Seattle Socialist Wins Mayor Race After Late Ballot Dumps and Eight Days of Counting [WATCH]

Democratic mayoral candidate Katie Wilson has defeated incumbent Democratic Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, according to projections released Wednesday by Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ).

The call came eight days after polls closed, following a series of late-arriving ballots that shifted the race in Wilson’s favor.

Wilson received 50.2% of the vote, compared to Harrell’s 49.5%, DDHQ reported.

Harrell led in the early stages of vote counting, prompting DDHQ to initially project him as the winner on November 6.

It appears that @DecisionDeskHQ has called the race for incumbent, Mayor Bruce Harrell, defeating progressive upstart Katie Wilson.

Interesting call with an expected ~100,000 votes left outstanding. However, they have not broken the way Wilson likely needs thus far. https://t.co/23HDU7Xhus pic.twitter.com/YxOwFfw42t

— 𝔼𝕝𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕥 𝕄𝕒𝕝𝕚𝕟 🎗️ (@ElliotMalin) November 7, 2025

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At that time, the outlet believed roughly 100,000 ballots remained uncounted.

DDHQ rescinded its projection the next day after King County Elections clarified that the number of outstanding ballots was significantly higher than initially reported.

Washington is one of eight states that conducts elections entirely by mail, and the state does not require voter identification for mail-in ballots.

Wow. While we wait for the few remaining ballots to be counted, we feel like we have won this race. The recent drop put us nearly 1,400 votes ahead, just under the .5 percent threshold for a mandatory recount. pic.twitter.com/nWsIM8HfWr

— Katie Wilson for Seattle Mayor (@wilsonformayor) November 12, 2025

Wilson, an activist who has been compared to incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, described herself as a “socialist” in a September 13 interview with The Seattle Times.

She said she was downplaying the term during the campaign but added, “yes, I’m fine with being called a socialist.”

Wilson, 43, is the daughter of two academics.

Reports indicate that her parents financially support her and her unemployed husband.

OH MY GOD

Socialist Seattle mayoral candidate Katie Wilson was just outed by KUOW as a nepo baby whose parents, New York professors, send her regular checks. She wouldn’t say how much the checks are for. As she dupes actual poor people into thinking she knows their plight. pic.twitter.com/ei5h8dzBYU

— Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) October 22, 2025

In the August 5 nonpartisan primary, Wilson defeated Harrell with just over 50% of the vote.

Under Washington state law, both candidates advanced to the November 4 general election regardless of the primary outcome.

Wilson received the endorsement of the King County Democrats, while Harrell secured support from several prominent Democratic officials, including Gov. Bob Ferguson, Sen. Maria Cantwell, and Rep. Adam Smith, who represents part of Seattle in the House.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal endorsed Wilson on October 6, writing on X that she was “proud to endorse her.”

Jayapal said Wilson “will be a fighter for the principles of equity, immigrant justice, civil rights, and fundamental democratic rights that are all under threat right now.”

Jayapal cited Wilson’s primary performance as the basis for her support.

We need more organizers like @wilsonformayor in office.

Proud to endorse her in Seattle’s mayoral race. pic.twitter.com/7TY09OfzKZ

— Pramila Jayapal (@PramilaJayapal) October 6, 2025

Jayapal had previously endorsed Harrell before the primary, and her endorsement remained listed on his campaign website.

That is frigging ridiculous. Do you know how endorsements work?

— Beth Dutton (@1BethDutton) October 3, 2025

Jayapal is a senior member of Congress who chaired the Congressional Progressive Caucus for six years.

Wilson is the co-founder and leader of the Transit Riders’ Union, which describes itself as an “independent, democratic, member-run union of transit riders organizing for better public transit in Seattle, King County and beyond.”

Her campaign platform emphasized “climate action and environmental justice,” “police accountability,” “racial equity,” and increasing “new progressive revenue,” according to her campaign website.

She also pledged to “Trump-proof” Seattle, echoing language used by Mamdani in his own campaign in New York City.

Wilson’s campaign website recounts her political involvement in Seattle dating back to May 1, 2006.

“One of my first political acts in Seattle was joining the massive march for immigrants’ and workers’ rights on May 1, 2006,” the site states.

“That’s the Seattle I believe in. We stand up for the most vulnerable. We believe in democracy, climate action, robust public services, and good jobs. But all of that is under threat like never before.”

Seattle-based radio host Ari Hoffman commented on X as additional ballots were counted.

“Katie Wilson didn’t win an election, Bruce Harrell lost one,” Hoffman wrote Monday night.

He added, “In desperation to get re-elected rather than doing his job, he tried to out progressive a progressive. He had no ballot harvest or ballot curing operation & his social media was non existent.”

Hoffman also criticized Seattle’s election process, calling the “mail in ballot system” a “joke” and pointing to the slow pace of counting.

“King County elections claims they are ‘verifying’ each ballot,” he wrote.

“What are they ‘verifying’ when there is no voter ID or other safeguards?”

Katie Wilson didn’t win an election, Bruce Harrell lost one

Bruce was a lousy mayor. He liked the idea of being mayor, but didn’t like doing the job.

In desperation to get re-elected rather than doing his job, he tried to out progressive a progressive.

He ran a lazy campaign… pic.twitter.com/9mJrH6ReXf

— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) November 11, 2025