ELECTION RESULTS: Fourth round cuts Harrell’s lead over Wilson to less than two percent

The week’s final round of election results include this for the Seattle mayoral race:

SEATTLE MAYOR
Bruce Harrell* – 116,435 – 50.74%
Katie Wilson – 112,135 – 48.86%

Closer look at the numbers (added):

-Of the ballots counted today, Wilson had 30,780 votes, while Harrell had 25,172. (“Write-in” had 166.) She got 54.8 percent of the ballots counted today; he got 44.8 percent.

-232,896 Seattle voters’ ballots have been counted so far. Between Harrell, Wilson, and “write-in,” 229,484 ballots have been counted in the mayor’s race, so more than 3,400 ballots apparently left the mayor’s race blank.

-The ballot-return stats show 279,340 Seattle voters’ ballots have been received by King County Elections, so that leaves more than 46,000 remaining to be counted.

So this isn’t settled yet. … (added) The other big race in this election DOES appear to be settled:

KING COUNTY EXECUTIVE
Girmay Zahilay – 258,558 – 53.25%
Claudia Balducci – 221,087 – 45.53%

Derek November 7, 2025 (3:48 pm)

Yes!! It’s happening! Wow what a comeback

Mike November 8, 2025 (2:39 pm)

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” – Margaret Thatcher
- T November 9, 2025 (6:41 am)
  
  I don’t think the billionaires (and a trillionaire now, I guess) are going to run out of money.
- Scarlett November 9, 2025 (7:47 am)
  
  An old hoary chestnut, Mike, but it doesn’t really describe how the economy works.
- Peem November 9, 2025 (9:32 am)
  
  And the problem with capitalism is you eventually run out of commons to enclose. We’re living with capitalism, and it had created it the hellscape of unaffordability, ecological disaster, and rising fascism we’re living through right now. The US was at it’s most prosperous in the post New Deal era, and what you’re calling socialism is really just a return to New Deal commonsense. Mild social democracy.

Voter November 7, 2025 (3:55 pm)

That’s a huge surge for Katie Wilson. Trailing Harrell by 4,300 votes (vs. 9,900 votes yesterday).

James November 7, 2025 (4:03 pm)

Bummed that she won’t win out as I would have liked to see a more progressive mayor than Bruce.
My bad math says she needs even more (59-60%) of the remaining vote to close the 4,000 vote gap Are there stats on how many ballots have been challenged?

WSB November 7, 2025 (4:18 pm)

My math – and I didn’t add this above because it’s just a “what if” – shows that IF she got the same percentage of the remaining ballots as she did today, she’d be a few hundred votes ahead. But again, that’s “what if.” Re: challenged ballots, you can supposedly get those numbers off the tracker
https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/elections/results/ballot-return-statistics/2025/november-general
but I’m having trouble at the moment slicing and dicing down to that level …
- Mia November 7, 2025 (6:52 pm)
  
  I would disagree, I actually think she has a really good chance because young people disproportionately vote last minute and these are all last minute votes, and Katie is by far more supported by young people, so I think it’s highly likely that she won young people by more than 60%. Don’t give up hope yet.

Daniel November 7, 2025 (4:13 pm)

Wow that’s close. If that ratio continues, Wilson ends up <1000 ahead? 55.6k votes with a 5.5k difference would translate to 46k votes having about a 4.5k difference?

K November 7, 2025 (4:15 pm)

Wow, we might actually have a mayor that cares about the city and the people in it after all…

Fairmount November 7, 2025 (5:35 pm)

Sorry but Harrell grew up here. Went to college here. Served on city council here. All before becoming mayor. I’d say he cares a lot or he would have left. How long have you lived here? He cares as much as anyone else that is from here. It’s really sad that voters are so naive. Katie has no skin in the game.
- Derek November 7, 2025 (8:05 pm)
  
  Time for outsider thinking. Because Harrell has had 16 years of policy shaping and failed. The best hires a company makes usually come from outside the stagnant organization.
  - Hammer in Hand November 7, 2025 (11:59 pm)
    
    I don’t want this city to go back to the days of chop and the hell hole this city was. Harrell inherited a hell hole we lost a lot of good police officers due to no backing from the cityhow quickly people forgetI hope Bruce wins in the end. The downtown core can not afford 4 years of WilsonGod help us
- macj November 7, 2025 (8:15 pm)
  
  Bruce is a multimillionaire, speaking of no skin in the game. He’s been wasting space in office for half my life with what accomplishments to show for it? Has he made Seattle better in those 20 years or just played the game and gladhanded?
  - Westsidegirl November 7, 2025 (9:06 pm)
    
    Guess you have not been paying attention: Mayor Harrell literally single handedly pulled Seattle out of the garbage pit that Jenny Durkan left. He fought hard to pull us out of the gutter. In all my years of living here , I have never seen Seattle such a dump. I applaud him for the accomplishments he has made.
    - kri November 8, 2025 (7:09 pm)
      
