Wilson’s Election Night is still going

Remember — These things have already happened so describing it as a horse race with changing fortunes is not entirely accurate. But how else can you say it? As of Monday’s fifth day of counting in the November election, challenger Katie Wilson and her messages around affordability and social services are winning.

Monday’s count of around 38,000 Seattle ballots from later-voters was the final tally required to flip the 2025 mayor’s race upside down. Wilson claimed 56% of Monday’s drop from King County Elections officials.

With her later-voter strength, Wilson leads Incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell by 91 votes. An automatic recount will be triggered under state law if the final margin “is less than 2,000 AND also less than one half of one percent of the total votes cast.” It will require an even more expensive hand count if the margin is less than 150 votes and also less than one quarter of one percent.

Wilson’s total reverses Election Night when the incumbent Harrell was up seven points in the first county dominated by early voters who tend to be older and more affluent voters.

Wilson, a Capitol Hill resident and progressive organizer, socialist, and leader at the Transit Riders Union who campaigned on her leadership around minimum wage and renter rights campaigns across the region faced a strident attack from Harrell as the incumbent pushed back following a terrible showing in the primary, criticizing WIlson as a child of privilege without adequate experience for City Hall, and claiming his opponent was a leader in the defund the police movement. Wilson painted Harrell as out of touch and focused on her messages around affordability and underserved communities including leading the city with plans to create $1 billion in union-built affordable housing, build 4,000 units of shelter, and expand police alternatives like the Community Assisted Response & Engagement Department’s crisis responders while also fielding smaller initiatives like championing creation of more public restrooms in the city. 

Harrell focused his campaign on his long experience serving the city and support from national Democratic leaders while continuing withering negative attacks on Wilson.

CHS Survey: What D3 issues are most important to you in your decision?

In an unscientific survey of CHS readers on Election Day, respondents who favored Wilson cited affordability and transit as their top issues in the race while Harrell supporters focused on public safety and homelessness.

The last time an incumbent mayor was reelected in Seattle was in 2005 when Greg Nickels won a second term.

Wilson’s strength among later-voters echoes past progressive performances in the city including Kshama Sawant who was famously down by nine points on Election Night on her way to victory in 2019.

King County Elections says that about 8,000 6,400 ballots are left to count including challenged ballots that can be recovered and “cured.”

Its office is closed Tuesday for Veterans Day but another update in the ballot count is scheduled for the holiday.

ELECTION 2025

• Election Night: Harrell leads on Election Night as Wilson’s hope lies in later voters
• Day 2: Harrell lead solidifies as Wilson’s math becomes clear
• Day 3: Seattle’s later-voter break hits for Wilson as gap with Harrell narrows
• Day 4: Big later-voter count pushes Wilson within striking distance

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