2025 Seattle mayoral election
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The 2025 Seattle mayoral election is scheduled to be held on November 4, 2025, with a primary election on August 5, 2025.[1] Incumbent mayor Bruce Harrell is running for re-election against a field of seven candidates.
Background
[edit]Harrell announced his campaign for a second term in December 2024, and entered the race with the endorsement of numerous Washington government officials.[2] Harrell was initially considered to be heading to an easy re-election.[3][4] If re-elected, Harrell would become the first Seattle mayor elected to a second term since Greg Nickels in 2005.
In a February 2025 special election, Seattle voters passed Proposition 1A, which created a new business tax to fund social housing, over Proposition 1B, an alternative proposal endorsed by Harrell and business leaders that would have pulled funding for social housing from an existing tax.[5][6] The result was widely considered to be a victory for Seattle's progressive wing, and a rebuke of Harrell heading into an election year.[7]
Community organizer and activist Katie Wilson's entry into the race in March was considered to be a significant progressive challenge to Harrell. Wilson, the co-founder and general secretary of the Seattle Transit Riders Union and a former columnist for Cascade PBS, had led activist campaigns for expanded public transportation access, minimum wage increases, and tenant protections across the Seattle area. Wilson said the passage of Proposition 1A had inspired her campaign.[3] As of the campaign filing deadline in May, Wilson was the second-highest fundraising candidate in the race, after Harrell.[8] Another high-profile progressive challenger was actor Ry Armstrong, the only candidate other than Harrell and Wilson to raise more than $100,000 in funding by the campaign filing deadline in mid-May.[8]
Around the May filing deadline, several additional candidates entered the race. Joe Mallahan, former T-Mobile US vice president and runner-up in the 2009 Seattle mayoral election, became another high-profile entrant. Mallahan lost to Mike McGinn by just 7,200 votes in 2009.[9] Capitol Hill business owner Rachel Savage cited Mallahan's entry and wealth as her reason for bowing out of the race and running for Seattle City Council District 8 instead.[10] Harrell would ultimately face seven primary challengers, including Wilson, Armstrong, and Mallahan.[11]
Candidates
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Ry Armstrong, member of the Seattle LGBTQ Commission and candidate for city council in 2023 (Party Affiliation: Democratic)[12]
- Clinton Bliss, doctor and candidate for mayor in 2021[10]
- Bruce Harrell, incumbent mayor (2022–present) (Party Affiliation: Democratic)[13]
- Joe Mallahan, former vice president at T-Mobile US and runner-up for mayor in 2009[14]
- Joe Molloy, nonprofit board member[15]
- Katie Wilson, community organizer (Party Affiliation: Democratic)[16]
- Thaddeus Whelan, U.S. Army veteran[17]
- Isaiah Willoughby, convicted felon and perennial candidate[10]
Withdrawn
[edit]- Rachel Savage, business owner (Party Affiliation: Republican) (running for city council)[10]
Primary election
[edit]Endorsements
[edit]- U.S. Representatives
- Pramila Jayapal, U.S. Representative from Washington's 7th congressional district[16]
- Marilyn Strickland, U.S. Representative from Washington's 10th congressional district[2]
- Statewide officials
- Nick Brown, Attorney General of Washington[18]
- Christine Gregoire, former Governor of Washington[2]
- Bob Ferguson, Governor of Washington[18]
- Gary Locke, former Governor of Washington[2]
- State legislators
- Lauren Davis, state representative from the 32nd district[2]
- David Hackney, state representative from the 11th district[2]
- Joe Nguyen, state senator from the 34th district[2]
- Jamie Pedersen, state senator from the 43rd district[2]
- Chipalo Street, state representative from the 37th district[2]
- Sharon Tomiko Santos, state representative from the 37th district[2]
- Javier Valdez, state senator from the 46th district[2]
- Local officials
- Dow Constantine, CEO of Sound Transit and former King County Executive[2]
- Greg Nickels, former Mayor of Seattle[2]
- Norm Rice, former Mayor of Seattle[2]
- Wes Uhlman, former Mayor of Seattle[2]
- Victoria Woodards, Mayor of Tacoma[2]
- Labor unions
- Seattle Building and Construction Trades[19]
