Seattle Rejected Sara Nelson Hard – Elected Officials That Endorsed Her Should Be Scared They Are Next

Council President Sara Nelson lost her re-election bid so spectacularly, it shows not only how unhappy her short-lived reign made voters, but also calls into question how in touch every elected official who endorsed her is with their Seattle constituency. In fact, anyone who endorsed her should be worried that the same progressive tidal wave that knocked her out will come for them next. 

In November, progressive challenger Dionne Foster defeated Nelson, winning an impressive 62.8% of the vote to Nelson’s measly 36.98%. Whatsmore, Nelson’s foil on the council, progressive fav Alexis Mercedes Rinck, raked in more than twice as many votes as her, making her by far the most popular elected official in the City of Seattle. 

And the defeat comes by no means as a surprise. Northwest Progressive Institute (NPI) published polling in May that showed 40% of surveyed voters disapproved of Nelson’s job performance. A mere 19% approved. Not to mention I prophetically anticipated her demise in a post simply titled, “Sara Nelson Count Your Days” shortly after Rinck’s blowout victory signaled a progressive shift in Seattle’s civic zeitgeist last year. Everybody clap. 

And yet, 29 elected (or appointed — can’t forget Tanya Woo) officials hitched their wagon to Nelson, endorsing her unsuccessful 2025 bid for re-election. The majority of those endorsers — 15 of them — no longer hold elected office. An even smaller number of those officials, just seven, represent Seattle and let’s be real: They may hold the seat, but how much could a politician “represent” a place if you support someone so roundly rejected by its constituency?

Nelson scooped up endorsements from U.S. House Rep. Adam Smith, state senator Jamie Pedersen, and her council colleagues Rob Saka, Mark Solomon, Joy Hollingsworth, Maritza Rivera, Debora Juarez, and Bob Kettle. Solomon, who the council appointed to the District 2 position earlier this year, no longer sits on the council and Juarez’s appointment will end with the next election. But the other six elected officials have re-election on the horizon. 

A nod to Nelson probably won’t hurt Smith’s chances in 2026 when he asks constituents in parts of Seattle and Bellevue as well as the south King County communities of Renton, Tukwila, Kent, Des Moines and Federal Way, for yet another term. He has much bigger sins to answer for, which his anti-war challengers — former Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant and his challenger from 2024 Melissa Chaudhry — will certainly use as central arguments in their campaigns. 

Another institutional giant, Sen. Pedersen, stuck his neck out for Nelson. Pedersen represents the 43rd legislative district, which includes Capitol Hill, the downtown core, South Lake Union, Wallingford, the University District, and Laurelhurst. While it may not go very far for a prospective challenger to call him on his Nelson endorsement on a mailer or in a campaign email, it does indicate Pedersen’s disconnect with the political heartbeat of Seattle and much of his district. According to precinct data, Foster crushed Nelson in most of the 43rd LD, but Nelson had strong performances in Broadmoor, Madison Park, Portage Bay, and Laurelhurst.  

As council members, Saka, Hollingsworth, Rivera, and Kettle, will carry the most baggage by aligning themselves with Nelson should they seek re-election.

Saka’s in the roughest shape. According to recent NPI polling, 38% of survey respondents in his district disapprove of his job performance and 20% approve. His district went hard for the progressive challenger with Nelson just nibbling around the edges. If he wants another term, he’s got a year to turn things around before he’s up for re-election in 2027. He should probably dust off that conservative schmutz he’s got going on — voting against the Seattle Police Officers Guild contract over accountability issues ain’t a bad start. 

Kettle could also use some progressive credibility going into 2027 if he wants to keep his job. NPI found 37% of surveyed constituents in his district do not approve of his job performance and only 18% approve. That’s the lowest approval rating from district-specific respondents of any council member. 

Rivera’s numbers are more favorable with 30% of respondents in her district approving and 27% disapproving of her job performance. Hollingsworth is the only district council member who got a positive review from her constituents — 26% disapprove and 36% approve. 

In any case, the 2023 class who rode in on the conservative backlash to the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID-era visible homelessness just saw a relative nobody progressive unseat a Mayor with two decades of name recognition and more charisma in his pinky than everyone up for re-election in 2027 combined. They either spend their remaining time making progressive overtures or submitting job applications.