Katie Wilson, founder of the Transit Riders Union, narrowly defeated incumbent Bruce Harrell to become Seattle's mayor after a week-long count. A self-described democratic socialist likened to New York's Zohran Mamdani, Wilson faced scrutiny for earlier support of deep police-budget cuts but later softened that rhetoric. Her platform centers on affordability — universal childcare, social housing, stronger transit and taxes on the wealthy — and she enters office backed by multiple progressive unions and organizations.
Seattle Elects Katie Wilson — A Mamdani-Style Democratic Socialist Wins a Razor-Thin Mayoral Race
Katie Wilson, founder of the Transit Riders Union, narrowly defeated incumbent Bruce Harrell to become Seattle's mayor after a week-long count. A self-described democratic socialist likened to New York's Zohran Mamdani, Wilson faced scrutiny for earlier support of deep police-budget cuts but later softened that rhetoric. Her platform centers on affordability — universal childcare, social housing, stronger transit and taxes on the wealthy — and she enters office backed by multiple progressive unions and organizations.
01:38 PM, 11/16/2025Politics
Katie Wilson narrowly wins Seattle mayoralty after week-long count
Katie Wilson, a progressive activist and founder of the Transit Riders Union, narrowly defeated incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell in a race that took more than a week of counting before Harrell conceded. Wilson, who describes herself as a democratic socialist, has been frequently compared to New York City's Zohran Mamdani because of overlapping policy themes and endorsements from many of the same progressive groups.
Past positions and clarifications. Wilson drew criticism for earlier support of sharp police cuts — including backing a "Solidarity Budget" that proposed cutting the Seattle Police Department by about 50% — and for writing in a June 2020 op-ed, "There’s a strong argument for simply disbanding police departments and starting over." Under debate pressure, she later walked back some language and explicitly distanced herself from the "abolish the police" label.
Policy priorities. Wilson campaigned on affordability and equity: universal childcare, free K–8 summer care, expanded mass transit, social housing, and stronger worker protections. She has said she would study city-supported grocery options after receiving the endorsement of UFCW 3000 and has endorsed higher taxes on the wealthiest residents as a funding approach.
Background and support. Before founding Transit Riders Union in 2011, Wilson worked a range of jobs — barista, boatyard worker, apartment manager, lab technician, baker, construction worker and legal assistant — experiences she cites as shaping her platform. Progressive organizations that backed Mamdani in New York — including the Working Families Party, Planned Parenthood affiliates and SEIU locals — also backed Wilson's campaign in Seattle.
"There is an awful lot that I want to accomplish as mayor... I want everybody in this great city of ours to have a roof over their head. I want universal childcare and free K–8 summer care. I want world-class mass transit." — Katie Wilson
Wilson has acknowledged family help with campaign-related childcare costs, telling local outlet PubliCola that her parents "send me a check periodically to help with the child care expenses," and noting daycare ran roughly $2,200 per month for her family.
What comes next
With the victory secured, Wilson faces the practical challenges of implementing an ambitious progressive agenda: building coalitions on the city council, working with unions and community groups, and translating campaign commitments into funded policy. Her administration's early moves and negotiations over the budget will shape how quickly and fully those promises can be realized.