      Seems like his plan is to continue the same protocol of dumping the unhoused on lower and middle class neighborhoods. Continuing to chase them out of Denny Blaine, Madison & Leschi , all while his Medina Developer pals, (John Goodman & his ilk) destroy the other areas with overpriced garbage condos/apts. I can’t believe you think there has been some type of miraculous turn around.
- Spike November 8, 2025 (12:30 am)
  
  There’s no seniority when it comes to citizenship. How long someone has lived here does not impact his or her right to have a say in the city’s future, nor does it necessarily have anything to do with how much someone cares about their neighbors.
  - SlimJim November 8, 2025 (9:35 am)
    
    No, it doesn’t mean you don’t get a say, it just means you may not know what you’re talking about.
    - Spike November 8, 2025 (5:28 pm)
      
      No, it also doesn’t mean that.
- Kadoo November 8, 2025 (7:54 pm)
  
  I totally agree with you, Fairmount.
Brandon November 7, 2025 (6:28 pm)

When the policies backfire with “unintended consequences” I’m sure people will think this is true. I personally dont know how you can “care” and run with these ideas unless (1) out of ignorance you have no idea what youre about to do, or (2) you know the consequences and you do it anyway foolishly thinking you can defy historical evidence of past failure. I say unintended consequences in quotes because apparently people dont yet understand the results of these ideas (I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and say she doesnt either). Not to worry though, if we havent learned by now, we never will. So let’s enjoy what’s to come since we’re gonna vote for it next time around if she doesnt win this time!
Tired of Delridge November 7, 2025 (8:20 pm)

What makes you think she cares about anything? I know she doesn’t care about jobs. We’re in for 4 difficult years if she wins. But hey, the Eastside will prosper

You Lost My Vote November 7, 2025 (4:28 pm)

Funny, I was going to vote for Harrell (my wife did) … BUT … his team spam texted me before I completed my ballot, that’s a no no.

Other politicians have done it before, so Harrell was not the first politician to lose my vote due to spam texting or calling me.

Send me all the junk mail you want but any politician who feels it’s ok to call or text (read: annoy the hell out of me), does not deserve my vote. It’s called respect.

CB November 7, 2025 (5:15 pm)

Funny, I got spam texted by Wilson’s campaign!
M November 7, 2025 (5:30 pm)

You decided who you want to lead the city you live in for the next several years based on … a marketing text?
- Lp November 9, 2025 (7:48 pm)
  
  .. and he blames the candidate themselves ?? LOL
RickB November 7, 2025 (6:39 pm)

The spam political texts are so ubiquitous now I can’t automatically disqualify based on it. But, I always report as spam and block the number as my attempt to signal to the perpetrators that I don’t appreciate it.
WS Person November 7, 2025 (7:41 pm)

Seriously, I got way more Katie Wilson spam than Harrell.
- K November 7, 2025 (9:10 pm)
  
  Ditto – my spam texts received looked something like Harrell 1 : Wilson 7.
  - Jen November 9, 2025 (3:30 pm)
    
    Yep, my spam text ratio was 5:1 Wilson to Harrell. If I used political spam texting as a factor in elections, though, I would end up not casting a vote at all in many races. I prefer to research the candidates’ stances on issues and base my vote on that.
Purple Pilot November 7, 2025 (8:07 pm)

Policy considerations went out the window because one of the candidates dared to promote themselves…
Joan November 8, 2025 (10:21 am)

That’s why I don’t give out my text number! I get almost no spams.
IDC9 November 8, 2025 (1:59 pm)

Candidates should not be allowed to spam text, spam email, spam direct message (DMs), or spam call anyone. Maybe one communication method once or twice a week for the three weeks leading up to election day, but that should be the limit.

Admiral2009 November 7, 2025 (4:36 pm)

My math is consistent with Tracy’s, I hope it’s wrong. Bruce has been a very competent Mayor!

Workdowntown November 7, 2025 (5:16 pm)

I agree, he’s great for Seattle!

Voter November 7, 2025 (4:44 pm)

Katie is down 4,300 votes with 46,000 left; she needs about 4,301 more votes than Harrell — meaning ~25,151 votes (~54.7%) of the remaining ballots — to win.

Fairmount November 7, 2025 (5:25 pm)

It’s between someone with years of experience and someone with no experience. Has Harrell really done Seattle that dirty to be pushed out?

Lauren November 7, 2025 (5:52 pm)

Please stop with the mysoginistic “no experience” lie. Even a brief search into Wilson’s background shows this is not true.
- Tom November 7, 2025 (8:20 pm)
  
  How is anything in Fairmounts comment misogynistic?
  - Nolan November 7, 2025 (8:41 pm)
    
    Harrell couldn’t even balance the city budget without raiding the JumpStart funds that Katie Wilson’s 14 years of political advocacy made possible. She has done more with no structural support, yet she consistently gets dismissed as “inexperienced”.
    
