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Katie Wilson

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Katie Wilson
BERJAYA
Wilson in 2025
58th Mayor of Seattle
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 1, 2026
DeputyBrian Surratt[1]
Preceded byBruce Harrell
Personal details
BornKatherine Barrett Wilson
(1982-07-12) July 12, 1982 (age 43)
Binghamton, New York, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
Spouse
Scott Myers
​
(m. 2004)​
Children1
RelativesDavid Sloan Wilson (father)
Sloan Wilson (grandfather)
EducationBalliol College, Oxford (dropped out)
WebsiteCampaign website

Katherine Barrett Wilson[2] (born July 12, 1982)[3] is an American politician, activist, and democratic socialist[4][5] who is the 58th mayor of Seattle since taking office in 2026. Wilson is the co-founder and executive director of the Transit Riders Union, a group that focuses on improving public transportation and workers' rights. In August 2025, Wilson placed first in the primary for the 2025 Seattle mayoral election and advanced to the general election against incumbent mayor Bruce Harrell, whom she ultimately defeated.

Early life and activism

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BERJAYA
Wilson speaking at a Right to Ride rally at Westlake Park, 2016

Wilson was raised in Binghamton, New York, by her parents, Anne Barrett Clark and David Sloan Wilson, both evolutionary biologists.[6][7] She graduated in 2000 as salutatorian[8] from Binghamton High School before studying physics and philosophy at Balliol College of Oxford in England.[7] She withdrew from Oxford six weeks before she was scheduled to sit for the examinations in the final honours school for her degree and moved to Seattle in 2004.[9][10] She worked several jobs after moving, including working in boat repair, construction, and as an office assistant.[7]

In fall 2011, Wilson co-founded the Seattle Transit Riders Union (TRU), a nonprofit 501(c)(4) focused on improving public transportation in Seattle and King County, where she has been a paid, full-time employee since 2019. Tax records show she earned almost $73,000 from the nonprofit in 2022. She also served as Executive Director and the group’s board president, an unpaid position.[11] The TRU is an organization that campaigns and lobbies for progressive causes.[12][13]

The organization was formed after a proposed 17% cut to King County Metro and an elimination of the fare-free zone in downtown.[13] In 2014, Wilson and the TRU successfully lobbied King County for the creation of the ORCA Lift program, which provided reduced fares for low-income individuals.[14][15] The TRU previously campaigned for increases to the minimum wage in Burien, SeaTac and Tukwila, as well as greater renters' rights, and better public transport.[12][14][15]

In 2020, Wilson played a role in the creation of Seattle's JumpStart tax, a payroll tax on private employers to fund affordable housing.[14][15] She was critical of Mayor Bruce Harrell for proposing redirecting JumpStart funds to balance the city budget instead of affordable housing projects.[16] Wilson was also a member of Harrell's Seattle Revenue Stabilization Workgroup, which explored and recommended additional progressive revenue to address the city's budget deficit.[14][15][17] For several years, Wilson was also a member of the board of the Economic Opportunity Institute.

Wilson has written policy columns for Cascade PBS and The Stranger.[9]

Mayor of Seattle

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2025 campaign

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In March 2025, Wilson announced a campaign to challenge incumbent Bruce Harrell for mayor of Seattle.[18] She cited Harrell's opposition to a February 2025 ballot measure that would fund housing through taxes on businesses as a factor in her decision to run.[14][19] Wilson, running as a progressive, stated her top three priorities as mayor are housing, homelessness, and protecting Seattle from federal actions.[9][14] In the primary, she was endorsed by every Democratic party organization in the city, including all six legislative district Democrats, The Stranger, and PROTEC17, a union that represents 3,000 city workers.[20][21][22]

In the weeks leading to the primary, polls indicated a close race between Wilson and Harrell, with both raising nearly $500,000.[19][23][24] In the August nonpartisan primary, Wilson placed first among a field of eight candidates, with 50.9% of the vote, and advanced to the general election with Harrell who earned 41.3%.[25][26]

Wilson's campaign was likened to the campaign of Zohran Mamdani in the 2025 New York City mayoral election by several publications, including The Nation and The Stranger.[20][27] According to The Nation, Wilson's victory was won by the precariat of Seattle renters, Sound transit riders, and Democratic Socialists of America members.[28] The New York Post credited Wilson's electoral success to her ability to appeal to progressive voters by advocating for city-run grocery stores, taxing the rich, and "Trump-proofing" the city.[29] Wilson argued Harrell did not properly address homelessness during his tenure as mayor, and failed to lower the cost of living.[30][31] Harrell emphasized his administration's efforts on public safety, transportation, and housing affordability, while noting Wilson's previous support for the "Defund the police" movement.[31][32] During the campaign Wilson did not call for defunding the police, instead arguing that armed officers are not needed to respond to mental health and other non-crime calls that should be handled by other kinds of professionals.[32]

