Elections & Endorsements

Last Tuesday, the Seattle City Council voted 7-1 to pass changes to the city’s 16-year-old nuisance property ordinance that will expand the powers of the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to declare a business or residence a “chronic nuisance.”  As Council ramps up criminalization and weighs funding more addiction treatment services, do their plans add up to a cohesive strategy?

Since the 2023 Seattle council elections, a new dynamic has been taking shape in which extra deference is given to policy decisions made by the seven district-based councilmembers within their own district. If that shift continues, it could have dramatic impacts on how projects and programs are prioritized.

Former Seattle City Councilmember Debora Juarez is one of six finalists to fill the District 5 vacancy on Council created by Cathy Moore's resignation. Insiders say she is the clear favorite for the appointment.

The Urbanist Elections Committee is excited to announce our 2025 primary election endorsements, which span the region from Tacoma to Everett. Be sure to vote by August 5.

Two votes next week will align the City of Seattle with Sound Transit, opening the door to West Seattle Link Extension permit applications later this year. The move comes right on the heels of an overhaul of the city's land use code's light rail provisions.

Progressive mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s victory in Tuesday's Democratic primary is a watershed moment for New York City, and Seattle is on the cusp of its own watershed moment with the opportunity to elect Katie Wilson, a progressive who would break a long run of timid centrist leadership.

The race for King County Executive is heating up, and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci says that she has the edge based on her internal polling. King County Council Chair Girmay Zahilay came in a close second in the poll, and King County Assessor John Wilson was a distant third, weighted down by stalking and harassment allegations.

On Wednesday, Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck unveiled a proposal overhauling the city's Business and Occupation tax that she hopes to put before voters this November – if she can win over her colleagues. Dubbed the Seattle Shield Initiative, it would broaden the exemption for small businesses, but raise taxes on larger businesses.