The Urbanist
@theurbanist.org
Advocacy journalism for better cities.👩🦽👨🦯🚶🚴♀️ 🚎 ⛴️ 🚊 🚆 🏙️
Based in the Seattle metro area.
Read our coverage on theurbanist.org. 📰
Based in the Seattle metro area.
Read our coverage on theurbanist.org. 📰
The real noise we need to tackle.
November 11, 2025 at 4:20 AM
The real noise we need to tackle.
The online prediction markets seem to think the Seattle mayoral race is basically over, but there's still a bunch of votes to count. So, we'll see!
November 11, 2025 at 12:49 AM
The online prediction markets seem to think the Seattle mayoral race is basically over, but there's still a bunch of votes to count. So, we'll see!
🚨 BREAKING 🚨 Katie Wilson now leads incumbent Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell in today's ballot drop by 91 votes.
She has closed a Harrell lead that was as large as 8 points in early results.
She has closed a Harrell lead that was as large as 8 points in early results.
November 11, 2025 at 12:02 AM
🚨 BREAKING 🚨 Katie Wilson now leads incumbent Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell in today's ballot drop by 91 votes.
She has closed a Harrell lead that was as large as 8 points in early results.
She has closed a Harrell lead that was as large as 8 points in early results.
There's still a lot of curable ballots from Seattle (about 1,800). Most are unsigned or signature mismatches, and most skew younger.
November 10, 2025 at 9:02 PM
There's still a lot of curable ballots from Seattle (about 1,800). Most are unsigned or signature mismatches, and most skew younger.
Oh hey, Sound Transit has rolled out updated information on digital signage on the Link 1 Line in anticipation of the 2 Line sharing stops on the mainline, with the addition of the 2 Line on shared station numbers and connection details. www.reddit.com/r/soundtrans...
November 9, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Oh hey, Sound Transit has rolled out updated information on digital signage on the Link 1 Line in anticipation of the 2 Line sharing stops on the mainline, with the addition of the 2 Line on shared station numbers and connection details. www.reddit.com/r/soundtrans...
Check your ballot. It’s possible that it’s been challenged due to leaving the ballot envelope unsigned or a signature mismatch. You can cure that with King County Elections so your ballot is counted! kingcounty.gov/en/dept/elec...
November 8, 2025 at 2:33 AM
Check your ballot. It’s possible that it’s been challenged due to leaving the ballot envelope unsigned or a signature mismatch. You can cure that with King County Elections so your ballot is counted! kingcounty.gov/en/dept/elec...
Online predictions markets quickly changed their tune after today's results update for the Seattle mayoral race.
November 8, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Online predictions markets quickly changed their tune after today's results update for the Seattle mayoral race.
Claudia Balducci has conceded the King County Executive race to Girmay Zahilay after today's results. However, Balducci will remain on the King County Council and Sound Transit Board of Directors.
November 8, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Claudia Balducci has conceded the King County Executive race to Girmay Zahilay after today's results. However, Balducci will remain on the King County Council and Sound Transit Board of Directors.
A lot was made about Decision Desk HQ last night. They've pulled back a call in the Seattle mayoral race. election-night.decisiondeskhq.com/date/2025-11...
November 7, 2025 at 10:32 PM
A lot was made about Decision Desk HQ last night. They've pulled back a call in the Seattle mayoral race. election-night.decisiondeskhq.com/date/2025-11...
It also means the final precinct map could look a lot different than centrist-leaning Election night results.
Here's what final Primary results looked like when Wilson won by nearly 10 points. A lot of orange. Viz again by Jason Weill. public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
Here's what final Primary results looked like when Wilson won by nearly 10 points. A lot of orange. Viz again by Jason Weill. public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
November 7, 2025 at 7:57 PM
It also means the final precinct map could look a lot different than centrist-leaning Election night results.
Here's what final Primary results looked like when Wilson won by nearly 10 points. A lot of orange. Viz again by Jason Weill. public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
Here's what final Primary results looked like when Wilson won by nearly 10 points. A lot of orange. Viz again by Jason Weill. public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
Take w/ a grain of salt since Election night returns only tell half the tale, but here's a precinct map showing where Mayor Bruce Harrell did well vs where progressive challenger Katie Wilson cleaned up.
h/t @weill.org for the viz. Interactive version here: public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
h/t @weill.org for the viz. Interactive version here: public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
November 7, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Take w/ a grain of salt since Election night returns only tell half the tale, but here's a precinct map showing where Mayor Bruce Harrell did well vs where progressive challenger Katie Wilson cleaned up.
h/t @weill.org for the viz. Interactive version here: public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
h/t @weill.org for the viz. Interactive version here: public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
KC Elections recently released that data for election night results. @weill.org put an interactive map together. public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
November 7, 2025 at 7:38 PM
KC Elections recently released that data for election night results. @weill.org put an interactive map together. public.tableau.com/app/profile/...
