Cartoon drawing of a man with a beard sitting on public transport, looking at his smartphone with a thoughtful expression. He has one leg crossed over the other, and scenery is visible through the window beside him.
Brett Hamil scrolls on his phone on his way to Katie Wilson's election night party.(Illustration: Brett Hamil)
Voices

DOOM LOOP: The Ballot-Drop Blues

Brett ponders what election night in the South End says about Seattle's left in this special edition of DOOM LOOP.
Published on: 
2 min read
Cartoon illustration of a bearded man walking outdoors, looking at his phone while text above reads, “As I walked to light rail, lefties nationwide were basking in Zohran Mamdani’s win in NYC and the bloodbath in Virginia that gave the Democrats a trifecta.”
Cartoon illustration of a man sitting on public transit, looking at his phone with one leg crossed. Text above reads, “There were election night parties for 5 citywide candidates in the South End. Are we the new seat of progressive power in Seattle?”
Cartoon illustration of a man speaking to two people. Text above reads, “At the Wilson party on Beacon Hill, I spoke to some folks with House Our Neighbors, who won a 27-point victory last February to fund social housing (Prop 1A).” Speech bubble says, “What does Bruce Harrell symbolize for you?”
Cartoon illustration of two people talking. One person with glasses says, “The degradation of progress. No hope, no change. You’re on your own. Go get another roommate.”
Cartoon illustration of two people talking. Text above them reads, “I spoke to an organizer with Be: Seattle who advocates for renters and houseless people. For them, the results of this election could be existential.”
Cartoon illustration of a person speaking with a serious expression. Speech bubble reads, “Katie Wilson has always championed funding tenant services, Harrell cut funding by 40%. People are going to eviction court without representation!”
Cartoon illustration of three people intently looking at their phones. Text above reads, “As the clock ticked past 8 and the room overflowed onto the sidewalks, folks compulsively refreshed the King County Elections website.”
Cartoon illustration of four people crowded around a man using a laptop while another person holds a phone. Text above reads, “A scrum formed around a guy with a laptop pulling raw results from the site’s backend to get a jump on the official drop.”
Cartoon illustration of three people cheering and raising their hands. Text above reads, “A muted cheer swept through the room. Wilson was down by 7, a not-insurmountable gap as late votes swing heavily to the left (9–12 points in the last two mayoral elections).”
Cartoon illustration of a crowded room with people facing a speaker at the front. Text above reads, “I stood on a chair to see Katie address the room. She called the results ‘promising’ and vowed to get every vote counted. She and her campaign people looked pleased and not shook.”
Cartoon illustration of a man walking outdoors with a shoulder bag, looking tired. Two other people are nearby, one sitting and one standing by a planter. Text above reads, “I’ve given up hoping that Seattle progressives will start mailing their ballots in early so we can have more wild election night parties.”
Cartoon illustration of a woman and a man talking. Text above reads, “On my way out I talked to a former city council candidate who admitted to being a habitual late voter.” The woman says, “I even voted day-of for my own election!” The man replies, “Sheesh,” with a caption below reading, “Stay tuned!”

The South Seattle Emerald is committed to holding space for a variety of viewpoints within our community, with the understanding that differing perspectives do not negate mutual respect amongst community members.

The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the contributors on this website do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of the Emerald or official policies of the Emerald.

Brett Hamil is a writer, cartoonist, and performer living on the South End of Seattle.

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Doom Loop
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