Seattle uses the Mayor-Council form of city government. The offices of the Mayor, nine City Council members and the City Attorney are all elected by the citizens.

As of January 2010, the Mayor of Seattle is Mike McGinn, and the members of the Seattle City Council are Sally Clark, Jean Godden, Richard Conlin, Bruce Harrell, Sally Bagshaw, Tom Rasmussen, Nick Licata, Tim Burgess, and Mike O'Brien. The City Attorney is Peter Holmes.

The City of Seattle is part of King County. The County Executive is Dow Constantine.

The Governor of the State of Washington is Christine Gregoire.

Among Seattle's notable past politicians is Bertha Knight Landes, mayor from 1926 to 1928. She was the first woman mayor of a major American city.