Wilson won by a margin of 0.73 percentage points in the November 4, 2025 general election, the closest mayoral election in Seattle by percentage points since 1906.[33][34]

Tenure

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Wilson's term began on January 1, 2026. She was ceremonially sworn into office on January 2, 2026, with local transit union leader Pauline Van Senus administering the oath of office.[35][36]

Since taking office, Wilson has publicly supported Seattle's Somali community and opposed Republican-led oversight committees investigating fraud allegations linked to the Somali immigrant community of Minnesota.[37] Wilson has supported local Seattle immigrant communities and activist networks that oppose ICE arrests in the city.[38]

As mayor, she stopped a city-wide rollout of the Microsoft Copilot AI chatbot to city employees that started under her predecessor. The 500 employees who were already using it were allowed to continue doing so.[39] Similarly, as mayor, she opposed the expansion of police surveillance cameras around the city, with the exception of FIFA World Cup sites.[40]

In June 2026, the first batch of single-adult pallet home units finished construction in the city's Interbay neighborhood. When open, these units will provide 24/7 transitional housing for homeless individuals currently living on the streets. In addition to shelter, occupants will also have access to behavioral health support. As of June 2026, fifty of the seventy-five units have been built, with the remaining units at the Interbay site scheduled to finish construction by the end of the month. Additionally, Mayor Wilson has pledged to build a total of one thousand of these units throughout the city before the end of 2026. Wilson did not meet her previous goal of building five hundred units before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[41] Earlier in the year, Jon Grant resigned as Wilson's senior advisor on homelessness policy.[42]

In an effort to combat open-air drug markets and crime in the city's Little Saigon neighborhood, Mayor Wilson increased police presence in the area and committed addition city resources aimed at tackling the issue. This included booking individuals caught selling drugs into jail and enrolling them in the city's LEAD diversion program. As of June 2026, Seattle plans to spend 1.1 million dollars on additional neighborhood services, including outreach staff and mobile overdose treatment and prevention teams. In a statement to KING-TV, Wilson said, "we must disrupt the drug dealing, public disorder, and other illegal activity that has destabilized this community."[43]

Since taking office, Mayor Wilson has inherited a steep budget shortfall. As of June 2026, the city of Seattle currently has a budget deficit of around $175 million, or about 10% of the overall budget. Wilson has proposed spending cuts and tax increases in order to balance the city's budget. Specifically, she has proposed implementing a city-wide capital gains tax (in addition to the state's existing capital gains tax). When asked by Fox 13 Seattle whether or not she would expand the existing payroll tax (a tax that Wilson herself had supported), Wilson responded by saying, "nothing is off the table." According to the business-focused nonprofit Downtown Seattle Association (DSA), the payroll tax is expected to bring in around $410 million in 2026 alone The DSA has also blamed the payroll tax for job loss in the city.[44]

Political views

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Wilson is a self-described democratic socialist,[45] but is not a member of and was not endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.[46] However, she was endorsed by the University of Washington youth chapter of the DSA.[47]

Public transportation

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Through the Transit Riders Union, Wilson successfully lobbied for the creation of the ORCA Lift program for low-income riders and free ORCA cards for students in Seattle Public Schools.[48][49][50] Wilson also proposed fare-free transit in Seattle following the adoption of fare-free policy by Olympia-based Intercity Transit in 2020.[51][52] She also advocated for subsidies on e-bikes and transit passes for employees, congestion pricing and a parking cash-out law.[52]

Wilson's mayoral campaign platform included support for improvements to accessibility and safety on sidewalks and bicycle lanes in Seattle. Her platform also endorsed a program to pedestrianize and limit car access to Pike Place Market and portions of Capitol Hill.[53][54]

Rent regulations

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Wilson is a supporter of rent stabilization.[55] She also supported increasing zoning for houses and public housing to tackle high rents, along with banning algorithmic price fixing and "junk fees" in rent costs.[56] Additionally, she supported limiting the purchase of homes by private equity firms.[57]

