Seattle City Council 2019 Election: Kshama Sawant Gains Ground

SEATTLE, WA — With seven Seattle City Council seats in play, Tuesday's election promised a shakeup at City Hall, regardless of the final outcome. Four incumbents did not seek re-election. Three others faced staunch opposition amid growing disapproval over the council's performance and big political spending backing their challengers.

Two incumbents — Lisa Herbold (District 1) and Debora Juarez (District 5) — extended a comfortable lead over their opponents Thursday. In District 3, where incumbent Kshama Sawant had trailed Egan Orion by more than 8 points in early results, the two were separated by just 2.5 points (739 votes) Thursday.

The District 3 race saw some of the most money spent this election, as pro-business groups funded citywide ads to oust Sawant, a polarizing political figure who fought for an employee head tax last year, and led the charge for a $15 minimum wage in Seattle in 2014.

In District 7, Andrew Lewis pulled ahead of Jim Pugel by 365 votes Thursday. They were separated by just 20 votes Wednesday.

King County Elections said Thursday's ballot drop included results from another 94,000 ballots. An estimated 182,000 ballots were left county-wide, with 73,000 remaining in Seattle. Election officials will release two additional updates Friday.

Amazon and other groups have poured more than $1.5 million into the election, backing more moderate, business-friendly candidates and prompting backlash from progressives. The showdown attracted national attention and prompted two presidential candidates to weigh in.

Despite the money spent by businesses, and Seattle's Chamber of Commerce, its ultimate effectiveness remains to be seen. After Tuesday's ballot drop, Former Mayor Mike McGinn noted on social media that — if results hold — the new city council could have just two or three chamber-backed candidates, compared to five in 2017.

ELECTION RESULTS [Includes ballots counted as of 4 p.m. Thursday]

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 1
Lisa Herbold: 53.53%
Phil Tavel: 46.11%

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 2
Tammy Morales: 58.02%
Mark Solomon: 41.53%

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 3
Kshama Sawant: 48.56%
Egan Orion: 51.02%

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 4
Alex Pedersen: 55.04%
Shaun Scott: 44.65%

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 5
Debora Juarez: 59.17%
Ann Davison Sattler: 40.47%

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 6
Dan Strauss: 53.80%
Heidi Wills: 45.72%

CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT 7
Andrew J. Lewis: 50.52%
Jim Pugel: 49.04%