Seattle’s Mayoral Race: Katie Wilson’s Vision for a Progressive, Inclusive City

Katie Wilson, the co-founder and executive director of the Transit Riders Union, has emerged as the Democratic front-runner in Seattle’s mayoral race after securing nearly 51% of the vote in the August primary against incumbent Bruce Harrell. Despite never having held elected office, Wilson’s background as a community organizer has resonated with Seattle voters who are looking for fresh leadership to address the city’s persistent challenges. Her campaign represents a potential shift in how Seattle might engage with its dominant tech sector, approach homelessness, and fund essential city services amid a $150 million budget deficit. Wilson’s progressive platform emphasizes economic diversification, downtown revitalization, affordable housing, and collaborative governance—all while maintaining that the city’s wealthiest residents and corporations should contribute more to solve Seattle’s pressing problems.

The relationship between Seattle and its tech giants has been complex and sometimes contentious. Companies like Amazon, Expedia, Google, and Meta have fueled economic growth with high-paying jobs, but have simultaneously contributed to housing affordability crises and social inequality. Wilson, who helped design Seattle’s JumpStart payroll expense tax in 2020, considers the policy “very successful,” noting it generates $360 million annually—with about ten companies, including Amazon, providing the majority of revenue. This tax emerged from the ashes of a controversial “head tax” proposal in 2018 that prompted Amazon to relocate thousands of jobs to nearby Bellevue. Despite this history, Wilson aims to build productive relationships with tech companies, emphasizing her coalition-building skills and pragmatic approach. “Obviously Amazon and the other big tech companies are very important players in our city and in our economy,” she acknowledges, “and so I think it’s very important that the city has working relationships there.” Her willingness to collaborate, even when parties disagree on specific issues, suggests a nuanced approach to tech sector engagement.

Seattle’s budget challenges stem from what Wilson describes as Washington’s “second-most regressive tax system” in the nation—one that lacks state or local income taxes and relies heavily on taxes that disproportionately impact lower-income residents. Earlier this year, Seattle voters approved a new tax on large companies to fund public housing, a measure Wilson supported while incumbent Mayor Harrell, Amazon, and Microsoft opposed it. Harrell had proposed an alternative funding mechanism using the existing JumpStart tax, expressing concern about businesses leaving Seattle due to increased taxation. Wilson also advocates for taxing profits from stock and bond sales, though the City Council narrowly rejected a proposed 2% capital gains tax last year. Her fundamental position is clear: “What the state and city need is a progressive tax system that is robust enough that it is funding the public goods and services that we all depend on to have a functional state, to have a functional city.” This stance positions Wilson as someone willing to ask more from Seattle’s wealthiest individuals and corporations to address the city’s fiscal challenges.

Beyond taxation, Wilson envisions diversifying Seattle’s tech-dominated economy. “We’ve really been blithely riding the tech wave for the past 15 years and I don’t think we can just assume that will continue,” she wrote in a recent Reddit post. She’s particularly interested in “building a green economy” by partnering with the University of Washington and the Port of Seattle to create jobs in clean energy and climate technologies. This dovetails with the city’s January launch of the Seattle Climate Innovation Hub, which aims to support climate-focused entrepreneurs while revitalizing downtown. Wilson’s economic vision extends to transforming Seattle’s downtown, which continues to struggle with vacancy rates above 30% despite some post-COVID recovery. She advocates developing a stronger residential presence to create a “24-hour neighborhood” with amenities like grocery stores, pharmacies, and childcare facilities, plus improved safety measures. This approach could help address both housing shortages and downtown vitality simultaneously.

The homeless crisis in Seattle remains one of the city’s most visible and persistent challenges, despite efforts from tech giants to fund affordable housing. Amazon, for instance, recently highlighted the creation of 10,000 housing units in the Seattle area since 2021. Wilson has committed to establishing 4,000 spaces for people experiencing homelessness, including tiny shelters, overnight church facilities, and other emergency solutions. With Seattle hosting World Cup matches next summer, Wilson acknowledges the added pressure to address street homelessness before the international spotlight shines on the city. Her innovative approach includes exploring a municipal voucher program to help people rent thousands of vacant apartments currently designated as affordable housing but still financially out of reach for many. Wilson also recognizes the interconnected nature of homelessness and substance abuse, particularly as Seattle grapples with the fentanyl crisis. She advocates pairing new treatment options with shelter stability and housing support.

Wilson’s candidacy represents a potential inflection point for Seattle—a choice between continuing the current administration’s more business-friendly approach or embracing a progressive vision that asks more from the city’s wealthiest residents and corporations. Her background as a community organizer rather than a traditional politician offers both fresh perspectives and questions about her ability to navigate complex municipal governance. As she puts it, addressing Seattle’s challenges “is going to take money. A lot of that is going to be existing, repurposed money, and potentially also new money. But I think we can get there over four years.” With her strong primary showing, Wilson has positioned herself as a serious contender to lead one of America’s most economically dynamic and politically progressive cities. Whether voters ultimately embrace her vision of a more equitable, diversified Seattle with greater corporate contribution to public needs will be determined in the upcoming election, but her campaign has already succeeded in elevating important conversations about the city’s future direction and values.