This November, Washington residents had their own momentous mayoral election. Katie Wilson, a Democratic Socialist union leader, beat out moderate Democrat and incumbent Bruce Harrell to become the new Mayor of Seattle. How did she do it, and what can we learn?
The Cost of Everything
Seattle is an expensive place to live, with housing costs being 50% above the national average last year. Wilson addressed not only the cost of housing, but also issues such as public transportation and childcare. Wilson, who had not previously run for office, claimed that costs were the main reason she decided to run. By doing so, Wilson joins the long line of progressives and socialists winning on affordability this cycle.
Mayor Bruce Harell is a long-time public servant with public safety as one of his main priorities, and recently proposed increasing funding for the Seattle Police Force by $28 million. Wilson used instances like this to argue that Harell didn’t do enough to meet the immediate needs of the city’s residents.
The election was called on the 7th of November for Wilson with a tight margin of under 2000 votes. She came from behind in dramatic fashion.
The Pattern: How this Relates to Other Progressive Wins
Wilson is another progressive newcomer who has unseated an old guard politician by running on the issues that impact everyday Americans. Unlike Mamdani, Wilson did not have a severely unpopular opponent. Despite the idea that identity politics and kitchen table issues run counter to each other, both candidates in the Seattle race did put issues like racial justice and protecting LGBTQ rights in their platforms. Wilson explicitly tied equity and making sure Seattle residents could live well in her platform, calling it the “foundation of how [we] govern.”
One difference is that Wilson, like many progressives, called for less policing, including expanding alternative crisis response programs.
National trends suggest that people want more progressive economic policies and are increasingly turned off by law enforcement spending, especially when housing and other living costs are up.
What Can We Learn?
Progressive victories have grown in 2025, in response to Trump’s overreach and the lack of actual, substantive pushback from most establishment Democrats. The combination of progressive economic policy and a wide tent has won elections. The challenge is making sure that vision can become reality.
What do you think this win says about the state of living in America? Comment below!
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