Taking on an incumbent who has been in office since 2011, Ron Davis is eyeing tax changes, housing reforms, and a more robust state response to federal overreach as major planks of his platform.
We’re looking for passionate, locally-engaged volunteers to help guide our political endorsements. Apply to join the The Urbanist Elections Committee by March 6.
State Senator Rebecca Saldaña announced a bid for the open King County Council District 2 seat in the 2026 election, positioning herself in the progressive lane and pledging to fight back against Trump attacks and defend the working class.
Precinct-level results maps show that Seattle Mayor-Elect Katie Wilson’s path to victory ran through Capitol Hill, the Central District, and the Rainier Valley, where she ran up her vote share.
The Urbanist Podcast is back after a hiatus, just in time to break down 2025 election results. In this episode, Urbanist publisher Doug Trumm and reporter Amy Sundberg discuss what happened in Seattle, with progressive mayoral challenger Katie Wilson’s dramatic victory, and other interesting races a
On Thursday, Mayor Bruce Harrell conceded the election to progressive challenger Katie Wilson, surrounded by supporters in the lobby of Seattle City Hall. His speech vacillated between a conciliatory tone that extended an olive branch to his successor and a few defiant moments when he seemed to pick
Katie Wilson will be Seattle’s next Mayor. The progressive challenger expanded her lead over current Mayor Bruce Harrell to nearly 2,000 votes in Wednesday’s count, and The Urbanist and other local outlets have called the race for Wilson.
On the whole, there were bright spots for urbanist candidates all around the region, with major gains seen in Burien, Redmond, and Tacoma. There was also some backsliding in places like Sammamish and Bainbridge Island.
Challenger Katie Wilson trailed Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell by seven points on election night, but progressives have closed such margins in the past. A comeback in late returns could be in the cards, based on Wilson’s performance in the August primary.
From Bremerton to Issaquah and Tacoma, key races are on the ballot around the region that loom large for urbanist priorities. The outcome could determine where things are headed.
In four different races, Kirkland voters face a choice between pro-growth candidates interested in fostering additional types of housing throughout the city, and candidates looking for the city to be way less aggressive in fighting the region’s affordable housing crisis.
“It’s never been more important to have a movement mayor,” Seattle mayoral candidate Katie Wilson told supporters Sunday. Multiple speakers portrayed Wilson as a bottom-up, people-powered coalition-builder, who stands in sharp contrast to incumbent Bruce Harrell, who they see as a top-down establish
The Urbanist Elections Committee is excited to announce our 2025 general election endorsements, which span the region from Tacoma to Everett. Be sure to vote by November 4.
Nearly $200,000 in outside spending from a political action committee started by one Woodinville tech worker has upended local politics in the quiet suburb. The goal? Taking down a pro-growth council majority.
The race for Seattle Mayor is heating up, with progressive challenger Katie Wilson securing new labor support and incumbent Bruce Harrell ramping up fundraising and attacks on his opponent. Harrell also called in an endorsement from a national Democratic Party leader via Pete Buttigieg.
Seeking to fend off progressive challenger Katie Wilson, Mayor Bruce Harrell took a combative tone in the first debate of the general election season, recently aired by Seattle Channel’s City Inside Out. Harrell frequently attacked and spoke over his opponent, hoping to land a punch that could shake
On Wednesday, Mayor Bruce Harrell rolled out a proposal for an $80 million “anti-gentrification and reparations fund,” and trumpeted $350 million in housing investments he aims to make in 2026. He also ramped up attacks on challenger Katie Wilson and other political opponents, saying “how dare anyon
Kirkland Councilmember Penny Sweet makes the case for why Shilpa Prem should be her successor on Council. The Urbanist Elections Committee agreed and endorsed Prem, too.
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 comm
Join The Urbanist for a Campaign Volunteer Training Session to support our endorsed candidates. We have two dates in August: one in Seattle and one in Redmond.
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.
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 d
At a mobility and housing forum Wednesday, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell faced off with six challengers on a crowded primary election ballot. Here are the key takeaways.
Seattle City Council’s District 2 race just got a little more crowded, as Protec17 union steward Jamie Fackler announced his candidacy today. Fackler brings the strongest union ties to the race, and he also is the most unabashed proponent of social housing.
