Many in the Pacific Northwest and beyond are talking about Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson’s razor-thin win as a victory for the future of progressive politics in America.

Wilson, 43, ousted incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell, 67, as it became apparent Wednesday the mayor had no mathematical path to victory, with the vote at 50.2% to 49.5%. Harrell, a Democrat who has held an elected City Hall position since 2008, became the fourth Seattle mayor in a row to serve only one term.

“We took on a powerful incumbent who was expected to coast to reelection,” Wilson said in a post on social media. “We faced more corporate PAC money than has ever been spent attacking a candidate in a Seattle election. We built a people-powered movement rooted in hope for our city’s future. And we won.”

Seattle voter

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