Taxes

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Wilson has been highly critical of Washington's state tax laws, which she deemed as the "worst" in the United States.[58] Specifically, she notes that the lack of an income tax in Washington forces reliance on other sources of revenue like sales, excise, and property taxes that she claims benefit large companies like Amazon and Microsoft.[58] She also supported progressive tax reform campaigns within Seattle.[59][60] In 2020, Wilson advocated for the Amazon Tax campaign in Seattle City Council, led by Councilmember Kshama Sawant. She similarly supported the JumpStart Tax, which focused on taxing larger businesses with high-earning employees, including Amazon.[59] The JumpStart Tax was introduced as legislation by Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, passing with a 7-2 vote.[61]

During her mayoral campaign, Wilson proposed additional taxes to generate revenue for the city, including a tax on landlords that own vacant properties and a capital gains tax.[62][63]

Starbucks boycott comments

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Shortly after being elected mayor, Wilson joined the Starbucks Workers United picket line outside a Starbucks Reserve on Capitol Hill[64] as part of a larger strike by unionized Starbucks workers around America amid stalled contract negotiations.[65] At the event, Wilson urged Seattleites to boycott the chain, declaring, "I am not buying Starbucks and you shouldn't either," and led a chant in support of striking workers.[64] In May 2026, Wilson told The New York Times that her earlier comments had been counterproductive, and that she wanted to maintain a "multidimensional relationship" with companies like Starbucks.[66]

Personal life

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Wilson is married to Scott Myers, an activist whom she met during high school in Binghamton. They rent a one-bedroom apartment in Capitol Hill and have one daughter. Scott is known for baking bagels and pizza using a second oven he installed, despite the lack of space in their apartment.[7]

Wilson does not own a car and primarily rides public transit to get around Seattle with her daughter. Wilson has also previously used a bicycle for transportation, although she relies more on transit since having a child.[67]

Electoral history

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2025 Seattle mayoral election

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Nonpartisan primary results[68]
Candidate Votes %
Katie Wilson 98,562 50.75
Bruce Harrell (incumbent) 80,043 41.21
Joe Mallahan 8,538 4.40
Ry Armstrong 2,120 1.09
Clinton Bliss 2,046 1.05
Isaiah Willoughby 817 0.42
Joe Molloy 799 0.41
Thaddeus Whelan 716 0.37
Write-in 588 0.30
Total votes 194,229 100.00
General election results[69][70]
Candidate Votes %
Katie Wilson 138,931 50.20
Bruce Harrell (incumbent) 136,920 49.47
Write-in 911 0.33
Total votes 280,375 100.00

