MLK Labor endorses Girmay Zahilay and makes dual endorsement for Seattle Mayor

September 17, 2025

Seattle — At their September meeting, MLK Labor Delegates representing more than 150 unions and 220,000 union workers voted to endorse Girmay Zahilay for King County Executive and to update their endorsement for Seattle Mayor to a dual endorsement of Mayor Bruce Harrell and Katie Wilson.

Additionally, the Labor Council endorsed:

• The Seattle Families, Education, Preschool, and Promise (FEPP) Levy
• Sam Mendez, Burien City Council, Position 3
• Joe Van, Highline School Board, Position 3
• Damarys Espinoza, Highline School Board, Position 4

MLK Labor Executive Secretary-Treasurer Katie Garrow issued the following statement on the endorsement of Girmay Zahilay:

“MLK Labor is pleased to endorse Girmay Zahilay for King County Executive. The son of a home care worker who worked nights on her feet to provide opportunities to her child, Councilmember Zahilay’s achievements on the King County Council demonstrate that he leads by remembering where he came from. Councilmember Zahilay delivered historic investments in housing and infrastructure for Skyway, a working-class neighborhood facing decades of disinvestment. He led the successful effort to raise the minimum wage in unincorporated King County. And he was instrumental in passing the Crisis Cares Levy, so workers can get a bed in rehab when they’re ready, and kids contemplating hurting themselves have someone to call.

Councilmember Zahilay brings the kind of bold, principled, and practical leadership that King County needs. Our endorsement reflects not just his record, but our shared vision for a County where workers of all backgrounds, races, and languages have what they need to live a dignified life.”

In May, the Labor Council endorsed Mayor Bruce Harrell, citing his work delivering pro-worker levies, defending Seattle’s nation-leading worker protection laws, and demonstrating the resolve to stand up to federal overreach. Other pro-worker accomplishments from Harrell’s first term include the groundbreaking Building Emissions Performance Standards (BEPS) legislation, creating family-wage jobs in the construction trades, and negotiating contracts with city workers with a meaningful cost-of-living increase amidst a city budget deficit.

Tonight, delegates voted to update their endorsement to a dual endorsement for both Mayor Harrell and former Transit Riders Union Executive Director, Katie Wilson for Seattle Mayor. The dual endorsement comes after several large unions, including UFCW 3000, the largest private sector union in Washington state, SEIU 925, and PROTEC17, which represents more than 3,000 workers at the City of Seattle, voted to endorse Katie Wilson. Wilson’s campaign has been centered on bold solutions to address affordability, the most pressing issue for union voters in Seattle. Wilson has more than a decade of extensive work with unions on joint campaigns. While Executive Director at the Transit Riders Union, Wilson led initiatives to raise the minimum wage in suburban South King County, and she authored Councilmember Mosqueda’s Jumpstart payroll tax to fund housing. Wilson led the August primary with 50.75% of the vote.

MLK Labor Executive Secretary-Treasurer Katie Garrow issued the following statement after the dual endorsement for Seattle Mayor:

“MLK Labor is proud to update our endorsement in the Seattle mayoral race to support both Mayor Bruce Harrell and now, Katie Wilson. A dual endorsement by MLK Labor shows both candidates have earned meaningful support from working people and accurately reflects the views of union members across Seattle. Labor’s endorsement was highly sought after by both candidates in this election, which speaks to the recognition by both campaigns of the power working people have to determine election outcomes. Candidates for Seattle mayor cannot win office and be anti-union.”

All MLK Labor endorsements received at least a two-thirds majority vote from MLK Labor Delegates.