Seattle’s political landscape shifted sharply left on Thursday as first-term Mayor Bruce Harrell conceded defeat to progressive activist Katie Wilson.
According to The Associated Press, Harrell, a centrist Democrat and former three-term City Council member, appeared in a strong position after early returns. But in Washington’s all-mail voting system, ballots postmarked by Election Day continue arriving for days — and those later votes, which traditionally favor liberal candidates, delivered a decisive surge for Wilson and solidified a nationwide progressive shift.
In a concession speech at City Hall, Harrell said he had already spoken to Wilson in what he described as a “delightful” call. “I feel very good about the future of this country and this city still,” he said.
Wilson, 43, a democratic socialist who has never held public office, told reporters she was still absorbing the reality of her victory. She admitted her lack of political experience may worry some voters, saying, “No one saw this coming.” Still, she emphasized that her volunteer-driven campaign tapped into deep concern over affordability and public safety in a city where the cost of living has soared alongside the growth of Amazon and other tech giants.
Her priorities include universal child care, expanded transit, stronger public safety, and more stable, affordable housing. She said she believes voters have given her a mandate to pursue those goals, though she acknowledged Seattle faces a significant budget shortfall. Calling herself a coalition builder and community organizer, Wilson pledged to work with both supporters and skeptics. “This is your city too,” she said.
“When I say this is your city, that means you have a right to be here and to live a dignified life — whatever your background, whatever your income,” Wilson added. “But it also means that we all have a collective responsibility for this city and for each other. … We cannot tackle the major challenges facing our city unless we do it together.”
She will be stepping into office alongside a largely new City Council, with only two of seven members serving more than one term.
Harrell, elected in 2021 after the turmoil of the pandemic and George Floyd protests, entered the race with falling crime rates, increased police staffing, reduced visible drug use, and the clearing of many park encampments — factors that once made him appear poised for an easy win. But President Donald Trump’s return to office — and his threats to send federal agents to blue cities or cut their funding — reenergized Seattle’s progressive base.
Wilson, who founded the Transit Riders Union in 2011 and has long campaigned for transit improvements, higher minimum wages, renter protections, and affordable housing, struck a chord with those voters. She beat Harrell by nearly 10 points in the August primary and quickly became the frontrunner. A renter living in a one-bedroom Capitol Hill apartment, she has said her own housing situation informs her understanding of the city’s affordability crisis.
Wilson criticized Harrell for not doing enough to expand shelter options and argued that his encampment removals simply displaced homeless residents. She also portrayed him as too entrenched in City Hall to deliver needed change.
Harrell, 67, is a University of Washington football alum whose family history — his father from the Jim Crow South and his mother incarcerated at Minidoka during World War II — shaped his focus on civil rights and inclusion.
Both candidates campaigned on affordability, public safety, and defending Seattle’s sanctuary city status. Each also proposed strategies to “Trump-proof” local government. Wilson supports a city-level capital gains tax to offset potential federal cuts and fund housing, while Harrell argued such a tax would be ineffective because it could be easily avoided by those with the means to pay it.
Wilson will take office facing immense challenges — and with a newly energized progressive movement behind her.
