Rantz: New poll shows staggering 77% of likely voters support King County homeless encampment ban

A new poll of likely King County voters just confirmed what the rest of us already knew: life in the Seattle area is spiraling, and voters — yes, even liberal ones — are fed up with homeless encampments.

The WPA Intelligence survey, conducted February 19–21, asked 407 likely voters what issues matter most. The top response? Public safety (27%). The likely voters say they view crime (93%), addiction and drug overdoses (97%), and homelessness (85%) are either very or somewhat important to them personally.

Their primary concern with public safety policies in King County? Thirty percent cited “insufficient rehabilitation services,” 20% said “too lenient on repeat offenders”, and 12% cited “lack of enforcement for drug-related crimes.”

The King County Quality of Life Coalition (KCQOLC), which sponsored the survey, started collecting signatures for an initiative that would remove encampments across unincorporated King County. And their public camping restrictions are strongly supported by 53%, with a total support of 77%.

Of the respondents, only 16% identified as conservative, but 41% said they were liberal, with 39% identifying merely as moderate.

New poll should bring shame to Democrats

Taken together, the survey results are a brutal indictment of progressive leadership that has failed spectacularly to address basic quality-of-life concerns. It’s almost like legalizing crime and encouraging encampments wasn’t the utopia we were promised.

Even more damning is how united voters are on what should be done about it.

A whopping 77% of voters support the KCQOLC proposal to ban public camping in parks, on sidewalks, and in public spaces—so long as the homeless are offered shelter or services.

In this deep blue county where 67% of respondents are modeled Democrats and only 15% are Republicans, voters are demanding the city clean up the streets. The “compassionate” free-for-all favored by Seattle progressives isn’t working.

And when it comes to the drug crisis? Voters are done with the excuses.

Eighty-three percent support a three-strikes law for repeat drug offenders who refuse treatment. They’d be sent to six months of mandatory rehab, followed by continued support. Voters also favor actual enforcement on transit, with 66% support for installing turnstiles at light rail stations

Liberals are asking for solutions on homelessness

This is King County. Not Texas. Not Florida. These are the same voters who backed Kamala Harris over Donald Trump 63% to 19% just a few months ago. But now? They say they’re desperate for sanity.

“I think some of these consultants that run all the puppet strings behind the scenes are going to do a poll just like mine,” KCQOLC leader Saul Spady explained on “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH. “They’re going to learn the truth, and you’re going to see people like [King County Council member] Claudia Balducci, people like [Seattle Mayor] Bruce Harrell, really, individuals that you didn’t think of, will stand up and put forward and say, ‘You know, if I win the election in 2025 I’m going to pass a public camping ban with direction to shelter too, because it seems to be what the people want.’

Spady said it’s why he’s pushing his initiative.

“We need to get around our politicians, stop expecting them to drive real change, and we need to do it ourselves, because they’re going to respond. They’re going to learn what we want, and lo and behold, it turns out, they’re going to do what we want them to do,” he explained.

Sending a message

This survey sends a message to the progressive political establishment: your grip is slipping. The activists may scream louder, but they don’t represent the majority. People want functioning cities, not ideological playgrounds.

And yet, Seattle and King County progressive leaders will ignore this for now. They’ll pretend these numbers don’t exist. They’ll keep enabling chaos, handing out clean needles and fentanyl smoking kits, while asking for more funding as drugs claim another life in a park or alleyway.

Voters are watching. They’re tired. And if this survey is any indication, they might finally be ready to do something about it. Let’s hope this time, they follow through.

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