NEW: Socialist Candidate Living Off Of Parents’ Dime Pacing To Oust Incumbent Mayor

An avowed socialist backed by parental cash is on the verge of toppling Seattle’s longtime Democratic mayor in one of the most expensive political battlegrounds on the West Coast.

Katie Wilson, who admits her parents’ financial help allows her to campaign in costly Seattle, leads incumbent Bruce Harrell by fewer than 100 votes, according to King County’s latest tally. The two have traded razor-thin leads since Election Day.

Wilson, who proudly calls herself a “socialist,” could soon take charge of one of America’s largest metro areas with more than 4 million residents if her narrow lead holds. The race caps a strong showing nationwide for the far left, with socialist-backed candidates scoring wins in cities from New York to Virginia.

“Yes, I am a socialist,” Wilson said earlier this year. “I’m not out here waving a socialist flag, because I’m not a super ideological person. I’m also not sure that label will help me in the general election. But yes, I’m fine with being called a socialist.”

Her platform mirrors that of other far-left insurgents like New York’s Zohran Mamdani. She’s floated government-run grocery stores and refused to commit to clearing Seattle’s tent encampments, promising instead to handle them on a “case-by-case” basis. Wilson has also vowed to “Trump-proof” the city.

Harrell, a fixture in Seattle politics since 2008, has attacked Wilson for her inexperience and lack of management skills.

“She’s really not even qualified to do the job. She hasn’t had the experiences,” Harrell said before Election Day. “The fact of the matter is, while my opponent has ideas, she hasn’t done anything,” he added. “She has no experience or training or ability to manage a budget.”

Harrell warned that Wilson’s housing proposals “just can’t be done in how she’s describing it,” calling her platform “complaints with no solutions.”

Katie Wilson, Socialist candidate for Seattle mayor (Screenshot)

Wilson admits she’s “an outsider” who’s never held elected office, but says she brings “an insider’s knowledge and experience.”

Her résumé is unconventional. She runs the Transit Riders Union, a small nonprofit pushing for higher minimum wages, affordable housing, and better public transit. Before that, she worked a string of jobs as a barista, boatyard worker, baker, construction worker, lab technician, and legal assistant.

“These early experiences grounded her in the everyday realities of working people and shaped her lifelong commitment to improving people’s lives,” her campaign website states.

Wilson grew up in upstate New York and attended Oxford University to study physics and philosophy, thanks to her parents’ support.

Her parents’ financial help continues today. “They send me a check periodically to help with the childcare expenses,” she told PubliCola, noting daycare costs around $2,200 a month.

“Before I decided to run for office, my husband and I were just kind of juggling our kid back and forth,” she said. “We didn’t have her in daycare because it’s so expensive. But then when I decided to run, we’re like, we really need childcare.”

Tax filings show Wilson began earning a full-time salary from her nonprofit in 2019, making $72,669 in 2022 for 55 hours a week. She told the city her income falls between $60,000 and $99,000, plus under $30,000 combined from freelance columns in several left-wing outlets.

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