A little more than a week after socialist New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani took the reins of the nation’s largest city, voters in Seattle elected a socialist that has been compared to Mamdani to lead the West Coast’s fifth-largest city by population.
Katie Wilson, a progressive activist who operates a small nonprofit called the Transit Riders Union, defeated Democratic Mayor Bruce Harrell in an election so tight that it took over a week to determine. Harrell conceded Thursday as the vote totals all but guaranteed a win for Wilson, who, like Mamdani, identifies as a “democratic socialist.”
Like Mamdani, Wilson has faced criticism for past support of defunding the police, most notably through her support of a “Solidarity Budget” which would have cut the Seattle police force by 50%.
“There’s a strong argument for simply disbanding police departments and starting over,” Wilson wrote in a June 2020 op-ed.
Similar to Mamdani, Wilson walked back her past statements on defunding the police and distanced herself from the “abolish the police” movement on a debate stage when pressed by Harrell.
Leading up to Tuesday night’s election, Wilson pledged to “Trump-proof” the City of Seattle and has been likened to New York City’s Mamdani by political pundits on that angle as well.
Wilson, like Mamdani, has proposed policies like implementing government-run grocery stores. She pledged to explore government-backed grocery stores if elected this fall after accepting the endorsement from grocery workers union UFCW 3000, Washington’s largest private-sector union. New York voters, meanwhile, saw a similar pitch from Mamdani.
“Yes, Seattle voters want to tax the rich,” Wilson wrote in February of this year, echoing a prominent socialist platform, championed by Mamdani, of increasing the tax burden on the wealthiest residents.
Prior to her establishment of the Transit Riders Union in 2011, Wilson worked several jobs in various unrelated industries, including as a barista, boatyard worker, apartment manager, lab technician, baker, construction worker and legal assistant.
Several of the progressive activist groups and unions that backed Mamdani’s campaign also endorsed Wilson, including the Working Families Party, Planned Parenthood affiliates, and SEIU affiliates.
MULTIPLE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS LINE UP TO SUCCEED MAMDANI
Wilson has credited her parents with helping her run her campaign for mayor.
“They send me a check periodically to help with the child care expenses,” Wilson told Seattle’s PubliCola, noting daycare for her kids cost about $2,200 per month. Wilson did not share precisely how much her parents contribute, pointing out that she does not keep track. However, when pressed for more details, Wilson reportedly said the money comes in every few months.
“Before I decided to run for office, my husband and I were just kind of juggling our kid back and forth,” Wilson continued about the childcare costs her parents assist with. “We didn’t have her in daycare because it’s so expensive. But then, when I decided to run, we’re like, we really need childcare.”
Affordability was a key driver of Wilson’s campaign, similar to Mamdani’s campaign in New York City, and after her victory she has continued to outline those goals.
“There is an awful lot that I want to accomplish as mayor,” Wilson said in her first speech since clinching the mayor’s office. “I want everybody in this great city of ours to have a roof over their head. I want universal childcare and free K-8 summer care. I want world-class mass transit. I want great, safe public spaces where kids can run around with abandon. I want stable, affordable housing for renters.”
“I want social housing. I want much more land and wealth to be owned and stewarded by communities instead of corporations. I want a robust economy, with thriving small businesses, great living wage jobs, and strong rights for workers. I want a city where everyone has the basics of a dignified life, including healthy food, access to healthcare, and support of communities. I want a city where your health and your life expectancy and your children’s future doesn’t depend on your zip code or your race.”
Fox News Digital’s Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.
