Seattle socialist Katie Wilson leads mayor race in new polling data

While the national media was preoccupied with New York City’s lurch toward socialism under rising star Zohran Mamdani, few realized that Seattle was preparing its own ideological twin. Progressive Katie Wilson is poised to do in the Pacific Northwest what Mamdani did in Queens.

Wilson, an activist with virtually no executive experience but deep roots in Seattle’s far-left circles, is leading incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell in new polls. His rise reflects the political realignment sweeping New York: a movement supported by younger, fiercely ideological activists who see capitalism as the root of all injustice and government as the cure.

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A recent DHM Research poll shows Seattle voters are ready to hand City Hall to a slate of socialists and progressives. With Wilson leading Harrell, left-wing candidates are favored to win both open City Council seats and the citywide attorney race; It’s still the only citywide position a Republican holds. This is an echo of the Mamdani coalition in New York, where candidates from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) seized power from the traditional Democrats who once defined the city’s pragmatism.

DSA, which supports Mamdani, has long viewed Seattle as a second base. Its influence was cemented a decade ago when the Seattle City Council turned into “Tax Amazon!” and “$15 now!” turning into national slogans. Mamdani adopted the same strategy: denigrate wealth, demand redistribution, and sell it as “justice.” Wilson, too, proudly embraces Mamdani’s brand of urban socialism. Like him, he wants to tax businesses and the wealthy to fund “social housing” – state-owned apartment blocks run by the city.

Mamdani calls for public ownership of public services and declares that capitalism has failed. In Seattle, Wilson uses softer language, but with the same intent. He supports a $1 billion housing bond and frames private property as a social problem rather than a personal right. This is the same utopian speech delivered courtesy of the Pacific Northwest. But the results will be the same.

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In New York, Mamdani’s wing helped drive out businesses, disrupt housing construction, and increase welfare dependency. The ideological foundation has already been laid in Seattle. Businesses are being overtaxed, downtown is being evacuated, and public safety remains in crisis. Now Wilson’s solution is more government; more taxes, more powers, more “compassionate” policies that treat criminals and addicts as victims of the system.

Wilson’s lack of managerial experience only increases the risk. He has never led a department or overseen a meaningful budget, but he is asking voters to entrust him with running a $9 billion city. She admitted that she relied on her parents for childcare expenses and could “barely afford” her one-bedroom apartment; It’s a relatable struggle, but not the resume of a financial leader.

Mamdani in New York will prove what happens when activists become managers: ideology trumps practicality, creating the blueprint for dysfunction. Seattle will be next in line to follow.

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Harrell, however flawed, represents at least a vestige of moderation. His crime policies may lack teeth and overwhelm the leadership, but he knows the city cannot survive on slogans. However, Wilson belongs to a movement that sees pragmatism as a betrayal. He belongs to a generation of politicians who think failure means not going far enough to the left.

Seattle’s shift to the left mirrors New York’s trajectory under Mamdani’s influence. In both cities, the Democratic establishment is losing control to a radical group determined to replace governance with activism. In both cities, voters fed up with dysfunction are exiting, leaving the field at its ideological extreme. And in both cities, the results are the same: higher taxes, fewer businesses, and public safety in free fall.

DHM’s survey shows how far Seattle has strayed from common sense. Wilson received more than half the votes in the August primary. While voter turnout is expected to be low, it will be activists, not average voters, who will determine the city’s fate. This is exactly how Mamdani and his allies took control of New York politics. The engaged minority imposes its ideologies on the unengaged majority.

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To be clear, Wilson is not being malicious. He is outspoken, candid, and willing to engage with critics. I talked to him on my talk show “Seattle Red” and I respect that openness. But sincerity cannot replace results. New York’s socialist experiment has already shown what happens when compassion becomes policy and ideology becomes law. Crime is rising, middle-class families are leaving, leaving people too rich to escape or too poor to survive without the state.

Supporters of Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani gather outside 30 Rock in New York City on Thursday, October 16, 2025. (Fox News Digital/Deirdre Heavey)

If Wilson wins, Seattle will be the West Coast reflection of Mamdani’s New York; It will be a laboratory of socialism disguised in the language of justice. The city that once embodied innovation will be run by an activist who still receives financial aid from parents while offering to manage billions of dollars in taxpayer funds.

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This isn’t just about Seattle or New York. It’s about a growing movement that uses America’s biggest blue cities as proving grounds for democratic socialism. When it fails – and it will – it won’t just be a local problem. It will spread outward, emboldening policymakers in Washington, D.C., and government agencies across the country, who look to cities like Seattle and New York as ideological test cases.

On November 4, Seattle voters will decide whether to follow New York on this path. The choice is not between left and right; between pragmatism and ideology, reality and fantasy.

Wilson’s lack of managerial experience only increases the risk. He has never led a department or overseen a meaningful budget, but he is asking voters to entrust him with running a $9 billion city.

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If Wilson wins, this won’t just be a Seattle story, it will be a national wake-up call. America’s urban centers are turning into socialist city-states run by activists, funded by taxpayers, and legitimized by failure.

What starts in New York doesn’t stay there. And if Seattle follows him, he won’t lose his soul. He will export his mistakes to the rest of the country.

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