Katie Wilson
Mayor of Seattle since 2026
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Katherine Barrett Wilson[2] (born July 12, 1982)[3] is an American politician and activist serving as the 58th mayor of Seattle since 2026. She is the co-founder and executive director of the Transit Riders Union, a group that focuses on improving public transportation and workers' rights.
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July 12, 1982
Katie Wilson | |
|---|---|
Wilson in 2025 | |
| 58th Mayor of Seattle | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2026 | |
| Deputy | Brian Surratt[1] |
| Preceded by | Bruce Harrell |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Katherine Barrett Wilson July 12, 1982 Binghamton, New York, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Scott Myers (m. 2004) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | David Sloan Wilson (father) Sloan Wilson (grandfather) |
| Education | Balliol College, Oxford (dropped out) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Wilson, a democratic socialist,[4][5] was elected mayor of Seattle in 2025, narrowly defeating incumbent mayor Bruce Harrell.
Early life and activism
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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. [citation needed]
Wilson has written policy columns for Cascade PBS and The Stranger.[9]
Mayor of Seattle
2025 campaign
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 created a winning electoral coalition from the precariat of Seattle renters, Sound transit riders, and Democratic Socialists of America members.[28] Fox News 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] On the campaign trail, 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
Inauguration
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]
Immigrant community advocacy
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]
Artificial intelligence policy
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]
Starbucks boycott comments
Shortly after being elected mayor, Wilson joined the Starbucks Workers United picket line outside a Starbucks Reserve on Capitol Hill[40] as part of a larger strike by unionized Starbucks workers around America amid stalled contract negotiations.[41] 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.[40] 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.[42]
Homelessness policy
In June 2026, the first batch of single-adult 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, 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.[43] Earlier in the year, Jon Grant resigned as Wilson's senior advisor on homelessness policy.[44]
Crime reduction initiatives
In an effort to combat open-air drug markets and crime in the city's Little Saigon neighborhood, Wilson increased police presence in the area and committed additional city resources aimed at tackling the issue. This included booking individuals caught selling drugs into jail and enrolling them in the city's L.E.A.D. diversion program. As of June 2026, Seattle plans to spend $1.1 million 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."[45]
Seattle's budget deficit
Upon taking office, Wilson inherited a steep budget shortfall. By June 2026, the city of Seattle had a budget deficit of around $175 million, or about 10% of the overall budget. As a potential solution, Wilson 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 a report published by the Downtown Seattle Association, the payroll tax is expected to bring in roughly $410 million in tax revenue by the end of 2026. The report also states that roughly 30,000 downtown jobs were lost following the tax's implementation.[46]
Surveillance and privacy policy
Following the conclusion of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Wilson ordered surveillance cameras located in the city's Stadium District to be deactivated. The cameras were originally installed to monitor fans around Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park prior to the start of the sporting event; however, Wilson initially ordered them to remain deactivated, citing privacy concerns. She expressed concern that the cameras could be used by the federal government to enforce immigration law or carry out abortion-related investigations. After a credible security threat was identified during the event, Wilson reversed her initial decision and ordered the cameras to be activated until the World Cup concluded in July, at which point they were deactivated again. As of July 2026, the cameras currently remain in place and have only been disabled.[47]
In a statement to Fox 13 Seattle, Wilson defended her decision, saying, "Public safety is my most fundamental responsibility as the elected leader of this city, and I take that seriously." She continued, "We can keep our city safe and safeguard people’s privacy, and I believe the people of Seattle agree." Supporters of Wilson's decision have expressed concerns about who has access to the footage, how it is being used, and how long it is being retained. Bob Kettle, a member of the Seattle City Council and chair of its Public Safety Committee, has strongly opposed Wilson's decision. Kettle emphasized that the surveillance system does not have facial recognition capabilities and retains footage for five days after it has been recorded. Kettle stated, "The images on the CCTV cameras reside for five days and they sit there and they’re gone. They're only pulled when they're cued by something like a 911 call." Wilson paused the expansion of the city's CCTV network, which included installing cameras near Garfield High School and around Capitol Hill. This expansion will remain paused until an independent audit of the city's surveillance system has been completed.[48]
Shon Barnes's resignation as police chief
On July 26, 2026, a deadly shootout took place at the annual Bite of Seattle food festival, claiming the lives of three victims and injuring four others. One suspect, an unnamed 15 year-old male, was charged as a juvenile with first-degree assault and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. A second 19 year-old suspect died at the scene and a third unknown suspect may have been involved also.[49]
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, both the mayor's office and the Seattle Police Department faced criticism for delaying official updates about the incident for several hours. Wilson had initially announced that two suspects had been taken into custody, a statement she later redacted. The city also did not send out any notifications via its emergency alert system.[50] This breakdown in communication was partially attributed to police chief Shon Barnes being out of town when the shooting took place. According to Barnes, he had been attending a National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives conference in Texas when the shooting happened.[51] After speculation that Wilson would fire him, Barnes announced his resignation as police chief on July 30. No reason for his resignation was given.[52] According to statements made by multiple Seattle city council members, Wilson had asked Barnes to resign the night prior. Deputy chief Andre Sayles was named interim police chief following Barnes's resignation.[53]
After hearing word of Barnes's resignation, several Black community organizations spoke out in opposition to the mayor. This coalition of organizations included the NAACP Seattle Branch, the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, 100 Black Parents, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Committee, among others. Leaders of the coalition argued that Barnes was unfairly blamed for the delay in communication following the shooting and should not have been asked to resign. They also criticized city officials for removing the city's top law enforcement official ahead of the Seafair Weekend Festival, one of the busiest times of year for the Seattle Police Department.[54] Several city council members including Robert Kettle, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, and Rob Saka voiced similar concerns, reporting that they didn't appreciate being "left in the dark" about the decision to have the city's police chief resign. Council member Maritza Rivera questioned the mayor's rationale, saying Barnes's tenure as police chief was having a positive affect on local crime statistics.[55]
Political views
Wilson is a self-described democratic socialist,[56] but is not a member of and was not endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.[57] However, she was endorsed by the University of Washington youth chapter of the DSA.[58]
Public transportation
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.[59][60][61] Wilson also proposed fare-free transit in Seattle following the adoption of fare-free policy by Olympia-based Intercity Transit in 2020.[62][63] She also advocated for subsidies on e-bikes and transit passes for employees, congestion pricing and a parking cash-out law.[63]
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.[64][65]
Rent regulations
Wilson is a supporter of rent stabilization.[66] 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.[67] Additionally, she supported limiting the purchase of homes by private equity firms.[68]
Taxes
Wilson has been highly critical of Washington's state tax laws, which she deemed as the "worst" in the United States.[69] 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.[69] She also supported progressive tax reform campaigns within Seattle.[70][71] 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.[70] The JumpStart Tax was introduced as legislation by Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda, passing with a 7-2 vote.[72]
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.[73][74]
Personal life
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.[75]
Electoral history
2025 Seattle mayoral election
| 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 | |
| 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 | |