We see in Alexis Mercedes Rinck the moxie to fight, the savvy to collaborate, and the backbone to stand up to the powerful people getting in the way of progress. Read on to see The Urbanist Election Committee’s case for re-electing Rinck.
Policy expert Dionne Foster has jumped into the race to unseat Seattle Council President Sara Nelson, and the election is set to serve as a referendum on the entire council’s direction. Check out our interview with Foster.
This summer, voters will get a chance to show their support for Seattle’s innovative Democracy Voucher program when its funding levy comes up for renewal. While critics would like to see adjustments made, democracy vouchers have led to a more diverse pool of local candidates while giving more people
The Urbanist Elections Committee is seeking new members to join the committee to expand our geographic scope for the 2025 election cycle. If you live in an Eastside suburb, Tacoma, South Seattle, Shoreline, or Lynnwood and are interested in urbanism and politics, apply by March 8 to be considered.
Proposition 1A has won the special election to decide the fate of social housing in Seattle. After leading by 15 points on election night, Prop 1A continued to expand its lead in subsequent ballot counts, reaching a 20-point advantage on Thursday. Ultimately, it ended up being a 26-point win.
Proposition 1A grabbed nearly 58% of the election night vote tally, signaling social housing is on the way to victory in Seattle. The measure would tax big businesses to raise about $53 million annually to fund social housing.
The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce crafted the ballot language for Proposition 1B and pressured councilmembers to follow their plan to delay the social housing vote and put the competing measure on the ballot to siphon support, newly unearthed public records show. The centrists on Seattle
Backers of Proposition 1A highlighted a flood of cash from the region’s large corporations, including Amazon and Microsoft, promoting alternative Prop 1B. Unlike 1A, Prop 1B would not actually fund social housing or raise new revenue.
The rents and temps are too damn high. Seattle’s social housing developer can help — with Prop 1A funding. Vote yes on Prop 1A by February 11.
Seattle voters received Prop 1B campaign mailers riddled with lies about social housing. Don’t be fooled. Vote for Prop 1A.
Seattle Proposition 1A would tax excess compensation to fund mixed-income social housing. The Urbanist endorses a yes on 1A vote and urges you to vote by the February 11 deadline.
Burien residents should vote for Measure 1 because it will actually raise pay for low-wage workers. The Burien City Council has sought to muddy the waters, but their alternative is riddled with exemptions and a tip penalty that will largely erase the benefit to workers.
In February, Seattleites should vote yes on Proposition 1A to launch the Seattle Social Housing Developer with progressive revenue. The Urbanist Elections Committee lays out why.
Shaun Scott, Alexis Mercedes Rinck, Ryan Mello, and Jessica Bateman will bring progressive urbanist leadership to their respective offices.
Shaun Scott is headed to the Washington State House. Jessica Bateman is headed to the state senate. Alexis Mercedes Rinck won a Seattle City Council seat, and Ryan Mello is the new Pierce County Executive. All were endorsed by The Urbanist.
Progressives are off to a fast start in Washington state early returns. All four Republican-backed statewide initiative repealing progressive legislation are in trouble. Urbanist-endorsed Shaun Scott and Alexis Mercedes Rinck are up big, and urbanist Ryan Mello has a lead in the Pierce County Execut
Election Day 2024 is upon us, and the outcome will have a huge impact on the lives of residents in Seattle and Washington state. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s on the ballot and what the outcome could mean.
A pro-Woo PAC pumped $70,000 into the race Friday as a last ditch effort to swing the election. So far, Alexis Mercedes Rinck had been able to keep pace, with help from the Progressive People Power PAC.
The editorial board of Seattle’s only remaining daily newspaper has an abysmal track record when it comes to supporting the Seattle transportation levy. Voters should take their recommendation with a boulder of salt.
Sal Mungia isn’t backed by Project 42 or any other billionaire cabal. A win by his opponent could open the floodgates of dark money. Don’t let the rich buy our courts. Vote Mungia.
Seattle voters are backing progressives and rejecting the centrist coalition that swept into power in 2023,. But it was a swing in voter preferences rather than demographics that propelled the progressive Rinck in the primary.
The Urbanist Elections Committee has unveiled our 2024 general election endorsements. We’re excited about this slate of urbanists, who are poised to make a difference.
