SEATTLE — Early results from the Primary Election on Tuesday show some close races-- with Seattle being a hot one.
Seattle mayor
As of the first returns, incumbent Bruce Harrell is trailing challenger Katie Wilson by nearly 1,300 votes.
Both have such a lead that they will appear on the November ballot.
Harrell has said that he was to continue working on public safety, and will continue work on addressing housing affordability and issues faced by small business owners.
He has been endorsed by Gov. Bob Ferguson, Attorney General Nick Brown and three former Democratic governors, among others.
Wilson is the founder and Executive Director of the Transit Riders Union. She studied physics and philosophy at Oxford University before moving to Seattle in 2004.
Since moving to Seattle, Wilson has led campaigns to raise the minimum wage and win stronger renter protections across Seattle, Kenmore, Kirkland, Redmond, Burien, SeaTac, Shoreline, Tukwila, and unincorporated King County.
Her platform includes tackling “skyrocketing living costs, homelessness, public safety, and Trump’s cruel and chaotic attacks,” she said.
Seattle City Council
There are three Seattle City Council seats up for grabs, but eyes are on the Council 9 at-large position. This means the seat represents the entire city, not a specific district.
Sara Nelson currently holds the seat and is running for re-election. She is also the city council president.
Challenger Dionne Foster leads Nelson by 13,735 votes. Foster so far is leading with 53.69% of the vote compared to Nelson’s 39.10%. Both will end up on the ballot in November.
King County Executive
Tuesday’s primary elections in King County will include a position that hasn’t been on the ballot for more than a decade.
Seven candidates are vying for King County Executive, one of the highest-ranking elected offices in the county, which guides policy and budget.
It will mark the first time since 2009 that the County Executive position is on the ballot. Current CEO of Sound Transit, Dow Constantine, held the King County Executive seat for fifteen years before stepping down on March 27 to become the public transit company’s chief executive.
In early results on Election Night, Girmay Zahilay has a lead with 103,471 votes, or 40.39%.
Trailing him is Claudia Balducci, with 77,590 votes, or 30.28%.
It’s likely both will appear on the November ballot. Derek Chartrand, the candidate with the third most votes, trails Balducci by 45,505 votes so far.
Zahllay is a former attorney who currently serves as the Chair of the King County Council and sits on the Sound Transit board. Balducci is the former mayor of Bellevue and currently serves on the King County Council.
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