Seattle Democrat mayor, progressive activist are top primary finishers, meet in general election

Seattle Democratic Mayor Bruce Harrell and progressive activist Katie Wilson will face off in the mayoral general election after they both secured the top two places in Tuesday's nonpartisan mayoral primary.

Wilson received around 46% of the vote while Harrell picked up 45%, Fox News reported.

"Tonight, we got results that were even better than we hoped, and it's likely to only get better," Wilson posted on X on Tuesday night. "Seattle, you showed up! It's clear that voters want change. This is your city. Join the campaign, and let's get this done!" 

Wilson created and leads the left-wing Transit Riders Union, a third-party political group, and advocates for progressive positions such as minimum wage increases, better access to public transit, and affordable housing. She has pledged to "Trump-proof" Seattle, and political pundits have likened her to New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani.

Harrell served on the Seattle City Council for more than a decade before being elected mayor in 2021.

Harrell received nearly 100 endorsements from elected officials and raised a little over $500,000, according to Seattle Ethics and Elections filings. Wilson was the next closest out of the other eight candidates in the primary race, bringing in about $475,000 in campaign contributions.

With the general election, Wilson is hoping to prevent Harrell from becoming Seattle's first mayor in 20 years to win reelection.

She has criticized the mayor for focusing more on dismantling homeless encampments than increasing shelter availability.

"We need leadership that is going to listen to voters and govern in the interest of people in the city and not corporate backers," Wilson said in March, referring to Harrell. 

Harrell said that his administration has "put over a billion dollars in affordable housing."

The mayoral general election will be on Nov. 4.