Progressive urbanists appear poised to flip a Seattle City Council seat, win the Pierce County Executive race, and expand their caucus in the state legislature.
The Urbanist Elections Committee is proud to unveil our 2024 Primary endorsements, headlined by Ryan Mello’s exciting bid for Pierce County Executive. This slate of urbanists is poised to make a difference.
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs criticized House Bill 2250, which allows ranked choice voting, as inequitable, but he couldn’t be further from the truth. Ranked choice increases candidate diversity, improves voter turnout, and broadens participation.
The Washington State House passed a bill allowing cities to move their elections to even years, when turnout is much higher. The bill still needs to pass the state senate to become law.
One of the most urbanist local elections is taking place right now and most voters have no idea. King Conservation District Supervisor Brittney Bush Bollay explains what their organization does and what’s at stake in this February election.
Centrists cleaned up, but progressives have an opportunity to turn the tables next time. The 2023 election did not go the way progressives wanted. Four of five candidates that Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell endorsed won. Meanwhile one of the two races that Harrell sat out — Districts 2 and 7 — also
Ron Davis is losing by 240 votes, and 524 fewer young D4 residents voted in 2023 compared to 2019. In the days leading up to the Seattle City Council election, street posts around the University of Washington were plastered with concert flyers and Palestinian flags, but not a single campaign
Join members of The Urbanist Elections Committee as we break down the 2023 general election at an event on Wednesday, November 29. The panel will take place at Rendezvous in Belltown from 6pm to 7:30pm. It’s a free event, but RSVP to reserve your spot. Note the venue
In Monday’s ballot drop, Urbanist-endorsed Seattle City Council candidate Ron Davis continued to narrow the gap in his District 4 race against long-time bureaucrat Maritza Rivera. Following Friday’s drop, Davis had trailed Rivera by 409 votes or 1.5 percentage points. Today, he had the margin down to
The drama continues as a second incumbent Seattle City Councilmember has taken a lead in ballot returns counted after election night. After Friday’s drop, Tammy Morales is now up 317 votes (or 1.3 points) over centrist challenger Tanya Woo in District 2, and Urbanist-backed Ron Davis now trails
Strauss has taken a lead, Morales is down just 3 points, and Davis is down 6 points. Late ballot returns lean progressive and this year is no different, with Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales gaining six points in Thursday’s ballot drop to narrow her nine-point election night deficit. Now
Urbanists underperformed in Seattle, but had some strong showings elsewhere in the state. Initial election night results — when roughly half of total expected ballots are typically counted — led to some groans among progressive onlookers on Tuesday night. The centrist slate had taken some seemingly unassailable leads in several races. In
Right-leaning political action committees have spent more than one million dollars to support their aligned Seattle candidates. Control of the Seattle City Council is on the line and wealthy and powerful special interests are not going to let a good opportunity to tip the scales pass them by. At the
Kettle is the most anti-housing candidate running for Seattle City Council; if he wins, he’d represent the city’s fastest-growing district: D7. As Seattle City Council candidates take swings and try to rally in the closing week, urbanists of all brands can feel some relief knowing that the resident
Ally endorsements point to the best urbanist candidates around Puget Sound. In city council races, The Urbanist Elections Committee only endorsed in Seattle and Bellevue this cycle, but there are plenty of exciting candidates in other Puget Sound cities. Check out the great slate of urbanists in Seattle, Bellevue, and
Ballots are arriving in mailboxes across Washington State and voters have big decisions before them. Urbanists have big opportunities to make gains and signs for optimism in primary results. The nine-member Seattle City Council could elect as many as seven new members, with all district-based seats up for reelection and
2024 is a critical year for the City of Seattle. It’s a comprehensive plan year. It’s the year we’ll shape and pass a new transportation levy. It’s the year we’ll negotiate a new police contract, and it may — just may — be the year we finally
In just two months, voters will elect a new Seattle City Council, and the race is on for candidates to make their closing pitches. Urbanist-endorsed candidates had a very good showing in the August primary. Six of seven candidates endorsed by The Urbanist Elections Committee advanced, with five of them
As the 1960s drew to a close Seattle was forced by the Washington State Legislature to switch the timing of its officer elections. In the first few decades that followed Washington’s admission to the United States as the 42nd state in the Union, it was standard practice to hold
