Mariners owners trying to buy Seattle mayor's race
The organization’s two lead owners, John Stanton and Chris Larson, are backing Bruce Harrell big—so get your ballot in for Katie Wilson, because you surely have different priorities than billionaires.
Does spending more money help one win? That’s the question at the core of many a debate this time of year.
Of course money helps you win, in basically anything. Does it guarantee it? No. But it helps.
Heck, ask Mariners owners John Stanton and Chris Larson. Well not so much in baseball but in the world of local politics, they spend with the best of ‘em.
Will it get them a win? Probably not. But you can and should help make sure that’s the case.
What’d they do?
Bruce Harrell and Chris Larson are both in big trying to help Bruce Harrell fend off progressive challenger (and primary winner) Katie Wilson.
If you live in Seattle, you’ve probably seen the results of their spending in a number of mediums—could be a text, a postcard in the mail or a television ad during Game Two of the ALCS.
Those are paid for by the local version of a PAC, an “independent expenditure” committee called Bruce Harrell for Seattle’s Future. There are limits on traditional campaign contributions but for these PACs? Not so much, so long as they don’t coordinate with a candidate’s campaign.
Harrell spoke at one of his PAC’s events, in an apparent clear violation of election ethics laws, but that’s a separate point.
The big point here: Mariners owners Chris Larson and John Stanton are two of Bruce Harrell’s biggest financial backers.
In fact, if you look at the biggest contributors to the PAC, no individual person has contributed more than Chris Larson.
Beyond that, only Seattle Opera Chair Maryanne Tagney has donated as much as John Stanton and, separately, his wife Theresa Gillespie.
You can take a look for yourself.
This is the very top of a long, long list of donors:
Why do they want him to win?
Well, to put it simply, Bruce Harrell is the corporate conservative candidate and these guys own a large corporation in Seattle.
That’s just how it goes.
If you clicked on the list above you’d see Microsoft President Brad Smith on there as well. Seattle Kraken owner and CEO Tod Leiweke, too.
There’s a lot of class solidarity among these types.
It still seems like there’s something more to it, though. As mentioned, nobody is donating to the level these guys are. And on top of that, while they’re regular contributors to local conservative candidates, they’ve never spent this much in a local race before.
Here’s a bit of speculation.
It could be the property the Mariners own in SoDo, across the ballpark to the south, which recently saw a nifty spot-upzone led by fellow local conservative Sara Nelson—whose PAC Chris Larson also backs.
In addition to the parcel they own being more valuable with the upzone, they also stand to get a nice little activation of Occidental Avenue, with a possible plaza or something of that ilk near the parking garage, should whatever comes to be get all built out.
Is that definitely it? Is it worth it?
Who knows. But as evidenced by stadium trends across the industry and even the Mariners’ own purchase and transformation of the old Pyramid Brewing space, real estate is a big, big play in the world of sports.
It could be any other number of things. Harrell is less likely to back labor, to improve wages and so on. You won’t see new or higher taxes on big businesses.
I think there could be something to the fact that Harrell is pro-cop, the Mariners use cops for events and nobody holds more big events that pay cops well than the M’s—but again, all speculation.
Let’s wrap this up, get it out and get back to ball.
Why not vote for Harrell?
Put simply, you the person reading this will always have more in common with the person sleeping on the street in your neighborhood than you will with John Stanton.
Everyone deserves to live a dignified life. Basic human needs are basic human rights.
Let’s try to do quick bullets. Eventually, TVL will have an accompanying politics publication but today’s not that day.
Harrell’s not only awful and ineffective on homelessness—he’s cruel and deadly. Focus during his time in office has been on hiding visible poverty, not solving it. Homeless encampment sweeps have tripled under Harrell, to the tune 2,500+ in 2024. Shockingly, pushing vulnerable people all over the city and throwing out their stuff has not reduced homelessness. In reality, it kills people. I implore you to follow the Homeless Remembrance Project on Facebook so, at least once, you see the monthly list—each of their names, their cause of death and where they were found—of 30+ people who die every month outside in Seattle.
He’s the pro-cop guy. Specifically, the political careers of everyone in power during the handling of the killing of Jaahnavi Kandula—on the front end of a Seattle PD cruiser driven by a cop without a license—should never be the same. If a mayor can’t stand up to SPD after that, they can’t stand up to anyone. He’s only given them bonuses and raises.
Horrendous on transportation. Harrell keeps pushing a car- and freight-centric transportation strategy that keeps Seattle bogged down with traffic and its neighborhoods polluted. He kills stuff like the potential remaking of Lake Washington Boulevard and has done nothing to speed up implementation of ST3. The ballot measure aimed at bringing light rail to Ballard and West Seattle was passed in 2016— Harrell’s eighth year on the City Council with four more to go plus his four years as Mayor—and we’re barely any close the line being reality. While his Hail Mary Executive Orders try to tell a different story in an election year, Harrell’s been a big part of why this has taken so long and gotten so expensive.
There’s so much more. Soooo much more.
A better Seattle is possible.
Bruce Harrell has been an enormous part of building and preserving the status quo.
Katie Wilson is a step in the right direction. A step away from this corporate conservatism and crony capitalism.
If you’re registered, dig your ballot out of the pile of mail, wherever you keep it, fill it out and get it to a ballot drop box.
If you haven’t registered yet, you can do so and vote at WaMu Theater or the UW Hub.
Go Katie Wilson.
Boo, Bruce Harrell.
Go M’s.