The 2025 Seattle mayoral election was held on November 4, 2025, with a primary election that was held on August 5, 2025, to elect the mayor of Seattle.[2] Incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell ran for election to a second term and was challenged by community organizer Katie Wilson, who placed first against Harrell in an upset during the August nonpartisan primary.[3] The two advanced to the general election from a field that included six other candidates.
The vote was extremely close. The Seattle Times and other outlets called the election for Wilson over a week after election day,[4] with Harrell conceding to Wilson on November 13.[5] Wilson ultimately won by a margin of 0.73%, the closest mayoral election in Seattle by percentage since 1906.[6][7]
Background
Harrell announced his campaign for a second term in December 2024, and entered the race with the endorsement of numerous Washington government officials.[8] Harrell was initially considered to be heading to an easy re-election.[9][10] If re-elected, Harrell would have 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.[11][12] The result was widely considered to be a victory for Seattle's progressive wing, and a rebuke of Harrell heading into an election year.[13]
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.[9] As of the campaign filing deadline in May, Wilson was the second-highest fundraising candidate in the race, after Harrell.[14] 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.[14]
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.[15]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.[16] Harrell would ultimately face seven primary challengers, including Wilson, Armstrong, and Mallahan.[17]
Primary election
Candidates
Declared
Ry Armstrong, member of the Seattle LGBTQ Commission and candidate for city council in 2023(party affiliation: Democratic)[18]
Clinton Bliss, doctor and candidate for mayor in 2021[16]
Bruce Harrell, incumbent mayor (2022–present) (party affiliation: Democratic)[19]
Joe Mallahan, former vice president at T-Mobile US and runner-up for mayor in 2009[15]
Toshiko Grace Hasegawa, Port of Seattle Commissioner from Position 4 (2022–present) (co-endorsement with Wilson, previously sole endorsement of Harrell)[60]
Toshiko Grace Hasegawa, Port of Seattle Commissioner from Position 4 (2022–present) (co-endorsement with Harrell, previously sole endorsement of Harrell)[60]
A consultant representing Harrell from Northwest Passage Consulting predicted that Harrell would be favored in the counting of the final ballots. Independent analysts of the election predicted Wilson will win based on previous results of late ballots for progressive candidates.[74]Decision Desk HQ originally called the race for Harrell, but later retracted the call.[75][76][77] By November 11, a narrow majority of the counted ballots were cast for Wilson.[78] On November 12, some media organizations called the race for Wilson.[79]Decision Desk HQ made a call for her the next day.
↑Hall, Seattle City; Council, focusing on the City; mayor; Office, City Attorney’s; Agencies, Other City (November 12, 2025). "Katie Wilson elected Seattle's next mayor". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
↑Nir, David Murphy; Singer, Jeff (August 28, 2025). "Morning Digest: How a one-time long-shot became the frontrunner in Seattle". The Downballot. Retrieved August 28, 2025. Any favorable reshuffle grew even less likely for Harrell on Wednesday, when businessman Joe Mallahan, who took a distant third place with 4%, endorsed Wilson.
↑Radil, Amy; Raftery, Isolde (November 6, 2025). "In Seattle mayor's race, history gives Katie Wilson supporters reason to hope". www.kuow.org. But Kaushik argued the night after election day that Katie Wilson is still favored to win. "I would say the preponderance of evidence says the shift will be a little bit bigger than seven points but who knows," he said.
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