Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is facing a recall effort, the first such attempt for the city's mayor since 2020. A recent segment by local television station Fox13 Seattle, which sought to gauge public opinion on the petition, found that no residents interviewed were willing to publicly defend the mayor.
While supporters of Wilson, a Democrat, exist, they reportedly declined to voice their opinions on camera, citing the issue as too politically charged. The petition was filed with King County elections on August 11 by Seattle residents Melinda Jacobson and Dale Osterud.
Reasons cited in the petition include public safety concerns. One specific grievance mentioned was the removal of Police Chief Shon Barnes during the ongoing investigation of a shooting at the Bite of Seattle event.
Longtime Seattle resident Elizabeth White told Fox13 that the mayor is not fulfilling her promises. "She's not doing what she said she's gonna do, and if you can't do what you said you're going to do, you need to step back," White stated. Henry Ku, owner of a restaurant in the Chinatown-International District, expressed a desire for a "clean beautiful city, and safety." Another resident, Lars Mattson of Queen Anne, supported the recall, adding, "I don't think she should have been elected in the first place."
In response to the recall petition, Mayor Wilson's office issued a statement dismissing its claims as lacking merit. "While [the petition] does not appear to have merit, our focus remains where it belongs: on making life safer and more affordable for the people of Seattle," the statement read. The office highlighted progress made since taking office, including expanding community crisis responder hours, launching universal school meals, banning rental junk fees, accelerating shelter expansion, improving transit, investing in libraries, and addressing unfair grocery store pricing.