- Democratic party organizations
- Washington's 46th legislative district Democrats[20]
- Washington's 36th legislative district Democrats[20]
- Washington's 37th legislative district Democrats[20]
- Washington's 43rd legislative district Democrats[20]
- Washington's 34th legislative district Democrats[20]
- Washington's 32nd legislative district Democrats[20]
- Organizations
- National Women's Political Caucus of Washington[21]
- Media
Results
[edit]| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ry Armstrong | |||
| Clinton Bliss | |||
| Bruce Harrell (incumbent) | |||
| Joe Mallahan | |||
| Joe Molloy | |||
| Katie Wilson | |||
| Thaddeus Whelan | |||
| Isaiah Willoughby | |||
| Write-in | |||
| Total votes | 100.00 | ||
General election
[edit]Polling
[edit]Bruce Harrell vs. Katie Wilson
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Bruce Harrell | Katie Wilson | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Change Research (D)[23][A] | May 10–14, 2025 | 522 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 25% | 18% | 56% |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
- Partisan clients
- ^ Poll sponsored by the Northwest Progressive Institute
References
[edit]- ^ "Seattle Elections - FAQs". web6.seattle.gov. Retrieved February 10, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Oxley, Dyer (December 9, 2024). "Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell is running for re-election in 2025". thankyou.kuow.org.
- ^ a b Cohen, Josh. "Activist Katie Wilson enters Seattle mayoral race against Harrell | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org.
- ^ Krieg, Hannah. "Mayor Harrell Seems Unbeatable Because His Old Political Opponents Aren't Trying to Beat Him". The Stranger.
- ^ Cohen, Josh. "Seattleites will vote on competing measures to fund social housing | Cascade PBS". www.cascadepbs.org.
- ^ "Seattle voters approve Proposition 1A, pledging millions for social housing". king5.com. February 12, 2025.
- ^ Wilson, Katie. "Seattle Voters Defied Big Money and Chose Grassroots Power With Prop 1A". The Stranger.
- ^ a b Santos, Melissa (May 13, 2025). "7 challengers aim to unseat Seattle's mayor in 2025". Axios.
- ^ "Joe Mallahan, former business exec and 2009 candidate, announces new bid for Seattle mayor". KUOW-FM. May 8, 2025.
- ^ a b c d Staff, C. H. S. (May 12, 2025). "These 27 people want to run Seattle — Plus, why Rachael Savage is now running for City Council, not mayor". CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News.
- ^ "King County Elections, 2025 candidate filing". www.kingcounty.gov.
- ^ Carter, Justin (February 13, 2025). "Broadway business owner enters Seattle mayor's race as — gasp — a Republican". Capitol Hill Seattle News. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
- ^ Kroman, David (December 9, 2024). "Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell running for reelection". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
- ^ "Joe Mallahan, former business exec and 2009 candidate, announces new bid for Seattle mayor". KUOW-FM. May 8, 2025. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
- ^ Radil, Amy (March 6, 2025). "Running for Seattle mayor from Tent City 3". KUOW-FM. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
- ^ a b Kroman, David (March 12, 2025). "Progressive organizer joins mayoral race against Harrell". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ Wixey, Will (May 8, 2025). "8 candidates have filed for Seattle mayor. Here's who they are". KCPQ.
- ^ a b "Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell running for reelection". The Seattle Times. December 9, 2024.
- ^ "A union negotiation is helping a Seattle mayoral candidate who labor once opposed". The Seattle Times. May 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Mayoral Candidate Katie Wilson talks housing, transit and Trump-proofing Seattle". king5.com. June 24, 2025. Retrieved June 25, 2025.
- ^ "Our 2025 Endorsements". National Women's Political Caucus of Washington.
- ^ "The Stranger Endorses Katie Wilson for Mayor". The Stranger. July 2, 2025. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ^ Villeneuve, Andrew (May 22, 2025). "Katie Wilson 36%, Bruce Harrell 33%: NPI's May 2025 Civic Heartbeat poll finds statistical tie in Seattle mayoral race". Northwest Progressive Institute. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
External links
[edit]- Official campaign websites