(The Center Square) – Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and challenger Katie Wilson were asked a series of yes-or-no questions by co-moderator Joni Balter, a multimedia journalist, during Wednesday night’s debate between the two at Seattle University’s Pigott Auditorium. KOMO News senior reporter Chris Daniels was the other moderator.
Balter, a professional-in-residence at Seattle University, started with Wilson.
“Katie, you have said many times that you are a Democrat and a socialist, but not socialist in the way of former Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant,” Balter said. “All of the terms can be a little dizzying. Can you help folks this evening determine the kind of politician that you are by answering a few quick yes, no, and I mean yes, no.”
Sawant served on the Seattle City Council from 2014 to 2024, as the legislative body’s only openly socialist member. Her tenure was characterized by a combative, activist-driven approach that yielded what some considered legislative victories for workers and tenants.
However, Sawant’s policy positions and aggressive style also generated significant controversy and opposition from business interests and political opponents.
“Do you favor decriminalizing prostitution?” Balter asked Wilson, co-founder and executive director of the Transit Riders Union in Seattle.
The yes-or-no format didn’t survive long.
“Yes, with qualifications,” Wilson answered. “And I’m not sure that’s relevant to the question of, like, my political labels.”
Balter said, “Just work with me here.”
She then asked the same question, to which Wilson replied, “Yes, with qualifications.”
Balter next asked, “Do you favor a $30 minimum wage in five years?”
“Probably not,” Wilson answered. “I mean, that’s not something I’ve announced as part of my platform.”
Balter asked one final question: “Do you favor a rent freeze?”
“Not a rent freeze, no,” Wilson said before providing more context. “I support rent stabilization, and I think that the devil is in the details in terms of how we design a policy like that, and we’re actually not allowed to in Seattle according to state law. But, yes, I certainly support – if we could do it locally and certainly statewide – a rent stabilization policy, and there [are] lots of kinds of details about how you would do that.”
During this year’s legislative session, lawmakers approved House Bill 1217, which enacted statewide rent increase caps and new tenant protections. The law, signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson on May 7, sets limits on how much landlords can raise rent and increases the required notice period. For most residential units, annual rent increases are limited to the lesser of 7% plus the Consumer Price Index, or 10%.
Balter then asked the same questions of Harrell, who is seeking a second term as mayor of the Emerald City.
On decriminalizing prostitution, Harrell answered, “Not by law. We realize that they’re [prostitutes] victims most of the time themselves; we’re not enforcing it against them. But in terms of decriminalizing it, I don’t think the state or the city is doing that.”
In response to the prospect of raising the minimum wage to $30 in five years, Harrell asked, “Is that where it would go naturally?”
Balter said no.
Seattle’s minimum wage is $20.76 per hour, and it is scheduled to increase to $21.30 per hour on Jan. 1, 2026
“I would say based on what I know about the matrix, no, I would stick with what we’re doing at this point,” Harrell answered.
Responding to the rent-freeze query, the mayor said, “No, I don’t think we have the authority to do that, by the way.”
Wilson bested Harrell in the August primary, with 50% of the vote to Harrell’s 41%, according to King County Elections.
The general election is Nov. 4.