Results are coming in from the August 1 primary, and urbanists had a very good showing. In Seattle City Council races, 6 of 7 candidates endorsed by The Urbanist are now through to the general election and most are in a strong position to win. Maren Costa, Tammy Morales, Alex
Control of local city councils is up for grabs and candidates are making their closing pitches as they seek to survive the top two vote counts in the primary to earn a spot on the general election ballot. Seattle saw four sitting councilmembers retire and a fifth run for King
Primary election ballots are arriving in the mail and due by August 1st. In the run up The Urbanist Elections Committee has been hard at work prepping endorsements for what is shaping up to be an exciting (and consequential) primary election. In this podcast episode, host and reporter Ray Dubicki
Ron Davis is running for the Seattle City Council in District 4 on a progressive, stridently urbanist platform and he shared his positions on transportation, housing, and other issues at The Urbanist’s lunch and learn event this Thursday. Davis has pulled in an impressive set of progressive endorsements including
It’s that time of the year. Summer is practically half over and we’re plotting how to squeeze another beach getaway, hiking trip, relaxing staycation, or backyard barbecue into our itineraries. But wait! There’s an important primary election about to happen that demands our attention in-between hammock siestas
We enthusiastically endorse the re-election of Kirkland City Councilmember Kelli Curtis. Curtis has two opponents, so her race for Council Position 2 will be on the August 1 primary ballot. We first connected with Curtis through our public comments in favor of sunsetting the exclusionary Houghton Community Council at a
On Saturday, seven of the nine registered District 3 Seattle City Council candidates participated in a mobility-focused forum co-hosted by The Urbanist. As in the District 5 Mobility Forum hosted by the same coalition, D3 candidates generally had broad agreement about the need for safer streets, connected sidewalks, and transit
The Seattle City Council candidates in District 5 squared off in a mobility forum co-hosted by The Urbanist on June 5. Candidates had broad agreement about the need for safer streets and adding sidewalks where they’re lacking, a big problem in District 5, which covers the northern half of
Seven seats on the Seattle City Council are up for grabs this year and the races are starting to firm up ahead of the May 19th candidate filing deadline. Four sitting councilmembers — Lisa Herbold (District 1), Kshama Sawant (District 3), Alex Pedersen (District 4), and Debora Juarez (District 5) — have
This month, King County voters have the chance to significantly expand our county’s capacity to support people experiencing mental health crises by passing the behavioral health levy on the April Special Election ballot. They should take the opportunity by voting yes for these desperately needed services, then keep the
House Our Neighbors’ coalition members reflect on how the campaign achieved social housing victory. Ballots are still being counted, but with a 14-point lead established as of Friday, it appears that Social Housing Initiative 135 in Seattle is headed for a win. This may come as a surprise to some,
Seattle City Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda says she hears the “pull” of King County Council and is running for the District 8 seat that Joe McDermott will be vacating with his retirement. The County Council could be an ideal spot to focus on solutions to the behavioral health crisis, to the
This morning, Tammy Morales announced she is running for a second term on Seattle City Council, becoming just the second of seven councilmembers up for election to officially do so. From the steps of El Centro de la Raza in Beacon Hill, she laid out her accomplishments, goals for her
The special election to determine whether Seattle will embrace a new social housing model starts this week. Ballots for Initiative 135 will be mailed Wednesday. Ballot boxes open on Thursday. The deadline to vote is 8pm February 14th, so fill in your oval, sign your envelope, and get it postmarked
Social housing is going to the ballot in February, and if you want to learn more about the initiative, The Urbanist has you covered. At our monthly virtual meetup on January 10, we’re hosting Tiffani McCoy, co-chair of the House Our Neighbors campaign behind the measure, to break it
The race for King County Prosecutor couldn’t be any tighter. Urbanist-endorsed Leesa Manion is up 32% to 31% over Federal Way Mayor Jim Ferrell in a newly released poll commissioned by Northwest Progressive Institute (NPI). That’s easily within the 4% margin of error pollster Change Research modeled for
Democracy is under attack across America. Whether it’s voter suppression laws or election denialism, the power of the voter is in dire straits. The best way to resist these attacks isn’t by holding tight to the status quo – that’s what got us here. Voters are tired of
With only 13 days to go before the General Election, ballots are officially in the hands of Washington voters. This is your reminder that your ballot is sitting on the kitchen counter. Find it. Fill it out. Mail it in or drop it off by November 8. Here are your