We haven’t seen a Seattle-specific filter for age. This is the countywide data.
November 6, 2025 at 7:22 PM
We haven’t seen a Seattle-specific filter for age. This is the countywide data.
There's lot of challenged ballots in Seattle. Challenged ballots disproportionately skew younger with over half from people under age 45.
November 6, 2025 at 3:28 AM
There's lot of challenged ballots in Seattle. Challenged ballots disproportionately skew younger with over half from people under age 45.
King County also has data for Seattle specifically on ballot return method. Yesterday, 91,457 ballots came in by drop box. That's over 90% of all ballots returned yesterday.
November 6, 2025 at 3:06 AM
King County also has data for Seattle specifically on ballot return method. Yesterday, 91,457 ballots came in by drop box. That's over 90% of all ballots returned yesterday.
If you want to see some wild election data, here's the breakdown for mail, email/fax, and drop box ballot returns in King County. Over 64% of ballots were returned by drop box this cycle with 185,983 ballots returned that way yesterday alone.
November 6, 2025 at 3:02 AM
If you want to see some wild election data, here's the breakdown for mail, email/fax, and drop box ballot returns in King County. Over 64% of ballots were returned by drop box this cycle with 185,983 ballots returned that way yesterday alone.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell gained another point on progressive challenger Katie Wilson in today's ballot drop, which added about ~21,000 ballots. She trails by 8 points.
Expected bigger counts tomorrow and Friday, which are typically more progressive-favoring. Comeback still possible.
Expected bigger counts tomorrow and Friday, which are typically more progressive-favoring. Comeback still possible.
November 5, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell gained another point on progressive challenger Katie Wilson in today's ballot drop, which added about ~21,000 ballots. She trails by 8 points.
Expected bigger counts tomorrow and Friday, which are typically more progressive-favoring. Comeback still possible.
Expected bigger counts tomorrow and Friday, which are typically more progressive-favoring. Comeback still possible.
Sound Transit is installing new signage at Capitol Hill Station. The new signage includes the 2 Line destination information!
(Thanks to the K.G. for the photo.)
(Thanks to the K.G. for the photo.)
November 5, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Sound Transit is installing new signage at Capitol Hill Station. The new signage includes the 2 Line destination information!
(Thanks to the K.G. for the photo.)
(Thanks to the K.G. for the photo.)
In Tacoma, Anders Ibsen appears poised to win the mayor race. Latasha Palmer also is up for Tacoma City Council Po. 6. Both are Urbanist-endorsed.
November 5, 2025 at 5:02 AM
In Tacoma, Anders Ibsen appears poised to win the mayor race. Latasha Palmer also is up for Tacoma City Council Po. 6. Both are Urbanist-endorsed.
In early results, Katie Wilson trails incumbent Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell by 7 points, which would put her within reach of catching him in late returns. This is going to be a nailbiter.
November 5, 2025 at 4:15 AM
In early results, Katie Wilson trails incumbent Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell by 7 points, which would put her within reach of catching him in late returns. This is going to be a nailbiter.
Plus a number of other circumstances.
October 29, 2025 at 4:05 AM
Plus a number of other circumstances.
Katie Wilson said she and Mayor Harrell see power differently. He has dismissed her accomplishments as an organizer, but she argued real power for change is bottom up, not top down.
October 26, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Katie Wilson said she and Mayor Harrell see power differently. He has dismissed her accomplishments as an organizer, but she argued real power for change is bottom up, not top down.
NYC Congressman Jamaal Bowman is in Seattle stumping for Katie Wilson @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social
He gave a fiery speech arguing Wilson represented hope and the future of the Democratic Party.
He gave a fiery speech arguing Wilson represented hope and the future of the Democratic Party.
October 26, 2025 at 10:17 PM
NYC Congressman Jamaal Bowman is in Seattle stumping for Katie Wilson @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social
He gave a fiery speech arguing Wilson represented hope and the future of the Democratic Party.
He gave a fiery speech arguing Wilson represented hope and the future of the Democratic Party.