JOHN CURLEY

Seattle mayoral candidates leveraging social media for voter appeal

Oct 18, 2025, 5:00 AM

As the race for Seattle’s next mayor between Bruce Harrell and challenger Katie Wilson continues to intensify, both candidates have prioritized building a strong online social media presence to boost voter appeal. In the August primary, Wilson earned nearly 51% of the vote, compared to Harrell’s 43%.

Wilson shared a post on social media discussing the price of pizza, which garnered more than 96,000 views. This prompted Mayor Harrell to release a campaign video explaining his deep ties to Seattle, accompanied by a touch of music from Nirvana and some pivotal Mariners highlights from recent years.

KIRO host John Curley laid out the two candidates’ participation in social media in full on “The John Curley Show” on KIRO Newsradio, concluding that Wilson’s success on various social media platforms has led Mayor Harrell to follow suit.

“Apparently, social media is rearing its ugly head, or pretty head, when it comes to the mayoral race in Seattle,” Curley said. “I guess Harrell is slowly starting to make his way into social media, because he realized that Katie Wilson has done so well with that pizza thing she put on TikTok or Instagram, and Bruce decided he’s going to start flexing his Seattle roots on TikTok.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

Listen to John Curley weekday afternoons from 3 – 7 p.m. on KIRO Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

John Curley on KIRO Newsradio 97.3 FM
  • listen to tom and curleyTune in to KIRO Newsradio weekdays at 3pm for The John Curley Show.

John Curley

John Curley

beavers maple valley...

John Curley Show

As beaver dams turn Maple Valley land into a swamp, Curley explains why beavers do what they do

With beavers causing havoc, KIRO Host John Curley asked traffic reporter Nate Connors, "Why do beavers build dams?"

22 hours ago

Boeing (4)...

John Curley Show

‘Two Boeing models I would not fly’: Boeing whistleblower reveals planes subject to years of safety failures

Discover which Boeing models face safety failures, as whistleblower Merle Meyers shares insights on air travel risks highlighted in latest Netflix documentary.

23 hours ago

drinking alcohol democrats...

John Curley Show

‘Democrats feel like they’ve got more reason to drink’: KIRO hosts analyze data showing partisan split in record-low alcohol use

Discover how shifting drinking habits reveal a partisan divide in alcohol consumption among Democrats.

2 days ago

katie wilson mayor recall...

John Curley Show

‘Do you know how long that process takes?’: KIRO hosts say Wilson’s response to plummeting poll numbers falls flat

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson's favorability rating has plunged, and when pressed on it this week, her answer left KIRO fill-in hosts unconvinced.

2 days ago

surveillance cameras...

John Curley Show

‘This vendor needs to go’: Cybersecurity engineer warns Seattle’s camera system is one merger away from a nationwide dragnet

Cybersecurity engineer Noah Williams told "The John Curley Show" the real problem isn't cameras themselves. It's the system running them.

3 days ago

car brands worst drivers...

John Curley Show

‘They just bump into whatever’: New study names the top 3 car brands with the worst drivers

Discover which car brands have the worst drivers based on insurance data and accident reports in this insightful new study.

4 days ago

Seattle mayoral candidates leveraging social media for voter appeal