Bruce Harrell vs Katie Wilson: 2025 Seattle mayoral debate live on KIRO Newsradio
Oct 2, 2025, 8:26 AM | Updated: 1:01 pm
Seattle mayoral candidates Katie Wilson (left) and incumbent Bruce Harrell speak with KIRO Newsradio over various interviews this past campaign cycle. (Photos courtesy of MyNorthwest staff)
(Photos courtesy of MyNorthwest staff)
The next Seattle mayoral debate is Thursday night.
Incumbent Bruce Harrell faces challenger Katie Wilson at the Cornish College of the Arts.
The debate will be co-moderated by Emily Parkhurst, founder and CEO of Formidable, a media and membership organization focused on high-level women leaders.
“There’s definitely getting to be some animosity between the two candidates,” Parkhust said. “We’re starting to see the campaigns come out swinging in a bigger way, and so I anticipate a pretty pointed discussion.”
She told “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio that key topics in the upcoming debate include the economy, transit, and public safety.
“There’s a lot of conversations about, has Harrell done enough to improve public safety downtown and deal with, for instance, what’s happening in the Seattle International District?” Parkhurst said.
The first debate between the two mayoral candidates took place on Sept. 23. A debate between Claudia Balducci and Girmay Zahilay for King County Executive will follow on Oct. 3.
The debate, hosted by Seattle CityClub, will be aired live at 7 p.m. Thursday on KIRO Newsradio and MyNorthwest, lasting one hour until 8 p.m.
“At KIRO Newsradio, we believe it is essential to air Thursday night’s mayoral debate between Bruce Harrell and Katie Wilson,” Frank Lenzi, news director for KIRO Newsradio, said. “As voters decide who will lead their city for the next four years, we are committed to providing a platform for open dialogue and informed decision-making.”
