The Roundup: I'm in a New York State of Mind

From the Editor

What's up, South End?

I'm writing from a vacation this week. I'm on the East Coast for a writers conference, and I just so happened to be in New York when the news broke that Zohran Mamdani won New York's Democratic mayoral primary.

I don't expect everyone in Seattle to be following local politics on the other side of the country, but this win was huge, and it made me think of our upcoming mayoral election here.

In the New York race, Mamdani was in a battle with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, 67. Cuomo made headlines when multiple women accused him of sexual assault during his tenure as governor. Voters in New York shunned the former governor in favor of the 33-year-old Mamdani, who is less scandalous than his opponent, but just as interesting.

The Democratic Party is in an awkward place. It has an internal struggle between leftists and centrists that have recently split the party's base of voters. Mamdani's victory represents a huge win for progressive Dems in a high-profile position.

Mamdani is a Democratic Socialist who performed exceedingly well with younger voters. He campaigned on stances of affordable rent, cost of living, and city-owned grocery stores.

He's also South Asian, Muslim, and an immigrant. He was born in Kampala, Uganda, and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7 years old.

This win stunned the country and sparked questions about the future of the Democratic Party. Is it shifting back toward the left? Will more cities — like Seattle, for example — see centrist mayors toppled by progressives?

Time will tell. Mamdani is now the favorite heading into the November mayoral election in New York. And it's got me wondering what surprises might erupt during our upcoming election season in Seattle.

The Roundup Rundown

Everything Is Political … in South Seattle: Funding Social Housing, Spotting a Public Nuisance

This week, Emerald contributing political columnist Tobias Coughlin-Bogue dives into the $2 million that Mayor Bruce Harrell is dedicating to Seattle's newly formed Seattle Social Housing Developer (SSHD). The funds will support the group's efforts to pay staff and begin acquiring properties while it awaits funding from the recently passed Proposition 1A.

Mayor Harrell's financial contribution is a "bridge loan" to get SSHD started immediately. But before you start heaping praise upon the mayor, read Tobias' take on the situation. There's a lot of work ahead of us, and collaboration will be needed from Mayor Harrell and City Council to keep the project going in the future.

You can read about SSHD and hear what mayoral candidate Katie Wilson has to say, as well as a breakdown on a proposed expansion to the city's existing Chronic Nuisance Properties Ordinance, in this week's edition of Everything Is Political … in South Seattle.

And in other local political news: The Emerald will be hosting a debate with the four people running for the City Council's D2 seat. Register for the free event here.

Black Joy Filled the Air: Scenes From Juneteenth 2025 in Seattle

Last week, I talked to y'all about Juneteenth and getting rest and suggested seeing The Color Purple.

Emerald contributing photographer Susan Fried made it to the Juneteenth events at Jimi Hendrix Park and the Northwest African American Museum.

Here are few of my favorite pics:

You can read Susan's article and see the rest of her photos from Juneteenth here.

Mike Davis is the newsletter editor and Voices editor at the South Seattle Emerald. Born and raised in Seattle's South End, Mike is a longtime journalist who's covered everything from arts and culture to sports to politics.