ELECTION RESULTS UPDATE: Wilson takes a sliver of a lead in Seattle mayor's race

Derek November 10, 2025 (4:09 pm)

I am so freaking happy right now. Let’s GO

Taylor November 10, 2025 (4:24 pm)

Same!! The math is there…
Question Authority November 10, 2025 (4:26 pm)

More like “Let’s GO” down the swirling hole of inexperience as grandiose idea’s fail to match reality. She’s going to quickly realize money doesn’t come in the mail when you need a handout.
- Mia November 10, 2025 (7:44 pm)
  
  Let me get this straight, you post name is “Question Authority, but yet you advocate for the status quo, and the authority, interesting hypocrisy.
  - Question Authority November 10, 2025 (8:00 pm)
    
    FYI, my username has historical ties to both my proud Military and Civil Service careers as I don’t take orders well.
- Swagull November 10, 2025 (7:48 pm)
  
  Handouts etc are such a lazy conservative talking point, why don’t you try and come up with something new to hate someone else for?
- CorvidFan November 10, 2025 (8:25 pm)
  
  You would be shocked how much money Harrell has thrown away. Ask any city employee about WorkDay. Harrell pushed out this new, citywide payroll program WITHOUT TESTING THE SOFTWARE FIRST. It spewed out garbage numbers, so for days city employees were doing nothing but trying to figure out why WorkDay was going crazy. The breadth of errors was truly impressive. Underpaid, overpaid, the program refusing to allow hours to be entered, counting a holiday as overtime, etc. Enter a 40 hour workweek and WorkDay would be like “Ah yes! You have worked 72 hours.” It was wild. The payroll errors and mispayments lasted for months, and were so ubiquitous and long-lasting that a new tech support team was created that did nothing but fix WorkDay problems. Did Harrell offer any words of apology, advice, or support during this debacle? No, he sent a citywide email patting himself on the back for instituting WorkDay. Delusional? Out of touch? Who knows. I’m not a huge Katie Wilson fan but I have to believe that she, like most people, would have the common sense to test software before implementing it on a city-wide basis.
  - K November 10, 2025 (9:50 pm)
    
    Not just untested, they were warned by other cities that used the software how broken it was. For months anyone who asked for a sick day was just paid for sick time because WorkDay was not tracking sick time properly so no one knew how much sick time anyone had and they were just paying whatever anyone asked for.
    Aside from that there’s the $185,000 gym Harrell had built in city hall for his personal security guards to use, which they did for like a month and then abandoned it for the better facilities at SPD, which they had access to all along.
    And the consultants thay were hired to study inane things. Consultants that had prior connections to Harrell, who were paid just below the cutoff to have an open and transparent selection process.
    Giving $50k hiring bonuses to the incoming police chief and all of his friends he brought with him, despite the bonuses being specifically designated as a recruiting tool for patrol officers. And keeping Diaz on the payroll long after HIS corruption was made public, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
    Honestly, no one can light city money on fire like Harrell. And that’s before we get to indirect expenses, like all the lawsuits the city is paying out for workplace discrimination and police brutality.
  - NoRa November 11, 2025 (4:13 am)
    
    WorkDay is a common payroll software that fits small to mid-size company needs well. I don’t know that I would use it’s implementation to describe a failed gubernatorial term. It’s a mixed bag of whether it’s rollout is good not not across the board. IMO it’s good to see some degree of software experimentation in government.
Anne November 10, 2025 (5:08 pm)

Yeah let’s go — down the drain-
Tiredofdelridge November 10, 2025 (5:20 pm)

Once she wins, I’ll let my tenants know that their lease will not be renewed because I’m selling the property. Let the fun begin!
- Foop November 10, 2025 (7:18 pm)
  
  I don’t recall Katie voters dooming this hard last week. This comment section never fails to entertain.
- kj November 10, 2025 (7:21 pm)
  
  really making a great case against the whole ‘landlords are greedy scumbags’ thing huh
- Husky November 10, 2025 (8:15 pm)
  
