Seattle mayor drops re-election bid after sex abuse claims

SEATTLE (AP) – Seattle Mayor Ed Murray says he is dropping his re-election bid following allegations by four men that he sexually abused them when they were teenagers decades ago.

Murray vehemently denied the claims and has said they are politically motivated by an anti-gay conspiracy.

He made his announcement Tuesday after insisting for weeks he would not drop out.

The 62-year-old Murray is a Democrat and was elected in 2013. He pushed to raise Seattle’s hourly minimum wage to $15.

Before becoming mayor, Murray was a state lawmaker for 18 years and led the effort to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington state.

Murray was sued last month by a man claiming he was sexually abused as a teenager by Murray in the 1980s. Three other men came forward and made similar allegations.