References

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  1. ↑ Sarles, Connor (December 2, 2025). "Seattle mayor-elect Katie Wilson announces senior staff team". Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Katherine Barrett Wilson (Katie Wilson)". Public Disclosure Commission. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  3. ↑ @wilsonforseattle; (July 11, 2025). "July 12th Celebrate Katie's birthday with canvassing & cake!". Retrieved January 14, 2026 – via Instagram.
  4. ↑ with, Interview (January 2, 2026). "Seattle's New Mayor on Her "Sewer Socialist Mentality"". jacobin.com. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  5. ↑ Johnson, Gene; Press, The Associated. "43-year-old democratic socialist who's never held elected office unseats Seattle Mayor in another win for affordability politics". Fortune. Retrieved May 14, 2026.
  6. ↑ Lobbing Scorchers (May 29, 2025). Katie Wilson on Safer Streets, Cheaper Housing & a World-Class 2026 World Cup. Archived from the original on July 24, 2025. Retrieved August 6, 2025 – via YouTube. I grew up in upstate New York, in a town called Binghamton.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Winter, Hannah Murphy (October 2, 2025). "The Making of Katie Wilson". The Stranger. Retrieved October 3, 2025.
  8. ↑ "Press and Sun-Bulletin from Binghamton, New York". Press & Sun-Bulletin. June 11, 2000. Retrieved October 8, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. 1 2 3 Pfeffinger, Ramsey (July 21, 2025). "Who is Katie Wilson? A look at Seattle's mayoral candidate". FOX 13 Seattle. Archived from the original on July 23, 2025. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  10. ↑ Kroman, David (October 6, 2025). "Katie Wilson's Seattle mayor race: What to know about Harrell's rival". Seattle Times. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  11. ↑ Campbell, Katie (October 28, 2025). "Katie Wilson can barely afford to live in Seattle. That's why she wants to be mayor". KUOW. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  12. 1 2 Barnett, Erica C. (October 18, 2018). "Seattle's Most Influential People 2018: Transit Riders Union General Secretary, Katie Wilson". Seattle Magazine. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  13. 1 2 Badger, Emily (October 29, 2012). "Does Your City Need a Transit Riders Union?". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on November 20, 2024. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cohen, Josh (March 12, 2025). "Activist Katie Wilson enters Seattle mayoral race against Harrell". Cascade PBS. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Didion, Alex (March 13, 2025). "Katie Wilson enters Seattle mayor race against Bruce Harrell". King5. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  16. ↑ Cohen, Josh (October 3, 2024). "Jumpstart: The fight over how to spend Seattle's big-business tax". Cascade PBS. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  17. ↑ Krieg, Hannah (June 16, 2023). "Big Business Attempts to Derail Seattle's Search for New Progressive Taxes". The Stranger. Archived from the original on August 22, 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  18. ↑ Kroman, David (March 12, 2025). "Progressive organizer joins mayoral race against Harrell". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  19. 1 2 Santos, Melissa (July 28, 2025). "Seattle mayoral race tightens as Katie Wilson matches Bruce Harrell in fundraising". Axios. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  20. 1 2 "The Stranger Endorses Katie Wilson for Mayor". The Stranger. July 2, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  21. ↑ Kroman, David (July 17, 2025). "Seattle city workers union backs Katie Wilson for mayor". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  22. ↑ Jung, Mimi (June 24, 2025). "Seattle mayoral candidate Katie Wilson talks about housing, transit and 'Trump-proofing' the city". King5. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  23. ↑ Cohen, Josh (July 31, 2025). "Harrell, Katie Wilson in close competition ahead of Aug. 5 primary". Cascade PBS. Retrieved August 20, 2025.
  24. ↑ 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". The Cascadia Advocate. Northwest Progressive Institute. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  25. ↑ "Live election results: Aug. 5 Seattle area primary". KUOW. August 5, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  26. ↑ Mallon, Elaine (August 6, 2025). "Seattle mayor faces battle after primary upset by progressive challenger Katie Wilson". KOMO. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  27. ↑ Burbank, John (July 18, 2025). "Katie Wilson of Seattle Shows Zohran Mamdani Is Not Alone". The Nation. ISSN 0027-8378. Archived from the original on July 20, 2025. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
  28. ↑ Burbank, John (January 7, 2026). "Meet Seattle's New Mayor, Katie Wilson". ISSN 0027-8378. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Socialist Katie Wilson wins Seattle mayoral race". November 13, 2025. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  30. ↑ Santos, Melissa (May 13, 2025). "Meet the 7 people challenging Bruce Harrell for mayor". Axios Seattle. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  31. 1 2 Esteban, Michelle (August 6, 2025). "What's at stake as Seattle mayoral race heats up between Katie Wilson and Bruce Harrell". KOMO. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  32. 1 2 Gans, Jared (August 13, 2025). "Progressives make inroads in key mayor's races". The Hill. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  33. ↑ Kroman, David (November 12, 2025). "Katie Wilson elected Seattle's next mayor". The Seattle Times. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  34. ↑ Santos, Melissa (November 13, 2025). "Seattle's mayoral race appears to be the closest in over a century". Axios. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
  35. ↑ Johns, Jake (January 2, 2026). "LIVE: Katie Wilson to be inaugurated Friday as Seattle mayor, becoming third woman to lead city". King 5 Seattle. Retrieved January 2, 2026.