  Their rent builds your equity. Your property taxes are deductible. As landlords, the deal is always in our favor and the victim narrative is twisted. The knee jerk reaction to “punish” anyone who you lord control over and has less than you, in a temper tantrum over perceived political victimhood, is vindictive and grotesque. Treating housing as a commodity directly contributes to the housing affordability crisis. The irony is that the housing can be put to better use if it’s sold to someone else, and tenants will be better off without having to deal with someone like that, so please, continue.
- HS November 10, 2025 (8:27 pm)
  
  Sad to see another (?) small landlord leaving the Industry. I will be keeping mine but I have a duplex and live on-site so that allows me the opportunity to provide housing a little bit easier than the standard SF stand alone rental. I hope you get a good price on your property and that you’re able to sell to someone looking for a home versus institutional investors.
- Felix Grounds November 10, 2025 (10:59 pm)
  
  With the proceeds from the sell of your property, you can buy a whole new set of pearls to clutch.
Ted November 10, 2025 (8:51 pm)

Me to. She’s my daughter-in-law!
West Seattleite November 10, 2025 (9:54 pm)

What are you excited for? A mayor that has no elected government experience running the city? A mayor who promised 4000 new units of housing with no plan how to implement it? A major that doesn’t want to prosecute open air drug use that is rampant in our city and makes us the mockery of the country and world? A mayor that couldn’t even manage her own life well enough not to need handouts from her parents in middle age? Bruce isn’t great, but frustration with him is just going to set the city back
- Foop November 11, 2025 (9:02 am)
  
  Let it be known that any person who has had their parents babysit for them is guilty of accepting handouts for not being able to manage their life.katie is not independently wealthy, her parents are also busy, and could not take care of her kids full time while she was campaigning for office. Her parents were help to help lighten the financial burden that would otherwise made it impossible for her to manage a family and run for office. Why on earth is that a negative you you people? We need more people who are not not loaded and wealthy running for office. She at least knows what it’s like for the average seattleite who doesn’t own multiple properties valued in the millions.“government of the people, for the people” and Katie is far more similar to me than I’ll ever be to Bruce.
  - Foobar November 11, 2025 (12:48 pm)
    
    Katie has a husband who does not work, shouldn’t he be pitching in before the parents send money for 4 days of daycare? It feels odd to say you’re struggling when you have other avenues. I don’t know their family’s situation, but I think many of the electorate see this as a sign of immaturity. Real working class people in this situation would have to make sacrifices like both parents working or one parent watching the kids.
    - Tony November 11, 2025 (11:19 pm)
      
      I saw a leaf on your lawn, should you really be posting when your property needs care?

natinstl November 10, 2025 (4:21 pm)

This city is forever doomed.

pierce brarrell November 10, 2025 (4:24 pm)

Recount time…don’t need a rookie running Seattle

Caravaggio November 10, 2025 (4:26 pm)

yEA WE ARE COOKED

Westwood Villager November 10, 2025 (4:29 pm)

Will the county report results on Veterans Day (tomorrow)?

WSB November 10, 2025 (4:32 pm)

I just added that. According to the KC Elections website, yes.
https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/elections/results/2025/november-general
- Beth November 10, 2025 (5:02 pm)
  
  Your election reporting has been fantastic! You’ve been quickest with results and data analysis. Keep up the great work – so appreciate it!

ColumbiaChris November 10, 2025 (4:30 pm)

Good for her.

Rhonda November 10, 2025 (4:34 pm)

Seattle was doomed either way, but I’m glad to see anti-car, pro-surveillance state Harrell going bye-bye.

Duwamesque November 10, 2025 (5:14 pm)

Anti-car? The guy who canceled G line expansion because a business complained? The guy who scaled back Lake WA Blvd bike improvements because he lives & drives in the area?
- Rhonda November 10, 2025 (6:28 pm)
  
  The guy who permanently closed several public streets to cars. The guy who infested our arterials with speed bumps. The guy who took busy entire arterial lanes away for bike lanes. The guy who put NO RIGHT TURN signs all over Seattle. The guy who refused to change the ridiculous 25 mph signs back to 35 mph on arterials that were designed for 35 – 45. The guy who took parking spaces away from our busiest Seattle attractions. Yeah, that guy.
  - Pat Conlon (Constanti) November 10, 2025 (6:44 pm)
    
    rhonda desperate—reaching
  - Duwamesque November 10, 2025 (7:00 pm)
    
