Comcast is donating heavily to defeat the mayor who is bringing gigabit fiber to Seattle

One of Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn's big policy initiatives has been expanding the quality and quantity of high-speed Internet access throughout the city. A public-private partnership plans to offer higher speeds at lower prices than most broadband providers currently offer. And incumbent providers, particularly Comcast, have invested heavily in defeating Mayor McGinn in his mayoral election. While Comcast denies there is any connection between Mayor McGinn's broadband policies and their donations, the company has given thousands of dollars to political action committees that have, in turn, given heavily to anti-McGinn groups.

Mayor McGinn's major opponent, state Sen. Ed Murray (D-Seattle), has committed to honoring the city's existing contracts for a 14-neighborhood pilot project, but has shown limited enthusiasm about Mayor McGinn's plans to expand the network in the future. So the election could determine whether Seattle residents have new options for high-speed broadband service, or will have to make do with the slower services already offered by incumbents like Comcast.