Harger: A look at Katie Wilson’s background as Seattle’s mayoral frontrunner

I don’t do endorsements. I live outside city limits, but I work here, and I care who runs the place. Yesterday was Bruce Harrell. Today, Katie Wilson, who’s leading in recent polls.

We’ve had Katie on the show. She’s thoughtful, and she genuinely cares about people getting priced out of Seattle. I get the appeal. The housing math in this city is brutal: the median home price is $885,000, you need a down payment of $175,000, about $5,000 a month, and an income of around $200,000 to qualify.

How many young couples have that? Right. So when Wilson says there’s another way, people listen.

Katie Wilson’s proposed solutions to Seattle’s problems

Her answer? Social housing, rent control, using public land for affordable development, redirecting money toward getting people housed now instead of waiting years for new construction.

Young voters heard someone who gets their urgency. Older voters heard ideas that haven’t worked before and worry about what comes next.

Let’s talk experience. Wilson runs the Transit Riders Union. No paid employees, an approximate $200,000 budget, and they’ve lost money three years running. She doesn’t draw a salary.

When I see Wilson running for mayor, I think of Loren Culp running for governor. Remember him? A conservative small-town police chief, managed one officer, cared about his community. But we knew the jump to running a state government was too big. Now progressives are making a similar leap with Wilson.

She’s equally passionate, but a job managing a staff of volunteers isn’t preparation for running Seattle either. Different sides of the political spectrum, same question about readiness. Just because you agree with someone’s political leanings doesn’t mean they’re qualified to do the job. Experience matters, even when the person shares your values.

Wilson is 43 years old and has never held a steady-paying job for more than a couple of years. Most people her age have decades of work history, meeting deadlines, and dealing with difficult bosses. That experience matters when you’re asking to be everyone else’s boss.

Her husband doesn’t have a job. Her parents are helping pay for daycare while Wilson campaigns for mayor. Look, that’s real life for a lot of people, and it explains why she connects with struggling voters. But running a major American city with a $9 billion budget and 41 departments?  The skill gap here is enormous. We’re talking about two completely different worlds.

Here’s the thing about being mayor: it’s not just about identifying problems. It’s about fixing them. Every day. Police, fire, utilities, transportation, housing, and human services. Union contracts. Federal requirements. Dozens of decisions that affect real people in real time. It’s a lot, and it could be overwhelming for someone with such little experience. Good intentions don’t balance budgets or keep streets safe.

If she wins, I hope her first call is to someone who knows how to balance a budget. Her second call should be to someone who’s managed a large group of paid employees. Her third should probably be to someone who’s actually worked in government.

Because it looks increasingly likely Seattle’s about to elect someone whose management experience is with a staff of volunteers and a budget smaller than what the city spends on coffee.

That’s the commentary for October 28, 2025. Text us at 888-973-5476 or leave a comment at MyNorthwest.com.

Charlie Harger is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here. 

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