    Measures that seem to be working. Seattle had the lowest level of pedestrian fatalities this decade in 2024 and zero cycling deaths.
    - Swagull November 10, 2025 (7:57 pm)
      
      I love how more pedestrian friendly Seattle has become. I was able to move about the city easily with public transit with my kid, who loved it. Sure, it was sad compared to the kind of experiences we’ve had abroad, but let me take a train into the city and move about in the town without a car. You dont need all those parking spaces if you have competent transit, and Seattle’s investments are starting to pay off. I just wish for better and more efficient for such a great city.
    - Rhonda November 10, 2025 (8:10 pm)
      
      “Train into the city”, Swagull? If you’re in West Seattle you’re already IN the city. The traffic-congesting features installed by Harrell’s failed Administration that I listed above are ruining how efficiently West Seattleites can move around. There will be no magic train to whisk people from the Arroyos to Westwood Village. That trip still requires a car unless one wants to hike 2 miles in the rain or hire an overpriced rideshare.
    - Pete November 11, 2025 (5:33 am)
      
      Uh oh, you used facts, they don’t like that
  - Pierce November 10, 2025 (7:47 pm)
    
    The guy who showed you listings for a new home in rural Pierce County.
  - Beef November 10, 2025 (9:38 pm)
    
    I’m team Wilson but will concede that this is the most persuasive Harrell pitch I’ve heard
  - The King November 10, 2025 (10:16 pm)
    
    Last I saw Seattle is now fifth worst in the nation on the traffic congestion list. Cmon SDOT, I figured you’d have us at number one by now
  - E November 11, 2025 (4:53 am)
    
    One person’s anti-car (aka, The War on Cars), is another person’s relief from the tyranny of car-dependence.
  - anonyme November 11, 2025 (5:19 am)
    
    Rhonda, if he really did all that I’m sorry I didn’t vote for him.
  - helpermonkey November 11, 2025 (8:03 am)
    
    Rhonda, as usual, you perfectly encapsulate the MAGA mindset – ME ME ME. MY CARS. MY PARKING SPACES. Selfish and short-sighted.
  - Jort November 11, 2025 (10:48 am)
    
    I’m sorry for you, Rhonda, that Bruce Harrell was unable to create the first city in the history of human civilization that accommodated growth while also prioritizing personal vehicle-based transportation and making it easier for every citizen to drive. I hate to say it, but Katie Wilson is not going to reach that achievement, either, in large part because it’s never been done and never will be. The issue of vehicles in cities is one of geometry, not of sentiment or intention. Cars take up lots of space – and there will never be enough space ever, under any circumstances, to make it “easy” for everyone to drive in Seattle. Not now, not in the future, not ever. The streets will continue to narrow, more people will take buses and trains and bike, and that’s just how it will be. No city has ever successfully deviated from that evolution, and Seattle will not be the first to do so. I would strongly consider adapting your perspective.
Treehouse November 11, 2025 (5:42 pm)

Wait wait wait…. so you instead voted for the person who lead the Transit Riders Union? Make it make sense.

Admiral2009 November 10, 2025 (4:46 pm)

And Amazon and other tech employers are laying off people, thus City tax revenue is likely to take a hit. Further these companies can shift staff to Bellevue to avoid City taxes. It IS NOT the City’s job to solve regional challenges at City taxpayer expense! I am concerned Ms. Wilson is not equipped to deal with these challenges and City residents will pay the price.

