Binghamton High School Graduate Elected Seattle Mayor

Katie Wilson, a Binghamton native, has been elected mayor of the city of Seattle.

The 43-year-old community organizer defeated incumbent mayor Bruce Harrell in a very close race. It was the first time she ran for political office.

Wilson is a 2000 graduate of Binghamton High School. Her parents are David Sloan Wilson and Anne Barrett Clark.

Wilson's victory is receiving plenty of national attention, in large part because she describes herself as a "socialist."

Wilson told CNN that she "certainly didn't run" on the socialist label, although she doesn't "shy away from it."

Wilson said she ran for mayor of Seattle because "we have an affordability crisis, just like many cities around the country."

When she was a student at Binghamton High School, Wilson was a member of a group called Food Not Bombs, which provided free vegetarian meals to those in need. She was the salutatorian of her graduating class.

Albert Penna, who was the high school principal when Wilson was a student, said people in the school district are "extremely overjoyed and proud that she's been elected as the mayor of one of America's largest cities."

Penna said Wilson "showed great compassion for those less fortunate" than her. He described her as "a very gifted student."

Penna said Wilson's election in Seattle "sends a powerful message... to all of our students at the school district that hard work does pay off and that anything is possible in life.

LISTEN: Former Binghamton High School principal Albert Penna discussed Katie Wilson's election during a WNBF Radio interview on November 14, 2025.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.