The Seattle mayoral race continues to be a hive of activity. Earlier this month, the MLK County Labor Council announced it was extending an endorsement to Katie Wilson, the Seattle Transit Riders Union head who is challenging Mayor Bruce Harrell from the left. MLK Labor had backed only Harrell in the primary, but pivoted to a dual endorsement after Wilson won the August primary by nearly 10 points.
The MLK Labor Council represents more than 160 unions and 220,000 workers across King County. Leading up to the vote, the largest union in MLK Labor, UFCW 3000, which represents grocery and food service workers, extended a sole endorsement to Wilson. Since MLK Labor’s endorsement is determined by a vote that is weighted by number of members in each union, UFCW’s support went a long way toward tipping the balance.
“Our members support a leader for Seattle who will champion worker priorities, and Katie Wilson has proven herself to be that leader time and again,” Faye Guenther, President of UFCW 3000, said. “She won the highest minimum wage in the country, she spearheaded free and reduced transit, she secured stronger renter protections, and our members feel confident that she will build on those victories to build a Seattle that works for working people.”
Wilson and UFCW 3000 announced the endorsement outside the Lake City Fred Meyer grocery store that corporate owner Kroger announced would soon be closing in October — along with three other Puget Sound area stores. Along with the Wilson nod, UFCW rolled out their “Fresh Food for All campaign, which will make food deserts bloom with fresh, affordable produce and prevent grocery giants from stomping all over our communities.”
Kroger says it’s closing stores because of retail crime or high wages. But it’s really about one thing: corporate greed. I am excited to work with UFCW 3000 on their Fresh Food for All campaign to ensure that all neighborhoods in our city have access to healthy food and medicine.
— Katie Wilson for Seattle (@wilsonforseattle.bsky.social) August 28, 2025 at 11:57 AM
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“Food deserts aren’t a natural phenomenon,” UFCW 3000 wrote. “They occur when giant grocery corporations abandon working-class communities in search of higher profits. To protect our neighborhoods, Seattle should support public-private partnership grocery stores to keep food affordable and accessible for all.”
Wilson joined the grocery workers union in expressing interest in exploring a public option for grocery stores to combat grocer closures and food deserts. In explaining their endorsement, UFCW workers pointed to Wilson’s history of joining workers on the picket line, standing to “corporate bullies,” and fighting for a more affordable Seattle for working people.
“Our members stock the shelves, staff the hospitals, and serve every neighborhood in this city,” said UFCW Executive Board Member and Ballard QFC Cashier Amy Dayley Angell. “Katie Wilson has marched with us on the picket line and fought off corporate bullies to raise wages for all working people, so we know she’s ready to take on the big battles to make Seattle affordable for everyone.”
Wilson earned PROTEC 17’s sole endorsement in July, ahead of the primary election. PROTEC 17 represents thousands of city government workers.
“I’m proud that my campaign has united so many labor unions and working people in support of a vision for a more affordable Seattle, and I am honored to receive this endorsement. Together we can protect and expand workers rights, build affordable housing, and make Seattle a city where families can thrive,” Wilson said in a statement.
Wilson’s campaign also claimed sole endorsements of all Democratic Party organizations in the city, The Stranger, and of The Urbanist Elections Committee (of which I am one of 14 members). Climate leaders like Bill McKibben have also joined Wilson’s side, writing in the New Yorker that a new wave of progressive leaders like her and Zohran Mamdani could help redeem the Democratic Party.
Harrell’s efforts to circle the wagons
Harrell has been scrambling to counter the momentum on Wilson’s side after her primary win and new endorsements. Earlier this week, Harrell rolled out an endorsement from Pete Buttigieg, the former transportation secretary under President Joe Biden and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
“Mayor Bruce Harrell is delivering the positive change Seattle needs — affordable housing, safer streets, and expanded child care,” Buttigieg said in the prepared video. “He is a principled, nationally recognized leader in the fight to protect the rights of marginalized communities, as reflected in his lifelong work for equity and fairness, and rooted in the experience of his own family. I’ve worked closely with him to deliver better infrastructure for the city and region, and have seen firsthand his commitment and effectiveness. I’m proud to support Bruce because he brings people together, turns vision into action, and is building a Seattle where everyone can thrive.”