Derek November 10, 2025 (5:24 pm)

Katie isn’t in office yet. They did those record layoffs under Bruce who would do anything Amazon wanted without questioning. So yeah maybe, just maybe, corporate CEOs and their puppets like Bruce aren’t the answer to our problems.
- CarDriver November 10, 2025 (5:39 pm)
  
  And she’ll make the rich people and corporations pay, guaranteeing they cannot and will not simply pass any cost increases on to us on fixed income. I’m not holding my breath.
  - Derek November 10, 2025 (5:56 pm)
    
    Well kissing up to them begging them to pay us more isn’t helping either, might as well force it with a tax. Kissing up to the corporate wealthy has been tried for centuries, turns out it doesn’t work. Working class holds the cards. Without our labor they got nothing.
    - Brandon November 10, 2025 (7:27 pm)
      
      When the rich and the businesses leave to areas they can thrive and bring up the lower class, who will we then tax? Without their presence, our taxbase and labor force is gone. It’s like we’ve never read an economics book here.
    - Question Authority November 10, 2025 (8:16 pm)
      
      Without a job you’ll also have nothing.
    - Derek November 10, 2025 (8:44 pm)
      
      QA, you do know money nothing without a GDP and labor right? Do you need to take an econ class?
    - Question Authority November 10, 2025 (10:19 pm)
      
      Economics works like this – people create businesses, they hire workers which they pay, if the product and marketing meets goals than the company makes money on it’s investments and grows. The workers are still employed at the whim of both company and the economy and without that job earn no money. There are no jobs without opportunities provided by others, nothing is free.
    - Brandon November 10, 2025 (11:30 pm)
      
      Dont bother, QA. If people dont understand the economy in this day and age they never will. When their policies end up failing they’ll say it didnt work in this small locality because the federal government needs to play along. History be damned.
    - Derek November 11, 2025 (9:59 am)
      
      You have cause and effect backwards. And both need history lessons from a source that isn’t Texas board of education. Someone doesn’t just create business, workers and products the workers create do. I think you badly need an Econ lesson. The economy exploits labor: workers create more value than they’re paid, and capitalists keep the surplus as profit. This drives class conflict between those who work and those who own.
CorvidFan November 10, 2025 (8:42 pm)

I would love to see Amazon leave. All the money they brought in had to be spent on problems caused by Amazon being here. They tanked our housing market.
- JP November 10, 2025 (9:54 pm)
  
  Yeah, that’s the ticket. Blame Amazon! The contorted beliefs some of you folks twist yourselves into is really something.
- WS Person November 10, 2025 (10:29 pm)
  
  By “they tanked our housing market” do you mean made Seattle’s housing market one of the hottest in the country for over a decade?

Conan November 10, 2025 (4:53 pm)

Ugh, Seattle voters are so irrational. We were just starting to recover from the failed policies of the previous council too.

Del Griffith November 10, 2025 (5:37 pm)

Round and round we go.
Ve November 10, 2025 (5:50 pm)

I agree ,can’t believe it if we go back to the Jenny and Mike and awful mayors who did so much damageUnbelievable

Zoe November 10, 2025 (4:54 pm)

Get that jerk out of office!

Kadoo November 10, 2025 (5:02 pm)

Good Lord, deliver us.

Jake November 11, 2025 (9:54 am)

Majority rules Kadoo! Thank GOD and the LORD for democracy.

jsparra November 10, 2025 (5:03 pm)

Ugh, nothings free, going from bad to worse…sigh. so very sad for Seattlr

Hammer in Hand November 10, 2025 (5:04 pm)

Let the sh*t show began. If she end up taking itHow soon everyone forgets 4-6years ago. God Help Us! She is cluelessAt least it triggers a mandatory recount. Goes to show every vote counts

onion November 10, 2025 (5:19 pm)

Agree that Wilson would be a huge step backward. Jeez! Haven’t we learned from the incompetents we had in prior councils and as mayor???

Martha November 10, 2025 (5:26 pm)

Yes!!! Keep the ball rolling!!

Sad November 10, 2025 (5:50 pm)

If she gets voted in, it will be time to move. I have patiently held on to my hope for Seattle but communism and idiocy are not acceptable. Her parents have been paying her bills and she has no experience leading or managing anything except a social marketing campaign. I am sure that many of you will say good riddance to me but you will be left with the mess and even higher costs.

