"Nine months ago, Katie Wilson wasn't even considering a run for any elected office. Harrell had sewed up endorsements from labor, business, mainstream Democrats including Governor Bob Ferguson, and progressive Democrats, including Pramila Jayapal. There was no alternative to Harrell, who at best was a transactional politician with bows to progressive initiatives when it was convenient. The door opened up, and Katie walked in."
"But it was a progressive initiative opposed by Harrell, at the behest of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Amazon, and Microsoft, which set the stage for Katie's entry and Harrell's defeat. This initiative created an excess compensation tax on corporations to fund social, economically integrated, and affordable housing across Seattle. Harrell's face was plastered on every piece of campaign literature opposing the initiative. After all the votes were counted, the initiative passed with a 26 percent margin."
Katie Wilson built a campaign on progressive populism and mobilized Gen Z and millennial voters burdened by student debt, a dire job market, housing scarcity, and childcare costs. Corporate-backed incumbent Bruce Harrell opposed a progressive initiative proposing an excess compensation tax on corporations to fund socially and economically integrated affordable housing, aligning him with the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, Amazon, and Microsoft. The initiative passed by 26 points, creating a political opening. Wilson entered the race after leading local minimum wage and transit campaigns, winning suburban wage measures and organizing employer-sponsored free bus passes and subsidized busing programs.
Read at The Nation
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