Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s Poll Numbers Plunge Amid Public Safety Concerns

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is facing troubling new poll numbers as questions over public safety continue to dominate her young administration. A new Seattle Metro Chamber poll finds just 37% of registered Seattle voters view Wilson favorably, down from 57% in April—a 20-point decline in four months. Meanwhile, 62% view the mayor unfavorably, including 42% who hold a strongly unfavorable opinion. The decline also extends into Wilson’s political base, with her favorability dropping 17 points among self-identified progressives and 22 points among liberal Democrats. Public safety is receiving particularly poor marks. Wilson’s administration received a “D” for its response to the Bite of Seattle mass shooting and management of illegal drug use, while voters gave the administration a “D-plus” on issues including encampments, street disorder, overall safety and government transparency. Wilson says public safety is an extremely high priority for her administration and points to efforts addressing gun violence. But the polling comes amid controversy surrounding violent crime, Seattle’s surveillance camera policy, the departure of Police Chief Shon Barnes and an active recall effort against the mayor. Is this simply a difficult stretch for a new administration, or could growing voter dissatisfaction become a larger political problem for Wilson? #KatieWilson #Seattle #SeattleMayor #SeattleCrime #PublicSafety #SeattlePolitics #SeattleNews #WashingtonPolitics #WAPolitics #KatieWilsonRecall #WashingtonNews #TheCenterSquare