‘She’s making a lot of rookie mistakes’: Ursula says Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson needs to improve her communications team
May 10, 2026, 5:00 AM | Updated: 6:06 am
After CCTV footage helped identify the suspects accused of brutally beating a 77-year-old man, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is facing scrutiny for her previous opposition to expanding the city’s camera program. She has since clarified that she would keep the cameras in place while pausing future expansion until the city does a privacy and data audit.
KIRO host Ursula Reutin called out Wilson’s stance on the cameras, noting the mayor’s team recently stepped in to prevent her from answering a reporter’s question on the topic.
“For one thing, she’s making a lot of rookie mistakes,” Ursula said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio. “For another thing, she’s learning a lot on the job while on the job, because she came in extremely inexperienced. Because she is so inexperienced, she needs to have way better communications people. Because I think they’re doing her a disservice by trying to control what it is that she says, because I think she is perfectly capable of answering the questions.”
RELATED STORIES
Gee hopes Katie Wilson will grow her leadership skills
KIRO host Gee Scott agreed it’s tough for Wilson because of her lack of leadership experience, but acknowledged that she can always improve.
“This is someone who, with respect, has never had a job when it comes to leadership,” Gee said. “Leadership is not an easy thing to do. She’s learning that leadership includes people who like you and includes people who don’t.
“What I’m hearing right now is that there are Seattle City Council members who are not rocking with the seventh floor. The seventh floor is City Hall, where the Office of the Mayor is. And I just want to say this: even though I don’t think that she’s doing a great job, what you said can be true. She can continue to learn while on the job,” he continued.
Watch the full discussion in the video above.
Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.