    As the quote goes, women have to do twice as well to be thought half as good. Do you think a man with 14 years of professional organizing would be so easily dismissed?
  - 1994 November 7, 2025 (8:55 pm)
    
    I wondered the same thing. He is a male and she is a female but that does not make Harrell misogynistic….
    - CW November 8, 2025 (9:30 am)
      
      I guess you haven’t been following Harrell BETWEEN his campaign promises. Lots of promises and lots of mudslinging I between including misogyny across city departments. And if you were a woman you’d know that immediately counts against you too often. Check yourself.
Diane November 7, 2025 (5:58 pm)

Katie Wilson has YEARS of experience; and yes, Harrell has really done Seattle that dirty to be pushed out
Glitterpal November 7, 2025 (6:42 pm)

How do you suppose people get experience? Of course he “has more experience”… he is over 20years older than her…
- WSzombie November 7, 2025 (7:26 pm)
  
  You get experience by being on school boards, non-profit committees, chamber of commerce, city council, assistant or junior executive roles, corporate leadership jobs, etc. Going from basically unemployed to mayor is too big of a jump and would make anybody look like nothing more than a figurehead.
  - K November 7, 2025 (8:06 pm)
    
    She helped found a non-profit and got the Jump Start tax passed without even holding office. She has experience. She is qualified. You just don’t want to see it.
  - Nolan November 7, 2025 (8:36 pm)
    
    Spare us. Harrell has failed upward via political machine while Wilson fought her way into political relevance over 14 years (and counting) via TRU and JumpStart. Harrell can’t even balance the city budget without raiding funds she raised for him.
Jennifer November 7, 2025 (8:51 pm)

No. I’ve seen great changes in my neighborhood under Harrell. The constant changing of the guard isn’t a good look for us.
- CW November 8, 2025 (10:28 am)
  
  Good for you. I’ve seen literally nothing change for the better.

Andrew November 7, 2025 (5:29 pm)

If Harrel leads by 4300 votes, and there are 3400 left to be counted, how is it possible Wilson could win?????

WSB November 7, 2025 (5:32 pm)

Please read what we reported above. There are more than *46,000* remaining to be counted.

WestSide 4 life November 7, 2025 (5:32 pm)

Hoping Harrel wins. Lesser of two evils. Can’t imagine how the city would look with a race to the bottom with Wilson..

Rhonda November 7, 2025 (5:38 pm)

One of the worst Seattle Mayors is leaving, but Katie Wilson says “hold my beer” 🤣

Seriously? November 7, 2025 (7:44 pm)

You’ve spent years saying It was bad under Harrell. Now you say it’s going to be worse under Wilson. I suspect youll never be happy. I have to ask, why live here? Why not move to a city more in line with your values? It just don’t get it.
- Nolan November 7, 2025 (8:39 pm)
  
  Rhonda loves not voting in elections and then complaining about the results. Take from that what you will.
  - Jennifer November 7, 2025 (9:03 pm)
    
    Thanks. I may be salty about Prop 2 but at least I vote. Been in Seattle since I was 3. I’m (cough cough) probably much older than most on this page. I knew the Levy would pass, thanks for letting me express my opinion. Discussion is good. Nice to find a page where it’s happening. :)
  - Rhonda November 7, 2025 (9:28 pm)
    
    You went off half-cocked, Nolan. I absolutely voted in this Election as I do every other. I simply left the Mayor choices blank. Nobody should ever be forced to vote for someone they don’t like. That’s not Democracy.
    - bill November 7, 2025 (10:37 pm)
      
      Sometimes democracy calls for holding your nose. Posing as too pure to participate equates to voting for the worse candidate if that person wins.
    - Rhonda November 8, 2025 (1:52 pm)
      
      Bill, leaving a choice between two horrible candidates blank is absolutely a vote. No one should ever be forced to vote against their principles or shamed because they didn’t. If a car dealership has nothing but vehicles you don’t want you don’t have to buy one.
    - Nolan November 8, 2025 (3:29 am)
      
      Ah, of course. When you said you didn’t participate in the mayoral election, it was premature of me to assume that meant that you didn’t participate in the mayoral election.
    - Rhonda November 8, 2025 (4:18 pm)
      
      Nolan, I absolutely participated in the Mayoral race. I said NO to both candidates on an official ballot.
    - K November 9, 2025 (7:11 am)
      
      Not voting is not participating, Rhonda. You can’t will new definitions of words into existence. It’s an online argument with a stranger, it’s okay to concede that someone else has made a point.
    - Rhonda November 9, 2025 (7:23 pm)
      
