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KIRO Newsradio hasn’t made the official call, but if I were to wager: Mayor Bruce Harrell’s speech at 12 p.m. Thursday will be a concession, and by this time tomorrow, we’ll be calling her “Mayor-elect Katie Wilson.”
Let’s reflect on the state of play. The last time Seattle re-elected a mayor was 2005. YouTube had just launched and the iPhone was still two years away. Since then, we’ve had a parade of one-term mayors, each with their own fatal flaw that made voters say “next.”
This morning, Katie Wilson appears to have an insurmountable lead.
Although I no longer live in the city, I still work here. Seattle is home. It’s a city I love, and I genuinely want it to thrive.
So, let me be clear: I wish Katie Wilson nothing but success. Because when mayors fail, cities suffer. And Seattle has suffered enough from good intentions that couldn’t translate into good governance.
Wilson has made remarkable promises. Government-owned grocery stores to combat food deserts. Rent control across the city. Universal summer childcare. Social housing developments. A capital gains tax on top of the JumpStart payroll tax. All funded by what she calls “rebalancing” our tax system, which means significantly higher taxes on businesses and anyone she defines as wealthy.
These are ambitious goals. History suggests they’re particularly challenging. East Berlin had government grocery stores, and they had some supply issues. Stockholm tried rent control and ended up with 20-year waiting lists for apartments. But perhaps Seattle will be different. Perhaps we’ve discovered something that eluded all those other cities.
Wilson’s supporters believe she’s cracked the code. They see a working mom who understands struggle, an organizer who can build coalitions. They’re excited. They’re hopeful. They believe.
Interestingly, just this week Wilson started talking about “obstacles” and managing expectations. She mentioned that change takes time; not everything can happen at once. That’s probably wise. Rome wasn’t built in a day, although Caesar never needed a JumpStart tax.
Since dropping out of Oxford in 2004, Wilson has worked odd jobs, written for local publications, and run a tiny nonprofit that sometimes paid her and sometimes didn’t. Wilson will likely soon be running a city with 12,000 employees, a $7.5 billion budget, and problems that would challenge even someone with decades of governing experience. Her experience running the Transit Riders Union, a nonprofit with a handful of volunteers and some tax filing challenges, has prepared her for … something.
Oh, and Seattle’s budget is $250 million in the red. Could hit $450 million by 2026. We’ve already raided JumpStart funds, cut jobs, and spent the federal COVID-19 money. Still broke.
Into this fiscal disaster walks Wilson with plans for government grocery stores and universal childcare. It’s like showing up to a house fire with plans to install a hot tub. The enthusiasm is touching. The timing is optimistic.
Managing a major city through crises of homelessness, public safety, affordability, and insolvency is different from organizing protests against the people balancing the books. But every expert was once a beginner. Of course, neurosurgeons usually practice on cadavers first, not living patients. But Seattle is resilient.
So here’s to Katie Wilson, about to discover the difference between reading the owner’s manual and driving the car. In rush hour. While it’s on fire.
Charlie Harger is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here.
