Court To Rule on Seattle Mayor Recall Petition as Residents Decry Public Safety Plan

A recall petition against Seattle’s mayor, Katie Wilson, is headed to court to determine whether it can move forward amid mounting public safety concerns. Two Seattle voters filed a recall petition against Ms. Wilson, a Democratic Socialist, accusing her of malfeasance, misfeasance, and violating her oath of office over concerns about her handling of public safety. The petition is scheduled to be reviewed by a King County Superior Court judge on August 31 to determine whether the alleged violations meet the requirements for a recall petition and can be sent to the ballot.The petition lists several areas of concern regarding Ms. Wilson’s public safety record. It alleges that the mayor forced Seattle’s police chief, Shon Barnes, to resign in the wake of a mass shooting at a food festival in July. Seattle’s police department faced criticism as residents complained the department took too long to provide updates about the incident. A Seattle City Council member, Maritza Rivera, said at the time that if rumors were true that Ms. Wilson forced Mr. Barnes out, it was an “impulsive and reckless decision.” Ms. Rivera also criticized what she says was Ms. Wilson’s “inadequate response to serious gun violence in our city.” The recall petition also cites Ms. Wilson’s response to concerns about drug use in the city.A Fulcrum Strategy Group survey of 500 registered voters, commissioned by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce released on Monday, found that nine percent of respondents said they were very confident Ms. Wilson had an effective public safety plan while 25 percent said they were somewhat confident. Forty percent said they were not confident at all. Ms. Wilson’s strongest support comes from respondents who identified as progressive, with 67 percent saying they are confident she has an effective plan.The poll also found that 90 percent of respondents said they favor foot patrols in areas dealing with persistent crime. Seventy-four percent of respondents said they want to expand the city’s closed-circuit television network, which puts residents at odds with Ms. Wilson’s decision to stop expansion of the camera network. Meanwhile, the poll found that the percentage of voters who say the city is heading in the right direction has fallen from 57 percent in January, at the start of Ms. Wilson’s term, to 48 percent in August. If the judge determines that the recall petition satisfies the criteria, the petitioners will have 180 days to collect signatures to take it to voters. Under Washington law, petitioners need to allege that a public official engaged in at at least one of three acts: malfeasance, the commission of an unlawful act, or misfeasance, meaning the official performed their duties in an “improper manner,” or violating their oath of office, which the law describes as the “neglect or knowing failure” to “faithfully” perform their duties. The superior court judge will hear arguments from both sides to determine whether the complaints of Ms. Wilson’s handling of public safety satisfy the criteria for a charge of misfeasance, malfeasance, or a violation of the oath of office. Washington law states the threshold of required signatures is 25 percent of the total number of votes cast in the previous election. In 2025, 276,762 votes were cast, meaning backers of the recall would need 69,190 signatures to proceed to a recall election. If the petition gets the greenlight to gather signatures and is sent to the ballot, Ms. Wilson may feel comforted by the way past recall elections have turned out. In 2020, Seattle residents attempted to recall mayor Jenny Durkan, however, the measure never made it to the ballot. The last Seattle mayor to be recalled was Frank Edwards in 1931.

Court To Rule on Seattle Mayor Recall Petition as Residents Decry Public Safety Plan

Court To Rule on Seattle Mayor Recall Petition as Residents Decry Public Safety Plan

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