      K, what part of me TURNING IN an official, signed, dated ballot with every section except one filled out do you not understand?
    - K November 10, 2025 (12:21 pm)
      
      Honestly, Rhonda. This is tedious, even for you. You LITERALLY said you did not vote in the mayor’s race. That means not participating in the mayor’s race, no matter what you want it to mean. Take it up with Webster if you want to redefine words. I really don’t know how to make this any plainer to you.
Nope November 8, 2025 (9:58 pm)

Katie Wilson just stayed silent when asked if homeless should live in our parks and streets. One of the most talked about issues in Seattle and she chooses to “pass”. I can only imagine all the other “passes” that will happen should her win become our unfortunate event. Harrell has slowly changed our city for the better. He’s not perfect but he knows how to handle our city. She does not.

Jennifer November 7, 2025 (5:43 pm)

My friend and I, both votes for Harrell, are in this last bunch. It’s not just Wilson votes. I saw literal changes for the better, during Harrell’s first term. Literal good changes to my neighborhood that I thanked him for when I sent him my Democracy Dollars. I do not want to go back to 2020. To a woman who wants to defund the police again. We deserve a safe city. The time wasted by constantly switching Mayors is ridiculous. But what do i expect from a City who just passed permanent tax cuts for small business. Temporarily raised it for big business, but it sunsets in 6 years. How will we make up that revenue? I never thought I’d see Dems doing what the GOP does. But the rich get richer and Seattle continues to pass every levy asked for.

macj November 7, 2025 (8:00 pm)

Bruce endorsed the very B&O tax measure you’re fretting about so he would look less out of touch. Would you rather they raise taxes on small biz and cut them on the big corps?
- Jim November 7, 2025 (11:23 pm)
  
  When you raise taxes on small and big businesses…..they turn around and and pass that on to the end user (the customer)……….
NoRa November 7, 2025 (8:29 pm)

How is tax cuts for small business and more taxes for big business the “rich getting richer”? We need small business to be able to thrive. The lost from small business is made up for with taxes on big business.
- Jennifer November 7, 2025 (8:56 pm)
  
  And what are we going to do, when in six year, the increase for bigger business sunsets but the small business tax cuts stay gone? How are we going to make up that revenue? They never lower our taxes. That’s what I mean. I realize we have the 49th most regressive tax system, but I’ve also watched the City not hold Amazon to a $250/per employee tax to help with roads and I’ve watched homeowners have to increase our property taxes as we approve every levy.A magic wand would be great. Let’s see how that money is made up in 6 years. They could have lowered the tax rate. It’s not right that we now pay more tax than a 2 million dollar business. Sorry, it’s the argument we use against the GOP!
IDC9 November 8, 2025 (2:06 pm)

I’m geninually curious. Why does Seattle, and really King County as a whole, seemingly approve every levy that makes it onto their ballot? I’m not going to suggest that its a good thing, nor am I going to suggest that its a bad thing. I just wonder what the thinking is behind the decision many voters in Seattle and King County make to approve so many levies, so often. While many levies are aporoved in communities outside of Seattle and King County, it isn’t unheard of for a levy or two to fail each election cycle. Its actually a fairly regular occurance.
- natinstl November 10, 2025 (4:31 pm)
  
  I often wonder the same, people here seem more than ok to continue to tax themselves for zero result.

Duwamesque November 7, 2025 (6:43 pm)

If we are finally seeing the “late drop” in ballots from presumably younger and more liberal voters in this round things are looking good for Katie. Vote tardy and vote often, as they say!

Derek November 7, 2025 (8:03 pm)

I see this comment a lot but what does it matter? All votes count the same. Who cares when they vote? Some people are busy. Some people want time to determine a candidate. Literally does not matter.
- Duwamesque November 8, 2025 (10:34 am)
  
  For those of us following the count it matters in terms of predicting the result. Late drops were thought to favor Wilson. If so she’s looking poised for a comeback.

NoRa November 7, 2025 (8:42 pm)

I don’t understand the ultra progressive push other than it being a response to the Trump administration. Seattle has had such big issues with drug overdoses, the unhoused/housing affordability, businesses leaving, I consider Harrell to not even be enough of a moderate to move the needle, but at least we’re seeing some positive change. Would hate to see it go the other way again.

Pete November 7, 2025 (9:46 pm)

Ultra progressive? Turn off Fox News.
IDC9 November 8, 2025 (2:09 pm)

Who would you consider to be moderate enough to do the job? Seattle rarely elects republicans, so it would most likely need to be a truly moderate democrat.

K November 8, 2025 (12:29 pm)

I think Harrell is credited for brining Seattle back from some sort of brink when his trajectory is greatly matched with the winding down of a pandemic and a reopening of businesses. That’s not his doing!

Sorry, comment time is over.