Well so much for the demise of The Stranger

New homebuilding in Seattle is down ~90% since 2020. Fewer new homes mean tighter competition and higher rents to come. We've joined @sightline.org and others encouraging the Mayor + Council to update MHA. Our proposal (MHA 2.0): forseattle.substack.com/p/mha-20-a-b...

MHA 2.0: A better way to fund affordable homes in Seattle

Seattle can fund affordable homes without slowing housing down.

forseattle.substack.com

Having "historical preservation" in a city with ~1 generation of buildings in it is certainly something

Gordon Padelford@gordonofseattle.bsky.social · 6mo ago

In recent years, Seattle historic preservation groups have: 🪜 blocked removing ladders at Gasworks where 3 have died 🅿️ blocked housing to keep a historic parking garage in Pioneer Square 🏠 blocked housing in wealthy neighborhoods because of "historic" Craftsmans 🚙 tried to keep cars in Pike Place

The social housing developer will be a great case study in the importance of strategic implementation. The tax used to fund the developer is likely pro-cyclical and highly volatile. Smoothing over revenues through strategic investments will be key to building a consistent pipeline of projects.

Vote Ron Davis@ronpdavis.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Seattle’s millionaire tax is a huge success. Here is how grassroots groups beat big money and are now raising tons of money for mixed income, rent stabilized housing. (We call it “social housing.”) www.tiktok.com/t/ZP89WjsvH/

This, famously, is why Pike Place Market was converted into high-rise apartments, offices and hotels back in ‘71

Ryan Packer@typewriteralley.bsky.social · 9mo ago

After public comment, historical commission chair Jonathan Cracolici is picking apart a comment from Bruce Harrell about making Pike Place the best "pedestrian experience" in the county. He says it should be the best "customer experience," because it's a market that's there for people to make money.

One of the funny things about this whole saga is that the Hawthorne Hills Community Council decided to oppose the lanes, despite 35th not being in Hawthorne Hills. The HHCC then dissolved until last year when they resurrected to oppose the Bryant NC, which is also not located in Hawthorne Hills!

Qagggy!@qagggy.bsky.social · 9mo ago

You know, a boss move for a new administration would be to stripe bike lanes on 35th Ave. NE, just like the original plan. #Safe35th

Katie Wilson has been elected Seattle's next mayor www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

Katie Wilson elected Seattle’s next mayor

Wilson took a 1,976-vote lead over Bruce Harrell. With a maximum of 1,320 ballots remaining, it is mathematically impossible for Harrell to catch up.

seattletimes.com

Mayor-elect Wilson will be working with a divided City Council. Mercedes-Rinck, Foster, Lin and Strauss will make up a left block, while Rivera, Saka, Juarez and Kettle will make up a centrist block. Joy Hollingsworth, somewhat in the middle, is likely to be a decisive vote on many issues.

Today: In Seattle, Katie Wilson's success with late-counted and late-arriving ballots is likely going to elect her Mayor. Also today: The Supreme Court is taking up a challenge to the legality of late-arriving ballots: www.seattletimes.com/nation-world...

Supreme Court will decide whether states can count late-arriving mail ballots, a Trump target

The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether states can continue their practice of counting mail ballots that arrive after Election Day.

seattletimes.com

Honestly pretty hard to imagine a path for the Mayor even with such a tiny lead - cured ballots skew much younger than the general electorate. Probably can't call it yet, but effectively close to over imo.

Qagggy!@qagggy.bsky.social · 9mo ago

!!!!!!!!

I always enjoy the people who when you show them one graph, they ask for a different one, then you show them that and they ask for a different one. Eventually need to do 4 hours of data cleaning to give a 300 follower rando the 18th graph that will show what is REALLY going on.

As an often-late voter, I do not want things to change out of self-interest. However, we could totally change the system to require ballot arrival before election day (this is common in absentee systems outside the West Coast).

Ryan Cavanaugh@searyanc.dev · 9mo ago

I love vote by mail but this part sucks

Wilson should make up the gap here - but the eventual margin is likely to be smaller than the number of signature-challenged ballots (there are 2,053 according to King County). We may yet be in the Land of Lawyers.

Chris Daniels@chrisdaniels.bsky.social · 9mo ago

NEW Seattle Numbers--- The Mayor's Race is razor tight. Harrell 50.74 Wilson 48.86 A little over 4000 vote difference Wilson just made up a lot of ground. @komonews

gonna just use this as a plug for actual LOCAL journalists—human beings who are familiar with local elections, as opposed to algorithmic betting machines that can and do get basic things wrong

Andrew@bikesnacks.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Ah. Decision desk has (improperly) called it. election-night.decisiondeskhq.com/date/2025-11...

Yeah - if this latest batch just still doesn’t include down boxes, Katie Wilson definitely the favored candidate here.

