SEATTLE, Washington — Nearly a week after Election Day, the Seattle mayoral race has narrowed dramatically, with challenger Katie Wilson pulling ahead of incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell by just 91 votes as of Monday. The slim margin makes a recount increasingly likely under Washington state election law.
Wilson, who trailed by 10,000 votes on election night, gained ground as later-counted ballots from younger and more progressive precincts, including Capitol Hill, were tallied. “This thing is certainly not over! Over 1,000 ballots have been challenged, so if you haven’t tracked your ballot yet, get on it,” Wilson wrote on social media.
Washington law mandates an automatic recount if the margin between candidates is less than 2,000 votes and also below 0.5% of total ballots cast. With 267,875 votes counted, that threshold is approaching. King County would be responsible for the costs of a required recount, estimated at about $40,000 for a machine recount or nearly $67,000 for a hand recount.
Harrell, who won his first term in 2021 with 58% of the vote, has not conceded. King County Elections said it will continue tallying ballots through Tuesday as the outcome remains uncertain.
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