For the second time this month, Americans have elected an openly socialist candidate to public office. After a tight battle in Washington state, Democrat Katie Wilson overtook incumbent Bruce Harrell in Seattle’s 2025 mayoral race, winning by roughly 2,000 votes.
First-term Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell conceded his reelection fight to progressive activist Katie Wilson on Thursday, handing another victory to leftist Democrats around the country frustrated with unaffordability, homelessness, public safety, and the actions of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Harrell, a Democrat who previously served three terms on the City Council, led in early results. But Washington conducts all-mail elections, with ballots postmarked by Election Day. Later-arriving votes, which historically trend more liberal, broke heavily in Wilson’s favor, adding to a progressive shift to the left nationally.
Harrell conceded Nov. 13, clearing the way for Wilson—co-founder and executive director of the Transit Riders Union—to take office next year. The member-run organization advocates for low-income fares and improved transit.
“As a progressive and as a socialist, I believe in good governance,” Wilson said in a speech Nov. 13. “Our government is how we act collectively, how we accomplish the things that can only be done together.”
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