Self-described socialist Katie Wilson, who has drawn comparisons to New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, is poised to become the next mayor of Seattle.
Wilson, 43, a longtime fixture in Seattle’s progressive politics, leads incumbent Democrat Bruce Harrell by 1,346 votes out of 273,996 tabulated, more than a week after Election Day on Nov. 4, according to DecisionDesk HQ.
After trailing by more than 10,000 votes on Nov. 5, Wilson cut into Harrell’s margin as late-counted ballots broke her way.
With only 1,463 ballots remaining, the outcome of any challenged votes is unlikely to change the result. Wilson is now the clear favorite to be elected, The Seattle Times reported Tuesday.
“We’re going to wait for all of the ballots to be counted, but I think we won this race,” Wilson said Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Harrell’s campaign told the Times: “While not the direction we were hoping for, this remains a very close race, and we want to ensure every vote is counted.”
Wilson campaigned on taxing corporations and expanding spending on temporary housing for the homeless.
She promised 4,000 new shelter units in her first term and pledged more investment in police alternatives, faster action on bus lanes and other transportation modes, and expanded housing options in all neighborhoods.
As a young progressive challenger to an established figure in local politics, Wilson has drawn comparisons to Mamdani, who has close ties to the Democratic Socialists of America.
Wilson embraced that comparison on social media, posting street-level videos discussing the cost of living.
Although Wilson identifies as a socialist, she is not tied to any of the organizations pushing for a larger presence in city politics.
The local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America declined to endorse her after a meeting in which she did not rule out removing homeless encampments from public spaces, the Times reported.
Critics have called Wilson privileged and out of touch, as she regularly receives checks from her professor parents to pay for child care, the Daily Mail reported Monday.
They also noted she dropped out of Oxford University six weeks before graduation, leaving debt-free because of her parents’ support.
Harrell’s reelection website highlighted a quote from Carolyn Riley-Payne, former Seattle King County NAACP president, who said: “It’s hard to trust a candidate running on their challenges with affordability when her family’s wealth shields her from actual consequences and financial stress.
“Wilson chose to not graduate from college and now chooses to rely on parental subsidy to avoid financial hardship.”
Wilson and her husband, who does not have a paying job, spend $2,200 a month on day care for their toddler and $2,200 a month to rent their apartment, according to the Daily Mail.
She has acknowledged her privileged upbringing and said she became aware of it while attending public schools with classmates of lesser means.
She told KUOW-FM that when she moved to Seattle in 2004, she cut herself off from her parents’ money and “worked a bunch of working-class jobs,” which she said “psychologically, it really did something to me.”
In 2011, Wilson founded the Transit Riders Union, a nonprofit focused on improving public transportation in Seattle and King County.
Tax records showed she earned about $73,000 from the group in 2022 while working 55 hours a week, according to the Daily Mail.
Wilson reportedly said Wednesday she’s excited to “potentially partner from the mayor’s office on some big initiatives” with the Transit Riders Union.
She said her possible transition from leading the nonprofit to occupying the mayor’s office is exciting for everyone involved.
“We have so many members who have done so much work over the years building the organization alongside me, and it’s been really inspiring seeing people step up to new leadership roles,” Wilson said.
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