Progressive Seattle Enters a Fallow Season
Recent election losses for Seattle Progressives overlap with generational change creating an introspective winter for local activism.
2023 Election
Takeaways from Seattle’s 2023 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
Low Turnout among Young Voters May Have Swung D4 Council Race to Rivera
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 The Urbanist for Post-Election Panel on November 29
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
Ron Davis Trims D4 Deficit to 303 Votes After Monday’s Drop
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
Morales Takes Lead, Davis Trims Gap to 1.5% After Friday Drop
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, Morales, Lewis, and Davis Surge in Thursday Ballot Drop
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
Centrists Off to Fast Start in Seattle Election Results
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
Campaign Cash Pours In for Centrist Seattle Candidates
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
The Next Pedersen? Bob Kettle’s Anti-Housing Red Flags Raise Alarm
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
Rising Star Candidates Beyond Seattle
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
Op-Ed: Amy Falcone Is the Councilmember Kirkland Needs
As progressive Kirklanders, we have been extremely impressed by Amy Falcone’s work on the Kirkland City Council during her first term, and we wholeheartedly support her re-election bid. She is a regional leader in affordable housing and human services, and uses her seat on the council to push Kirkland
The Case for The Urbanist Seattle Council Slate as Ballots Arrive
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
The Urbanist Podcast: Vote Up to the End
It’s time to vote for Seattle City Council, a housing levy, and elected positions all over King County. The Urbanist has published its general election endorsements. Get out your ballots, mark them, and make sure they’re returned by November 7. In this episode, co-hosts Natalie Argerious and Ray
Bellevue Council Hopefuls Square Off at Forums on Safety, Environment, and Downtown
With ballots for the November general election set to go out in just two weeks, local voters will soon be tasked with selecting elected officials that best reflect their priorities and values. In Bellevue, four of seven positions on the city council will be up for grabs, with progressive incumbents
2023 General Election Endorsements
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
Campaigns Make Final Push Ahead of August 1 Primary
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
The Urbanist Podcast: All About 2023 Primary Endorsements
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
2023 Primary Election Endorsements
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
Op-Ed: Re-Elect Kelli Curtis to Kirkland City Council
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
Vote Yes on King County’s Crisis Care Centers Levy
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
Crisis Care Levies and School Bonds the Subjects of April Special Election
April 25 Ballot to Decide Operations and Construction Measures around Puget Sound. Ballots have reached voters for the upcoming April special election, with the off-season, off-year vote focusing on funding districts and services in all corners of the region. The ballots are due April 25 by 8pm. The useful mnemonic
‘Our Coalition Does Not Take Excuses’: Matthew Mitnick Runs for Seattle City Council District 4
Tired of “wishy-washy” Seattle politics not getting things done, Mitnick’s youth-led campaign seeks to take on the political establishment. When asked why he is running for a seat on the Seattle City Council, Matthew Mitnick, candidate in District 4, master’s student at the University of Washington Evans School
Seattle Subway Leader Efrain Hudnell Announces D3 City Council Bid
This morning King County deputy prosecutor Efrain Hudnell announced he’s jumping in the crowded race for the District 3 Seattle City Council seat. As former executive director of Seattle Subway, Hudnell was eager to speak to issues of transit, urbanism, and housing. Though a prosecutor, Hudnell readily admitted we
Andrew Ashiofu Stresses Lived Experience in D3 Seattle Council Pitch
Andrew Ashiofu is running for the Seattle City Council is District 3. The winner of the race is set to replace socialist firebrand Kshama Sawant, who is leaving city council to form a new political party. Ashiofu pledges to be firm progressive, but also a “pragmatic uniter” who leads with
The Urbanist Podcast: Dismantling the Arguments Against I-135
Vote For Social Housing on February 14. In an effort to compete with the Super Bowl and Valentines Day, Seattle has decided to have an election. On the ballot is social housing, specifically creating a new housing authority that will develop and own green, public, and perpetually affordable homes and
Say “Yes, And” to Affordable Housing in Seattle
Seattle voters will have the opportunity to vote on building housing on publicly owned land on February 14. This housing would go to renters earning up to 120% of the local median income. Seattle has an immense housing shortage. In 2021, more than 40% of renter households earning less than
Mosqueda Sets Sights on Transit, Housing, Health Care in County Run
Teresa Mosqueda has made a name for herself in her six years on Seattle City Council, and this year she’s seeking to make the jump to King County Council. From shepherding through JumpStart Seattle’s nearly $300 million in annual progressive revenue for housing, Green New Deal programs, and
Mosqueda Announces Run for Vacant King County Council Seat
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
Tammy Morales Rolls Out Reelection Campaign
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
Urbanist Supervolunteer Ron Davis Jumps In D4 Council Race to Replace Alex Pedersen
When entrepreneur Ron Davis announced a District 4 Seattle City Council run this morning, it didn’t come as a big surprise. Davis has busy about town doing the type of things that set a person up to run for office. He’s served on the Roosevelt Neighborhood Association in
The Urbanist Podcast: Projections and Predictions for 2023
With a new year comes expectations. Whether it’s something shiny and unique or a continuation of the stuff that came before, those expectations really shape our anticipation (or antipathy) for the coming orbit around the sun. In this episode, hosts Natalie Argerious and Ray Dubicki talk about the which
Alex Hudson Explains Why She’s Running for Seattle Council in D3
Earlier this week I sat down with Alex Hudson to chat about her run for Seattle City Council in District 3, which she officially announced this morning. Hudson has been executive director of Transportation Choices Coalition since 2018 and is no stranger to policy debates that have raged in City
Read Our I-135 Endorsement, Ballots Arriving This Week
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
Sawant Announces She’s Leaving City Council to Launch New Workers Party
In office since 2014, Kshama Sawant is Seattle’s longest tenured city councilmember, but she announced this morning she is not running for reelection in 2023. After a decade on Council, Seattle’s only socialist and only non-Democrat councilmember said she is shifting gears to launch a new political party
Leesa Manion Holds Razor-Thin Lead in King County Prosecutor Race, NPI Poll Finds
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
Opinion: Career Public Defender Pooja Vaddadi Is the Obvious Choice for Seattle Municipal Court
Judicial challenger leads with competence, fairness, and restorative justice. Career public defender Pooja Vaddadi is running for Seattle Municipal Court Judge against incumbent Adam Eisenberg, whose only experience with defense is as a trial attorney for Allstate Insurance. Local court races tend to be tepid and genteel, which often obscures
Mayor Harrell Passes the Buck and Unloads on Enemies in Leaked Police Precinct Speeches
The cracks are showing in Mayor Harrell’s “One Seattle” brand as he pledged to unseat his enemies and withhold funding from the Regional Homelessness Authority unless they ramp up encampment sweeps. Conservative talk radio host Jason Rantz published revealing quotes from Mayor Bruce Harrell on Monday that blamed everyone