The Urbanist Elections Committee has released it endorsements for the 2022 general election. In this episode, reporter Ray Dubicki talks with two members of the Elections Committee. Hannah Sabio-Howell and Rian Watt join the podcast to walk us through the process of developing the candidate questionnaire and surviving some long
A month of wildfires and smoky, polluted skies have set a somber mood this election season, but perhaps that’s apropos. It really is time to get serious and get down to business electing climate-focused, urbanist leaders ready to decarbonize our economy and better steward our natural resources while making
Seattle City Council district boundaries must be adjusted to rebalance population levels ahead of 2023 elections, and just how to accomplish that is proving quite controversial. The Seattle Redistricting Commission first joint map proposed to send part of Magnolia to District 6 — a move intended to bring down the population
Red wave crashes into reality; blue tides are rising. Primary results continue to trickle in, but most ballots have been counted, and Republican hope of taking Olympia has all but disappeared with their dismal showing. Republican pundits were bullish that a midterm election with an unpopular president paired with relatively
As of 8pm this evening, the early returns for the 2022 August Primary have been posted. Counting will continue over the coming weeks, usually with daily counts being released after 4pm. The Urbanist Elections Committee made endorsements in a long list of state legislative races and one congressional race. Below
The Urbanist Elections Committee invited candidates throughout the Puget Sound Region to submit a questionnaire response. This post will go through the remaining responses, which include King County Prosecutor, Washington Congressional District 9, and the Legislative Districts (LDs) in the Eastside and North Sound. We’ve already gone through responses
Seattle voters may have a unique opportunity this November to support a new model of providing affordable housing, and they should take it. Initiative 135 was crafted by the House Our Neighbors Coalition as a progressive alternative to the Compassion Seattle ballot measure, which sought to codify homeless encampment sweeps
Saying the stakes are high might be more of an understatement than an exaggeration this year. A renegade Supreme Court is goose-stepping toward fascism, enabling racists and misogynists, stripping civil rights, and strip-mining the planet with glee. It really is time for states to step up and elect people who
The 46th Legislative District saw the retirement of longtime Sen. David Frockt, and Rep. Javier Valdez quickly announced his bid to replace him. That opened up Valdez’s House seat and brought five contenders to fill it. The Urbanist Elections Committee received questionnaires from four and interviewed three, with Lelach
On Tuesday, the Seattle City Council voted in favor of putting ranked choice voting on the ballot this November. The vote, which went 7-2, comes on the heels of the news that an approval voting measure titled Initiative 134 has obtained enough signatures to appear before voters this fall as
The big news in the 36th Legislative District is the retirement of Sen. Reuven Carlyle after a state legislative career spanning back to 2009. Rep. Noel Frame threw her hat in the ring to replace him and cleared the field. In the process, Frame vacated her seat in the House,
The 37th Legislative District has one open seat created by Rep. Kirsten Harris-Talley retiring after just one term. In a South Seattle Emerald op-ed, Harris-Talley cited her frustrations with the way things operate within the Democratic caucus for her decision to bow out. The opening in Position 2 has attracted
The 34th Legislative District has two strong incumbents who appears to be waltzing to reelection, and one open House seat that is gearing up to be a showdown between two solid candidates: Emily Alvarado and Leah Griffin, both women with strong urbanist platforms who have stepped forward to take the
Redistricting is sure to have a big impact on elections this fall, and overall Washington State Democrats continue to be in a strong position. This is in no way thanks to Washington State’s redistricting process — which is deeply flawed and nearly failed to produce a result last year. Overall
A planned initiative from Seattle Approves would like us to stop asking voters who they want representing them and instead ask voters to approve the candidates who they would tolerate representing them. According to their website this “small change,” would lead to “representative” elections. This is demonstrably not true — but
Ballots for the 2022 Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Capital Levy are due tomorrow, Tuesday, February 8th. To be accepted, they must postmarked or deposited in a dropbox by that date. Tacoma Public Schools also has a public school levy with ballots due on the 8th as well, and according to
After being 122 votes short from being validated in the April 27, 2021 special election, the Shoreline Parks Bond is back for another shot with voters. The measure was then approved by the Shoreline City Council on June 28, 2021 to place it on the November ballot. However, city staff