Top officials in Seattle tried to sound an optimistic note, after early results in the Aug. 5 primary election showed them trailing their more progressive challengers.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, City Attorney Ann Davison, and City Council President Sara Nelson acknowledged the work they’ll have to do on the campaign trail if they’re going to keep their seats come November.
Harrell fared best of these three moderate incumbents, trailing challenger Katie Wilson by just about 1,300 votes Tuesday night. Both appear poised to move on to the November general election.
“We knew this would be a challenging race, but we saw a similar close race in 2021, and a large margin victory in the general election,” Harrell’s campaign told KUOW in a statement Wednesday, referencing his first mayoral campaign, in which underperformed in primary before clinching a decisive win three months later.
“We are confident that once voters know more about Bruce’s Seattle story, and his commitment to affordable and safe communities, compared to Katie Wilson’s thin resume and history of fringe politics, that we will prevail in November.”
Wilson said the results “show clearly that Seattle voters want to move on from the failed administration of Bruce Harrell,” in a statement provided to KUOW from her campaign.
“The city is plainly unaffordable for working people, the homelessness crisis is out of control, and the current administration has shown no leadership or ability to address either of these issues,” Wilson’s statement read. “Katie’s vision of an affordable, livable city for all Seattleites has captured the imagination of our Emerald City.”
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Davison and Nelson trailed Erika Evans and Dionne Foster, respectively, by more than 13,000 votes each. All four are likely to appear on the ballot in November.
Davison lamented her early results in a statement.
“Although we’re disappointed by early results, there are still a lot of votes to be counted,” she said. “I will remain focused on public safety and building on the improvements we’ve made during my time in office. I believe in our future, and I will continue connecting with Seattleites about our most pressing challenges as we head into the general election.”
Nelson touted her accomplishments in office while acknowledging her difficult position heading into the general election.
“Tonight’s results fell short of our hopes, but they make one thing crystal clear: Seattleites want leaders who push even harder on the changes our city desperately needs,” she said. “Over the next few weeks, I’ll be making the case that when you’re delivering transformation at this scale, you don’t slow down — you push harder.”
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Harrell, Davison, and Nelson were elected in 2021, having campaigned on addressing homeless encampments, tackling a backlog of criminal cases, and hiring more Seattle police officers.
Where their success then was seen as a response to more liberal policies following the 2020 social justice demonstrations and calls to “defund” the police, their lackluster performance Tuesday seemed to suggest yet another backlash — this time, by progressives against a more moderate era in city politics.
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Davison’s name will likely appear on the ballot in November against Erika Evans, who has worked as a prosecutor in the Seattle City Attorney’s office and as an assistant U.S. attorney.
“This November we are going to take back the Seattle city attorney’s office,” Evans said, per The Seattle Times. “Seattle is ready for change. Seattle is ready for a champion, a fighter that’s willing to fight on day one.”
And Nelson is poised to defend her citywide Position 9 seat against Dionne Foster, a former policy advisor for the city and adjunct professor at at the University of Washington School of Social Work.
Foster took a victory lap after Tuesday’s results, calling the significant gap between her and Nelson “a clear sign” that “Seattle is ready for new leadership, bold solutions, and a City Council that listens to working people.”
“There are still ballots left to count, and we’ll stay focused until every vote is counted,” Foster said. “But make no mistake: This is a turning point. Let’s take this momentum and carry it into the General Election — and beyond — because our work is just getting started.”
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