  36. ↑ Yoon-Hendricks, Alexandra; Kroman, David (January 2, 2026). "What Katie Wilson said in her first speech as Seattle mayor". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 4, 2026.
  37. ↑ Reporter, Chris Daniels, KOMO News Senior (January 2, 2026). "Seattle's new mayor defends local Somali community; State GOP demands daycare oversight". KOMO. Retrieved January 12, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  38. ↑ Staff, KIRO 7 News (January 8, 2026). "'This is your city': Seattle mayor says city will push back after ICE activity, Minneapolis killing". KIRO 7 News Seattle. Retrieved January 12, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  39. ↑ "Seattle mayor pumps the brakes on the city's AI chatbot adoption". opb. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  40. ↑ "Mayor Katie Wilson updates Seattle's surveillance camera policy". The Seattle Times. March 19, 2026. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  41. ↑ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved June 27, 2026.
  42. ↑ Staff, KOMO News (May 28, 2026). "Seattle mayor's senior homelessness advisor resigns amid Wilson's shelter expansion". KOMO. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  43. ↑ Sundell, Allison (June 18, 2026). "Seattle to boost Little Saigon police presence, release $1.1M for neighborhood services". www.king5.com. Retrieved June 27, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  44. ↑ Kim, Hana (June 22, 2026). "New taxes on the table as Mayor Wilson looks to balance budget deficit". FOX 13 Seattle. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  45. ↑ Smith, Catharine (November 12, 2025). "Katie Wilson poised to be Seattle's first Millennial mayor". KUOW. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  46. ↑ Cathell, Mia (November 17, 2025). "Why the socialist mayor-elect of Seattle didn't earn the DSA's endorsement". Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on December 8, 2025.
  47. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
  48. ↑ Jennings, Nicole (October 17, 2020). "ORCA cards now free for certain low-income riders". MyNorthwest.com. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  49. ↑ Santos, Melissa (November 14, 2025). "What to know about Seattle's next mayor, Katie Wilson". Axios. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  50. ↑ Cornwell, Paige (December 6, 2015). "Free ORCA cards for low-income students next year". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  51. ↑ Wilson, Katie (July 13, 2021). "Is It Time for Free Transit?". PubliCola. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  52. 1 2 Wilson, Katie (May 7, 2024). "Policy Lab: Shifting Transportation Habits with Cold, Hard Cash". www.theurbanist.org. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  53. ↑ "How Mayor-elect Wilson Can Hit the Ground Running, Walking, Rolling, and Biking". www.theurbanist.org. November 23, 2025. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  54. ↑ Trumm, Doug (October 26, 2022). "Capitol Hill Pedestrian Superblock Dreams Revived During Tour with Mosqueda and Spotts". www.theurbanist.org. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  55. ↑ "Debate: Seattle mayoral candidates field yes-or-no questions on contentious issues". Everett Post. October 9, 2025. Retrieved December 3, 2025.
  56. ↑ Wilson, Katie (May 16, 2025). "Op-Ed: Five Ways to Lower Rents in Seattle". The Urbanist. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  57. ↑ Roche, Daniel Jonas (November 17, 2025). "Katie Wilson wins Seattle mayor's race, another boost for the housing affordability movement". The Architect’s Newspaper. Retrieved December 27, 2025.
  58. 1 2 Wilson, Katie (2020), "Company Town: What Happens to a City and its Democracy when Amazon Dominates?", in Alimahomed-Wilson, Jake; Reese, Ellen (eds.), The Cost of Free Shipping, Amazon in the Global Economy, Pluto Press, pp. 147–160, ISBN 978-0-7453-4148-4, retrieved December 26, 2025
  59. 1 2 Wilson, Katie (July 1, 2020). "What makes a business tax progressive? Seattle offers a case study". Cascade PBS. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  60. ↑ Stackhouse, Sarah (October 31, 2025). "Getting to Know Katie Wilson". Seattle Business Magazine. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  61. ↑ Palmer, Annie (July 7, 2020). "Seattle passes payroll tax targeting Amazon and other big businesses". CNBC. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  62. ↑ Edgerton, Anna (October 29, 2025). "Seattle's Mayoral Race Tests the City's Appetite for Progressive Taxation". Governing. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  63. ↑ Stiffler, Lisa (September 18, 2025). "Seattle mayoral front-runner Katie Wilson on taxes, tech sector and working with Amazon". GeekWire. Retrieved December 26, 2025.
  64. 1 2 Martin, Casey (November 14, 2025). "'I'm not buying Starbucks and you shouldn't either.' Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson joins striking baristas". KUOW. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  65. ↑ Sainato, Michael (November 19, 2025). "'No contract, no coffee': what to know about the Starbucks workers' strike in 65 US cities". The Guardian. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  66. ↑ Griffin, Anna; Seattle, Emily CochraneAnna Griffin reported from; Nashville, Emily Cochrane from (May 17, 2026). "Seattle's Socialist Mayor Taunts the Rich as Rift With Starbucks Widens". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 23, 2026.
  67. ↑ "Harrell, Wilson take different roads with Seattle transportation ideas". Seattle Times. October 19, 2025. Retrieved November 10, 2025.
  68. ↑ "Election Results" (PDF). King County Elections. August 18, 2025. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  69. ↑ "Election Results: November 04, 2025 - Official Final Election Results" (PDF). kingcounty.gov. Retrieved November 26, 2025.
  70. ↑ "November 2025 General Election Results". KingCounty.gov. November 4, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
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