With the upcoming Seattle mayoral election in November, six candidates have declared they are running against Bruce Harrell, who is running for re-election.
All seven candidates will run in the primary on Aug. 5, with the top two facing off in the general election on Nov. 4.
Bruce Harrell, the current mayor of Seattle, was elected in 2021.
The six candidates other candidates are:
- Ry Armstrong - According to their official website, Armstrong was born in Seattle and raised in Kenmore. They ran as a candidate for District 3 of the Seattle City Council, striving to be the first openly nonbinary person on the council. They have also appeared in the film Uncut Gems and the TV series The Gilded Age. A graduate of Central Washington University, "Armstrong’s platform included advocating for the use of compostable alternatives to plastics, implementing a tax on corporations for their carbon emissions, mandating that the city provide shelter for the houseless, and exploring the possibility of using a retired battleship for housing."
- Alexander Barickman - Limited information was provided for Barickman, who registered on Aug. 2, 2024.
- Joe Molloy - According to their campaign website, Molloy grew up in Detroit. They say, "A few years ago, I learned I was likely autistic— something that, had it been recognized earlier, might have changed the trajectory of my life. Instead, I’ve had to teach myself how to navigate a world that often felt overwhelming and unaccommodating. At its worst, this led me to a period of time where I was unable to work — and then to homelessness." Molloy continues, "For the past two years, Joe has focused on mutual aid and grassroots efforts to support homeless and disabled communities. They have studied Seattle’s homeless response system in depth, worked directly with advocacy organizations, and now serve on the Board of Directors for a Seattle-based shelter organization. They are also a key organizer in the push to open 500 new shelter beds in 2025. Joe may not be a traditional candidate. They are honest, direct, and come from a humble background. But maybe that’s exactly what Seattle needs. A leader who actually represents the people. The Average Joe may just be the best candidate for the job."
- Rachael Savage - According to her official campaign website, Savage says, "Not a career politician, Rachael Savage is uniquely qualified for the role of At Large Council Member in this dire time when the city needs leadership, straight talk and honesty. Rachael possesses a practical common sense and the will to work with all concerned in order to get the project done. These are the qualities critical to success as a business owner and entrepreneur. Her decades of experience working with addicts, both on an individual basis and in the process of building new and innovative recovery methods, can help the city find its way in the middle of the unprecedented addiction epidemic. Her experience as an independent retailer can help to restore all of our retail districts and high streets. Throughout her life Rachael has been able to transform potential tragedy and difficulty to positive change through a commitment to honesty, open mindedness and personal integrity."
- Thaddeus Whelan - According to his official campaign website, Whelan says he grew up in Texas and joined the Army, eventually ending at Joint Base Lewis-McChord after four years. He now calls Seattle home. "My search to serve and lead new eras stretched into my studies, as I devoted myself to Public Policy and kept a honed vision on Seattle. Everything from social diaspora and gentrification to elections and police, I maintained a locked view on the place that I called home. Even as a federal employee, my first focus is how to make peoples’ lives better. I fell in love with this city from the moment I drove across the I-90 bridge. Now, I want to use everything I’ve learned and built to propel Seattle even further. My time working with NOAA and the FAA has been incredibly enlightening to the depths at which the government can provide aid and support to the people who need it the most."
- Katie Wilson - According to her official campaign website, she is the co-founder and executive director of the Transit Riders Union, a membership organization that "organizes in the Seattle area around public transit, affordable housing, workers’ rights, and other issues that affect the quality of life of working people." Wilson "has spent her career fighting for working families, building powerful coalitions and winning major victories that put money in people’s pockets and improve their daily lives."
©2025 Cox Media Group