Bye bye November 10, 2025 (6:31 pm)

Bye bye
Jort November 10, 2025 (7:00 pm)

You know, it’s also possible that this won’t be an enormous civic catastrophe and that she’ll run the city slightly differently than how it is currently run. You know, something tells me this city won’t turn into a newly formed Soviet socialist republic. I’ve been seeing the rhetoric about the “destruction” and “death” of Seattle for, oh, gosh, a few decades now, and, you know, things end up fine. Some ups, some downs, but, you know, mostly – things are fine. And I’m sure things will be fine with Katie Wilson, too. Because this “communism” and “idiocy” and all this talk about fleeing the city like a war-torn refugee in panic and fear is really just, on balance, pretty silly. The city moves forward – the Death of Seattle remains nothing more than a spooky boogeyman in the easily reactive mind. Drama queen internet comments don’t equal reality.
- SunriseHeights November 10, 2025 (8:26 pm)
  
  Thank you, Jort.
- E November 11, 2025 (4:48 am)
  
  Jort, your comments always brighten my day. I wish I could catalog all of them into a little book of Jort-isms. Or even better, discuss topics with you IRL. Thank you!
- Changeisconstant November 11, 2025 (12:26 pm)
  
  I never thought I’d type these words, but well said Jort. A spot of optimism in a sea of pessimism.
Martha November 10, 2025 (10:23 pm)

Buh Bye 👋👋👋👋👋!!
Pete November 11, 2025 (5:37 am)

Communism? This type of nonsense would be funny if it weren’t so sad.
cwit November 11, 2025 (9:30 am)

We will be sad to see you go but will soldier on. Please provide proof of your exit, though.

Rosey November 10, 2025 (5:57 pm)

Today’s been a conflicting day for moderates in Seattle, seeing their guy in Seattle slightly behind while also seeing their guys in DC cave in exchange for nothing from the GOP.

West Seattleite November 10, 2025 (10:01 pm)

Few Seattle democrats support caving in to Trump. You’re thinking of moderate democrats like they have in Maine, New Hampshire, or Virginia (all places with senators who caved to Trump). A Seattle who moderate is ultra left in the rest of the country, not the same thing all

Bob Rock November 10, 2025 (6:13 pm)

If only there was some sort of a position between “All the money to billionaires” and “All the money to fentanyl bums”.
Sadly, this is not physically possible due to reasons, so let’s all sit back and find out which sociopath is about to become the word’s first trillionaire soon. Make sure you turn up the TV volume in order to drown out the noise from the apartments next door that Kshama 2.0 filled with junkies.

Nolan November 10, 2025 (10:35 pm)

“All the money to fentanyl bums” – citation, please.

935 November 10, 2025 (6:19 pm)

Im here for it. All in!

I’ve watched this city go from awesome to fine to bad to really bad to disastrous with the Seattle Voter beating the drum to their own demise. I joined you this election. Lets go FULL progressive – apparently the Seattle Voter needs to experience the painful lesson to learn these failed policies do not work.

Go gettem Katie!! at least you can’t screw this city up more! But I’m sure you’ll try to find a way!

Regardless November 10, 2025 (6:25 pm)

Whichever candidate wins should remember that it’s a slim majority. Wilson underperformed v other progressives. Harrell has overperformed. This isn’t a mandate for radical change, but neither is the status quo good enough.

GOP in WS November 10, 2025 (7:47 pm)

The centrist council members (Sara Nelson, Cathy Moore) are gone. New mayor and city council will be far left.
- Pete November 11, 2025 (5:39 am)
  
  Far left? Grow up.

k November 10, 2025 (7:14 pm)

Yay! Really looking forward to all the people and corporations leaving Seattle after Wilson takes office. Yes, I know they promise that after every election that doesn’t go their way, but I know this time they really mean it! Seattle spends so much more money accommodating Amazon than they get in tax revenues, so good riddance. And to the rest of you, safe travels as you relocate to Arizona/Florida/Ferndale. Tell all the Mamdani supporters we say “hi”, lol.

anonyme November 11, 2025 (5:22 am)

K, for once I agree with you. If it happens, that is.

Mellow Kitty November 10, 2025 (7:16 pm)

Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.

