Mamdani-style activist, liberal incumbent advance to Seattle mayoral runoff

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Longtime progressive activist Katie Wilson will face off against incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell in November's general election after securing the top two places in Tuesday's nonpartisan mayoral primary.

Wilson secured around 46% of the vote to Harrell's 45%, according to reporting from FOX 13.

"Tonight, we got results that were even better than we hoped, and it's likely to only get better," Wilson wrote on X. "Seattle, you showed up! It's clear that voters want change. This is your city. Join the campaign, and let's get this done!" 

Widely known for her role in helping establish and continuing to lead the left-wing Transit Riders Union, Wilson champions progressive positions such as minimum wage increases, better access to public transit and affordable housing. She has also pledged to "Trump-proof" the City of Seattle, and has been likened to New York City's Zohran Mamdani by political pundits.

Harrell, who served on the Seattle City Council for more than a decade before being elected mayor in 2021, is considered the establishment candidate in the race.

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Progressive activist Katie Wilson and Mayor Bruce Harrell advance to the general election to be Seattle's next mayor. (Katie Wilson Campaign; Getty Images)

Both candidates raked in far greater campaign war chests than the other seven candidates who ran in Tuesday's primary, according to Seattle Ethics and Elections records.

Harrell, who received nearly 100 endorsements from current elected officials, narrowly beat out Wilson when it came to fundraising ahead of the primary, bringing in a little over $500,000, according to filings. Wilson, meanwhile, brought in about $475,000 in campaign contributions. 

Moving on to the general election, Wilson is hoping to prevent Harrell from becoming Seattle's first mayor to win re-election in two decades.

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Meanwhile, Wilson has criticized Harrell for being more focused on dismantling homeless encampments than boosting the availability of shelters, and accused him of being part of the political status quo.

Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani speaks during a rally at the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council headquarters in New York, July 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

"We need leadership that is going to listen to voters and govern in the interest of people in the city and not corporate backers," Wilson said, referring to Harrell, in a March interview with PBS. During the interview, Wilson cited Harrell's work on affordable housing, arguing he was "the face of the campaign to undermine" a proposition that would have boosted affordable housing development. 

But Harell has defended his record as mayor, touting to local news outlet My Northwest that his administration has "put over a billion dollars in affordable housing."

Image of the Seattle skyline from 2017. (Reuters/Chris Helgren)

"My re-election is supported by 100+ current and former elected officials, labor, as well as affordable housing, environmental, community, and transportation leaders," Harrell wrote on social media last week. "I’m proud of the broad and diverse coalition we’ve built to keep Seattle moving forward."

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The upcoming general election that will see Wilson and Harrell face off head-to-head is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 4.

Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser and Bradford Betz contributed to this report.