Katie Wilson sworn in as Seattle mayor during public City Hall ceremony

Seattle mayor-elect Katie Wilson was officially sworn in Friday during a public ceremony at City Hall.

The inauguration began at 10 a.m. Jan. 2 in Seattle City Hall. The event was open to the public.

“To all of you, and all the people who could not be here today because they are doing the hard, unsung work that makes Seattle run, I say this is your city,” Wilson said at her inauguration.

After her inauguration, Wilson became the third woman to be Seattle’s mayor. She is also the fifth-straight one-term mayor for Seattle. The last re-elected mayor was Greg Nickels, who secured his second term in 2005.

With a 55% turnout, Wilson defeated Bruce Harrell in the 2025 general election, securing 50.2% of the vote compared to Harrell’s 49.5%. The 0.73% difference was the closest mayoral election in Seattle by percentage since 1906.

“While I don’t shy away from the label, I certainly didn’t run on it either,” Wilson said on CNN regarding her “socialist” label. “And I think we’re really in a moment now where people care a lot less about labels than they do about results. And I ran for mayor in Seattle, because we are in a moment where we have an affordability crisis, just like many cities around the country, people are struggling with the cost of housing, with the cost of child care, with the cost of food, and people are really looking for city leadership that’s going to tackle that affordability crisis and our housing crisis with everything we’ve got.”

Wilson intends to use her mayoral term to improve the city’s homelessness crisis, make the city more affordable, including housing, and “Trump-proofing” Seattle.

“We also have a severe homelessness crisis here in Seattle, and people are really looking for meaningful solutions,” Wilson told CNN. “We have rates of unsheltered homelessness higher than just about anywhere in the country.”

The 42-year-old mayor wants to address Seattle’s affordability problem across the board — from housing to food to childcare.

“I think that a lot of people of my generation and younger and older found it very relatable that during this stressful campaign, you know, my parents chipped in to help to pay for the cost of their granddaughter’s daycare,” Wilson said. “I think, you know, families help each other out, and I certainly acknowledge that I’m lucky to be in a position where my parents were able to do that. Not all families have that privilege.”

Katie Wilson’s leadership staff

Wilson is keeping Tanya Kim as director of the Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) and Dwane Chappelle as director of the Department of Education and Early Learning (DEEL), while she named Angela Brady as interim director of the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT).

Additionally, Wilson announced she is keeping Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes.

Her senior team includes Brian Surratt as deputy mayor, Jen Chan as the director of departments, Kate Brunette Kreuzer as chief of staff, Seferiana Day as director of communications, Alex Gallo-Brown as director of community relations, Aly Pennucci as director of the city budget office, and Nicole Vallestero Soper as director of policy and innovation.

Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.