third in the August 18, 2009 primary election. The general election was instead between Joe Mallahan and Michael McGinn...
- Michael McGinnMichael McGinnMichael "Mike" Patrick McGinn is the mayor of Seattle, a lawyer, Greenwood neighborhood activist and a former Sierra Club state chair...
-Principal opponent - T-MobileT-MobileT-Mobile International AG is a German-based holding company for Deutsche Telekom AG's various mobile communications subsidiaries outside Germany. Based in Bonn, Germany, its subsidiaries operate GSM and UMTS-based cellular networks in Europe, the United States, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...