Three of Seattle’s highest-profile citywide offices are headed for rematches in November after progressive challengers finished ahead of moderate incumbents in the city’s top-two primary.

Mayor

In the mayor’s race, Transit Riders Union co-founder Katie Wilson leads Mayor Bruce Harrell by ten percentage points. Harrell, seeking to become Seattle’s first two-term mayor since 2009, has emphasized stability, public safety, and visible reductions in encampments. Wilson has focused on affordability, housing, and transit, with backing from progressive lawmakers and advocacy groups.

City Attorney

City Attorney Ann Davison, elected in 2021, had the weakest showing among incumbents. Former assistant U.S. attorney Erika Evans leads Davison by twenty percentage points. Davison has focused on clearing misdemeanor case backlogs and targeting a small group of repeat offenders who generate thousands of police referrals. Evans, by contrast, has pledged to revive Seattle’s community court, expand alternatives to prosecution, and challenge policies from the Trump administration.

City Council Position 9

In the race for City Council Position 9, Council President Sara Nelson trails Dionne Foster, a former policy adviser and nonprofit leader, by twenty-two points. Foster’s platform emphasizes housing affordability, climate resilience, and workforce protections. Nelson, elevated to council president in 2024, has prioritized police hiring, support for small businesses, and blocking new city taxes.

Washington’s top-two system advances the two highest vote-getters to November’s general election, regardless of party. Turnout for this August primary is projected to reach about 40%.