Seattlite November 11, 2025 (8:58 am)

Actually, Wilson will be worse than Harrell due to her ZERO experience in running a major city with a population of approximately 791,000. It’s quite a stretch from overseeing $219,916 in expenses (2024) at Wilson’s non-profit Transit Riders Union to overseeing Seattle’s annual budget of approximately $8.5 BILLION. Also, it is a stretch from overseeing 22 employees at Wilson’s Transit Riders Union to overseeing 13,300 employees as mayor. A plethora of questions have not be clearly answered as to why Wilson ran for mayor and why voters voted for her based on the above information.

Lagartija Nick November 10, 2025 (7:24 pm)

Gotta love watching the conservative/reactionary contingent making up wild scenarios to be terrified/mad about. Seattle is and always will be a thoroughly capitalist city and the economic engine that funds one of the most prosperous states in the country. One lefty mayor isn’t going to change that. Y’all sound like the folks who think Mamdani is going to install Sharia law and start throwing gay people off of buildings. Get a grip.

WSB November 10, 2025 (7:59 pm)

For those commenting on comments:
Here’s the thread from 2009, when Mike McGinn won. Some of the same comment themes.
https://westseattleblog.com/2009/11/election-2009-latest-vote-count-puts-mcginn-up-by-almost-5000/#comments

Derek November 10, 2025 (8:47 pm)

McGinn was fun. Transit minded and was forward thinking. Murray and Murray’s right hand man Harrell along with Durkan were the worst ever. Katie is a WELCOMED change.
Brandon November 10, 2025 (11:43 pm)

People complaining about both candidates and the problems the city has/had and problems theyd face with both candidates, and the republicans sitting back saying “Its been democrat leadership for decades, maybe take a hint. But you get what you vote for.”? Theme checks out.
TC November 11, 2025 (11:57 am)

Wow, it’s pretty fun seeing how many of those comments did not age well. So many “sky is falling” type comments about how worthless cars are going to be with the biking infrastructure that McGinn was going to build. With the rise of e-bikes a decade later, it’s evident that McGinn was clearly on to something with building more bike lanes and providing alternative transportation options.

wscommuter November 10, 2025 (10:03 pm)

McGinn was incompetent … his well-earned moniker, “Mayor McMumble” harkens to his idiotic opposition to the SR 99 tunnel, among other failures. He was mostly impotent as a mayor because the (mostly liberal) city council reigned in his extremist positions. That’s why people complaining here that Wilson may win are being silly. She is equally incompetent. She will be likewise impotent. The council isn’t going to let her do extremist things. We’ll have four years of silliness from the mayor’s office, but no real damage. Chill people.

Pete November 11, 2025 (5:43 am)

Extremist? What a load of rubbish. Completely hysterical!

Scarlett November 11, 2025 (7:05 am)

The Company Town consevatives hitching their financial fortunes and the city’s financial fortuners to Amazon is really, really pitiful.

Meeeee November 11, 2025 (8:10 am)

Harrell lost me on several counts His complete mishandling of the Diaz fiasco and his continued support of Diaz when all the evidence pointed to the fact that DIaz should be fired immediately. His continued self-dealing with long-time political/consultant cronies, giving them no bid contracts and allowing his one political buddy exclusive access to employee only areas. His capitulation to SPOG and their demands. The new contract he brags about brings no new oversight to the SPD and allows them to continue to act as if they are above the law. I don’t know that Wilson will do great or tank, but I wanted a change from a long time political player.

Scarlett November 11, 2025 (11:26 am)

Why can’t we have rising home values, bouncing stock portfolio’s, nice clean, crime-free neighborhoods, and super schools (with lacrosse now!) without those annoying RV’s and homeless ruining our views and polluting our cherished green spaces? Gosh, I thought there were free lunches in life.

USA November 11, 2025 (6:42 pm)

“Affordability” is a scam word. What I can afford and what Bill Gates can afford are totally different, but I didn’t invent Microsoft. The real issue is cost. How do we lower the COST of gas, housing, healthcare, etc. Progressives never address lowering cost, they just want to hand out money, because lowering cost requires thinking, efficiency and partnerships with the private sector. Handing out money is just…handing out money. Seattle will be bankrupt in 3 years.