Urbanist-Backed Katie Wilson Opens Up Nearly 10 Point Lead over Harrell
Friday's ballot count was very friendly to Seattle progressives, with mayoral challenger Katie Wilson exceeding the 50% mark with the boost. The election dynamics favor a progressive wave. Here's why.
Stoked for ‘Hot Bike Summer’? Thank a Former Mayor and Council
Five major bike safety projects are all opening within a few months of each other, filling in critical gaps in Seattle's network. But most of the credit for ensuring that Hot Bike Summer happened in the first place goes to previous city leaders.
Progressives Win Seattle Primaries, Data Points Them as Favorites in General
After losing three consecutive mayoral races and six of nine Council seats in two years, Seattle progressives sealed their best Primary election in over a decade. Across the board, Seattle progressives head into November as favorites.
Katie Wilson Leads Bruce Harrell in Early Primary Election Results
Urbanist-endorsed progressive challenger Katie Wilson is off to a fast start in her bid to unseat Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, leading by nearly 1,300 votes on primary election night. Urbanist-endorsed Seattle City Council candidates Dionne Foster, Alexis Mercedes, and Eddie Lin have also taken commanding leads.
Seattle Council Greenlights Rinck’s B&O Tax Overhaul
On Monday, the City Council voted unanimously to send the Seattle Shield Initiative to voters this November. Sponsored by Alexis Mercedes Rinck, the proposal shifts B&O tax burden away from small businesses and toward larger ones, raising an estimated $81 million annually to shore up the City budget.
Seattle Growth Plan Amendments Would Shrink Neighborhood Centers, Expand Density Incentives
The Seattle City Council will spend the next month considering the 106 different amendments, which would push the city's growth plan toward allowing more types of housing... or scale back areas where density increases are proposed.
Harrell Pushes to Expand Recently Passed Surveillance Camera Pilot Program
Mayor Bruce Harrell is proposing to expand his three-month-old surveillance pilot program by installing more police cameras and funneling data from hundreds of traffic management cameras into the Seattle Police Department’s real-time crime center. The move has draw criticism from civil liberties groups.
Michael Westgaard Centers Renton Council Bid on Upgrading Transit
Michael Westgaard, a labor organizer with Raise the Wage Renton, is challenging incumbent Councilmember James Alberson, Jr. for Renton City Council's Position 1 seat. Transit emerges as a central plank of his platform in this interview with The Urbanist.