Will Katie Wilson’s endorsements help or hurt Seattle’s position in Olympia?

SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is wading into a series of high-profile Democratic primaries, backing progressive challengers against longtime state lawmakers in a move that could test both her political reach and Seattle’s relationship with Olympia.

Wilson has endorsed several local candidates, including Ron Davis in the 46th Legislative District and Hannah Sabio Howell in the 43rd District. Both are running from the left against veteran Democratic legislators, including Senate Majority Leader Jamie Pedersen.

The endorsements come as Democrats in Washington state face a series of intraparty challenges, with younger and more progressive candidates arguing that longtime lawmakers have not moved quickly enough on affordability, housing, taxation and social services.

Political analyst Sandeep Kaushik called Wilson’s decision “a high-risk roll of the dice,” saying she is not only challenging veteran Seattle Democrats but also potentially putting at risk the city’s relationship with state leaders in Olympia.

“It’s definitely going to be” a test of her political influence, Kaushik said, noting that Pedersen can point to a long list of progressive credentials, including work on LGBTQ rights and the state’s new millionaires’ tax.

Wilson’s endorsements follow a national trend in which progressive candidates have tried to build momentum by challenging establishment Democrats in deeply blue areas. Kaushik said the timing did not appear coincidental, coming shortly after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani endorsed several candidates who went on to win their races. But he also noted a key difference: Wilson won Seattle’s mayoral race by a much narrower margin and has faced a bumpier start in office.

Davis, who is running against Rep. Gerry Pollet in the 46th District, said he entered the race after working on statewide housing legislation and deciding Olympia was a place where he could make a larger impact.

“Urgency” has been missing in Olympia, Davis said, arguing that too many lawmakers treat the job as a side role while families struggle with the cost of living. He said he wants the state to move faster on housing, transit, Sound Transit accountability, and progressive taxation.

Davis said Wilson’s endorsement matters because of her role in Seattle’s JumpStart payroll tax and broader progressive organizing.

“Katie Wilson is one of the people who has done more to bring taxation on the rich in Washington state than anyone else,” Davis said, calling JumpStart a measure that “broke the legal dam” for other forms of progressive taxation.

Davis also defended a challenge from the left after Democrats delivered the millionaires’ tax, saying internal competition is healthy and necessary.

“I think it’s needed,” Davis said. “There needs to be disagreement, and there needs to not be a cling to the status quo.”

According to a Washington Public Disclosure Commission candidate finance chart, Democrat William Dreher has raised about $258,000 in the race and spent $21,000. Davis has raised about $140,000 and spent $26,000.

Pollet has raised about $96,000 and spent $14,000.

Kaushik noted that Dreher, a prosecutor who worked on cases connected to the Jan. 6 attack on the US. Capitol, makes that race a three-way contest.

In the 43rd District, Sabio-Howell is challenging Pedersen, one of the most powerful Democrats in the Legislature. Sabio-Howell said she is running because the affordability crisis has worsened under current leadership.

“I believe in Washington’s potential to be the best place in the country to build good lives if we can afford it,” Sabio Howell said. “Status quo leaders, career politicians who have been in office as the crisis of affordability has only gotten worse, are not the people who are going to make an affordable future possible.”

Sabio Howell acknowledged the millionaires tax as a “historic win,” but argued it came only after a severe budget deficit forced lawmakers to act. She said progressive leadership from the 43rd District should have pushed for the policy earlier.

She also rejected arguments from large employers that Washington has reached a tipping point on taxes, comparing the current debate to warnings made during the fight for a $15 minimum wage. Sabio-Howell said voters have repeatedly shown support for funding social services through measures such as the capital gains tax, the Climate Commitment Act and the Long Term Care Act.

Sabio-Howell said Wilson’s endorsement aligns with her campaign’s focus on affordability, housing, schools, public transit and shifting political power away from corporate interests.

The fundraising gap in the 43rd District remains significant. The PDC chart shows Pedersen has raised about $348,000 and spent $77,000. Sabio-Howell has raised about $82,000 and spent $23,000. A third candidate, Heather-Marie P. Wilson, reported no contributions or expenditures on the chart.

Wilson did not return a request for comment.

The Washington State Labor Council also issued a statement, “Jamie Pedersen is the most progressive Senate Majority Leader we have ever had, delivering on major progressive priorities like progressive tax reform and rent stabilization when previous majority leaders couldn’t. If he is not re-elected, the next majority leader will most likely be less progressive and less willing to tackle the toughest problems. Campaigning is an extended job interview and Pedersen has demonstrated he can do the job effectively and in-line with his district’s values. Our unions and community allies should be united in fighting back against a right-wing authoritarian government, not divided against legislators like Jamie Pedersen and Gerry Pollet, who have strong progressive voting records. We have a common foe: the conservative forces in Washington seeking to take over our State Supreme Court, attack our trans community, and repeal the Millionaire Tax and force deep cuts to education and healthcare.”

His campaign also cited a statement from Katy Ozog, the Executive Director of the Washington Senate Democratic Campaign, “Jamie Pedersen is the most progressive Senate Majority Leader in state history, and the author of landmark legislation like the Millionaires Tax, a champion for affordability measures like rent stabilization, and a leader in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality. He is proud to be the only candidate in the race to have sole endorsements from labor unions and Planned Parenthood.”

Kaushik said the broader picture is a Democratic Party “at war with itself” in Washington, with younger, outsider candidates challenging incumbents they view as part of a failed establishment.

“The mayor doesn’t see herself as just another typical Democratic politician,” Kaushik said. “She very much sees herself as part of and a leader of a movement, a progressive political movement that really aims to take over and change the Democratic Party.”

Whether Wilson’s endorsement can help deliver victories for those challengers remains uncertain. Her allies see the move as part of a broader push for progressive leadership at every level of government. Her critics may view it as an unnecessary risk at a time when Seattle still depends on Olympia for housing, transportation, public safety, and budget support.

For now, the races offer a clear test of whether Wilson’s narrow mayoral victory has grown into broader political power or whether longtime Democratic incumbents can withstand a challenge from their own left flank.