Seattle’s election of Katie Wilson, a democratic socialist, is another sign that politicians who challenge the status quo and propose genuine alternatives are gaining traction. The question is whether New Zealand’s political leaders will take notice—or whether they will remain trapped in loyalty to capital and timid liberalism.
SEATTLE HAS just elected Katie Wilson, a community organiser and activist, as its first democratic socialist mayor. Wilson defeated incumbent Bruce Harrell by a razor-thin margin, winning 50.2% of the vote to Harrell’s 49.5%. Her campaign focused on tackling housing affordability, addressing homelessness, and reimagining public spending through initiatives like the 'Solidarity Budget,' which seeks to redirect funds away from policing and toward social needs. This victory follows the election of Zohran Mamdani in New York City, another socialist mayor, suggesting that the United States—long considered hostile terrain for socialist politics—is witnessing a modest but significant shift.
The symbolism here matters. Seattle is not a small radical enclave but the fifth-largest city on the West Coast, a hub of corporate power and tech wealth. For voters to choose a socialist mayor signals a growing disillusionment with centrist Democrats who have failed to address inequality, housing crises, and the erosion of public services. Wilson’s win is not just about her personal platform; it reflects a broader hunger for alternatives to neoliberal consensus.
New Zealand politicians should pay attention. Labour leader Chris Hipkins has shown no willingness to embrace socialist politics. His leadership remains tethered to capital, offering incremental reforms while defending the market framework that entrenches inequality. Hipkins embodies the Labour Party’s long retreat from its working-class roots, preferring to manage capitalism rather than challenge it. Seattle’s election demonstrates that voters can reward boldness, but Hipkins is unlikely to risk alienating business interests.
The Greens, under Chloe Swarbrick, present a more complex case. Swarbrick is one of the most talented politicians of her generation, with a sharp critique of inequality and a willingness to confront entrenched power. Yet she is constrained by the liberal nature of her party, which often prioritises incremental environmental reforms over systemic economic transformation.
The Greens’ strategy of coalition-building with Labour has further diluted their radical edge, leaving Swarbrick hamstrung by compromises that blunt her socialist instincts. In a new article on the Green Party, Dr Bryce Edwards observes that the Green's 'have one foot in the waters of economic revolt, but the other foot is stuck in the comfort zone of incrementalism, culture wars and niche issues.'
Seattle’s example should embolden New Zealand’s left. It shows that socialist politics can win when they speak directly to people’s material conditions—housing, wages, public services—and when they reject the false inevitability of neoliberalism. The lesson is not that every city or country will elect a socialist tomorrow, but that the political terrain is shifting. Voters are increasingly sceptical of centrist platitudes and are willing to support candidates who articulate a clear alternative.
The challenge for New Zealand is whether anyone will seize this moment. Labour under Hipkins will not. The Greens under Swarbrick might, but only if they break free from their liberal caution and embrace a more unapologetic socialist program. Otherwise, the space will remain open for a new left-wing movement—one that fuses climate justice, economic democracy, and social equality into a transformative project. Seattle has shown that such victories are possible. The question is whether New Zealand’s political class has the courage to follow.
“The false inevitability of neoliberalism “. What about the false promise of socialism? Where has that ever worked? Talk about a rock and a hard place. Will see how it goes for Wilson and Mandan - they have a steep climb ahead.
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