Katherine Mitchell@katherinemitchell.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Thursday drop. Wilson trails Harrell by 9,908, 5.7%. The gap begins to close. We are apparently STILL not into a drop box sample yet, or only including some drop box data. There's a TON of votes expected to lean Wilson out there.

This isn’t the margin she needs, but it is enough to keep anyone from calling this one anytime soon. Tomorrow’s batch should say a lot. If she still isn’t hitting her target, the path will narrow fast.

The Urbanist@theurbanist.org · 9mo ago

🚨 In the latest tally, Katie Wilson has gained vote share in the Seattle mayoral race. Today's batch broke 51.63% for Wilson and 48.11% for Bruce Harrell. Harrell still leads with 52.64% of the vote while Wilson still trails with 46.93% of the vote.

Katie Wilson came in at 46.21% on election night in the Primary. Today, she’s at 46.18%. She finished with 50.75%. It’s a very, very thin margin - but at this point I’d rather be Wilson.

Wow. This will be a very close finish. In Sawant’s (in)famous recall election, she was behind 6.2 points on election night, ultimately winning by 0.8pts.

Erica C. Barnett@ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 9mo ago

Mayor Bruce Harrell is up 7 points, 53-46.

Trying to get these results feels like buying concert tickets

Interesting vote from Mamdani here to maintain off-year local elections in NYC. Seattle progressives have long supported even-year elections for the sake of turnout.

The New York Groove@nygroove.nyc · 9mo ago

Mamdani says our story from last week helped him decide to vote no on prop 6, read it here: nygroove.nyc/proposition-...

This story is interesting. I feel like the money from her parents probably should have been the headline, given that Wilson is 43. Feelings here are nuanced, on one hand I do think grandparents really should be helping w/ young kids, but her husband doesn't have a job? Why do they need childcare?

Katie Campbell, KUOW@katiecampbell.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Katie Wilson is running to be Seattle's next mayor despite her own struggles to live comfortably in this increasingly expensive city. In a recent interview with me for @kuow.org, she revealed that she doesn't make ends meet on her own: She gets help from her parents.

President Trump may want to cut more trees in our National Forests, but the "One Big Beautiful Bill" guarantees those new revenues won't be seen by Washington's logging communities. Read my latest below: open.substack.com/pub/esexto/p...

The One Big Beautiful Bill Is the Latest Measure to Fail Timber Counties in Washington

Reconciliation rules mean timber counties will face another fiscal crisis next year

open.substack.com

🗳️☑️ Our election endorsements are live! See the full results & questionnaire responses here: seattleyimby.org/voter-guide/... Mayor: @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social District 2: Eddie Lin District 8: @alexis4seattle.bsky.social Time to go knock on some doors! 👏

Shame that some of the other NC reductions have passed, but the Wedgwood and Bryant amendments were also just pitifully poor process. There was not even a veneer of a justification. Very glad to see them fail today.

Erica C. Barnett@ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Rivera's amendment to shrink the Bryant neighborhood center is the first to fail, with Rinck, Strauss, and Juarez voting no and Nelson and Hollingsworth abstaining.

Rivera's amendment to shrink the Bryant neighborhood center is the first to fail, with Rinck, Strauss, and Juarez voting no and Nelson and Hollingsworth abstaining.

It is not too late to tell City Council we want more housing. Sign the Seattle YIMBY petition to the Council supporting what we think are the best amendments. The more signatures the greater impact it will have. And send to your friends. actionnetwork.org/petitions/4f...

Tell City Council To Pass A Bold Comprehensive Plan

The Seattle City Council has a once-in-a-decade chance to address our housing shortage and affordability crisis. The Comprehensive Plan—Seattle’s regular update that determines how many homes can be...

actionnetwork.org

The Comprehensive Plan is a difficult agenda item for all parties involved. Unfortunately, Councilmember Rivera's Amendment for the Bryant NC, #39, misses the mark. This amendment removes parcels with already-existing apartment buildings, and replaces those parcels with the Ronald McDonald House.

Build 👏🏼more 👏🏼 housing 👏🏼

I’m earnestly not one of the people who is always demanding drivers in accidents face criminal penalties, but this is just egregious. The driver ran a red light, crashed into a beloved local restaurant, and hospitalized 3 people. They weren’t arrested. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

SUV smashes into crowded Seattle pizzeria, hospitalizing 3

A Chevrolet Tahoe plowed into Mioposto Ravenna’s dining room around 8:20 p.m. when the restaurant was “completely full."

seattletimes.com

Really incredible to see such a resounding win from Zohran Mamdani. He brought an open-minded, energetic approach to his campaign. I hope he continues to learn on policy as Mayor, and inspires other candidates to focus on the issues young voters care about, and to use the media they actually see.