Harrell Leads Wilson by 8,000 Votes After First Ballot Drop on Election Night

On election night November 4, 2025, incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell led Katie Wilson by more than 8,000 votes after King County released the first batch of ballots. Harrell's campaign declared optimism, pointing to his early lead and donor advantages. Because Washington conducts all-mail elections, only ballots received by 8 PM on Election Day counted in the first drop; thousands of postmarked-by-Election-Day ballots remained uncounted. Mail ballots in Washington have historically trended more progressive than early returns.