Decoding the 2025 Elections in Seattle and WA: An Insider's Analysis
Hacks & Wonks
Washington state's 2025 elections saw progressives win across multiple cities and legislative districts, with people-powered campaigns and bold ideas beating out establishment moderates. Listen in to the Hacks & Wonks 2025 Post-Election Roundtable from Tuesday, November 11, 2025, as the strategists who saw it coming explain what pundits missed! Panelists: Stephen Paolini, Principal at Bottled Lightning Collective Lexi Koren, Communications Consultant with PowerHouse Strategic Crystal Fincher, Executive Director of KVRU and Hacks & Wonks Host As always, a full text...
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Week in Review with Robert Cruickshank - Seattle Elects Progressive Mayor Katie Wilson
Hacks & Wonks
On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Robert Cruickshank discuss: 🤩 Katie Wilson elected mayor! 🌊 Progressive wave across region and state 👀 What to watch out for next 🏫 Role of Stranger school board endorsements ⚔️ Looking forward to legislative session As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, Robert Cruickshank, on Bluesky at .
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Week in Review: October 10, 2025 - with Robert Cruickshank
Hacks & Wonks
On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Robert Cruickshank discuss: ⚾ Mariners! 💸 Seattle wastes homelessness money ⛔ SPOG undermining popular CARE team 🚫 Seattle School Board rejects cop at Garfield 🗳️ Use dropboxes to vote! As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, Robert Cruickshank, on Bluesky at .
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Week in Review: September 5, 2025 - with Melissa Santos
Hacks & Wonks
On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Melissa Santos discuss: WA/CA/OR vaccine alliance Cell phones in schools Firefighter immigration raid = inside job Harrell pushes light rail extensions despite shortfall Autonomous vehicles pilot starts As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, Melissa Santos at .
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Seattle Moves Forward with Surveillance Expansion Despite Lack of Pilot Data, Raises Federal Access Concerns
Hacks & Wonks
Amy Sundberg, public safety reporter for The Urbanist and publisher of Notes from the Emerald City, joins Hacks & Wonks to discuss how Seattle's City Council is poised to expand the city's surveillance pilot program before collecting any evaluation data on its effectiveness, raising concerns among privacy advocates about potential federal access to the data amid heightened immigration enforcement. The expansion, scheduled for a final council vote on September 9 at 2:30 p.m., would install new cameras in three areas and tap into Seattle Department of Transportation's existing network of...
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Week in Review: August 29, 2025 - with Robert Cruickshank
Hacks & Wonks
On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Robert Cruickshank discuss: 🧊 Spokane blocks warrantless ICE action 🥡 $15m Uber Eats settlement 🛒 UFCW 3000 backs Wilson 🚲 Biker hit where safety upgrades were cancelled 🏫 School board updates 🪧 Protests against Microsoft use by IDF As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, Robert Cruickshank, on Bluesky at .
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Hacks & Wonks 2025 Post-Primary Roundtable
Hacks & Wonks
Hacks & Wonks hosted a 2025 Post-Primary Roundtable on Tuesday, August 12, 2025 to dig into the 2025 primary results - what they mean, how they happened, and what's next - with the people who actually do the work of winning (and sometimes losing) campaigns in Seattle and King County. Listen to the roundtable as a podcast or watch the ! By bringing together a panel of seasoned local political consultants who've been in the field, in the strategy rooms, and on the phones - not just pundits looking at numbers from a distance - they cut through the noise and spin to give insights not found in...
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Week in Review: August 22, 2025 - with Erica Barnett
Hacks & Wonks
On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Erica Barnett discuss: ⛪ Christian nationalist rally moves to new park 🤑 Police execs take bonus meant for officers 🛡️ Trump admin targets sanctuary cities – 📮 -- and vote-by-mail 🕵️ Tacoma ICE facility must open for inspections As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, Erica Barnett, on Bluesky at and on .
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Week in Review: August 15, 2025 - with David Kroman
Hacks & Wonks
On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and David Kroman discuss: 💰 Seattle B&O tax overhaul proposal 📉 Seattle budget forecast 👁️ Seattle surveillance expansion ⚖️ Tacoma minimum wage initiative sues city ⚔️ MGP challenger in CD3 🗳️ Election results update As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, David Kroman at .
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Week in Review: August 8, 2025 - with Josh Cohen
Hacks & Wonks
On this week-in-review, Crystal Fincher and Josh Cohen discuss: ❤️🩹 A Hacks & Wonks update 🗳️ Primary election results! 👀 Seattle: Mayor, City Attorney, City Council seats 💵 Seattle Democracy Vouchers 🥊 King County: Executive, D5 Council seat 🤓 Takeaways As always, a full text transcript of the show is available at . Follow us on Bluesky at . Find the host, Crystal Fincher, on Bluesky at and find today’s co-host, Josh Cohen at .
info_outlineShow Notes
Today on the show, Executive Director of America Walks and former mayor of Seattle, Mike McGinn joins Crystal to discuss new Covid-19 vaccine mandates, planned walkouts by some workers in Seattle fizzling, rising gun violence and the conspicuous lack of analysis by the media and the mayor’s office, the knee-jerk desire for police presence when crime rises (in spite of it being ineffective), and the integration of Compassion Seattle into a certain mayoral campaign now that it’s off the November ballot.
As always, a full text transcript of the show is available below and at officialhacksandwonks.com.
Find the host, Crystal Fincher on Twitter at @finchfrii and find today’s co-host, Mike McGinn, at @mayormcginn. More info is available at officialhacksandwonks.com.
Resources:
"State employees union announces agreement with Inslee over vaccine mandate" by Joseph O'Sullivan https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article254009258.html
“Biden Lays Out Plan To Mandate Vaccines Or Testing For Millions Of Workers” by Alana Wise and Tamara Keith from NPR: https://www.npr.org/2021/09/
“‘Every hospital is quite full’ in Washington as delta variant of coronavirus spreads” by Elise Takahama from The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/
“‘Don’t have a clue’: It turns out Washington state set a murder record in 2020, but no one knows why” by Danny Westneat from The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/
“Sickout at Seattle City Light over COVID-19 vaccine mandate doesn’t materialize” by Daniel Beekman from The Seattle Times: https://www.seattletimes.com/
“Unions warn of ‘mass exodus’ over city of Seattle vaccine mandate” by David Kroman from Crosscut: https://crosscut.com/news/
“Seattle’s arrest alternative, LEAD, moves beyond police” by David Kroman from Crosscut: https://crosscut.com/2020/07/
“‘Compassion Seattle’ Is Dead. Now What?” by Katie Wilson from Publicola: https://publicola.com/2021/09/
“Harrell Says He’ll Implement Key Provisions of ‘Compassion Seattle’ Measure, Clear Encampments” by Erica C. Barnett of Publicola: https://publicola.com/2021/09/
"Durkan Won’t Sign Crowd Control Weapons Bill, Raises Specter of Court Challenge" by Paul Kiefer https://publicola.com/2021/09/07/durkan-wont-sign-crowd-control-weapons-bill-raises-specter-of-court-challenge/
"Harrell Ducks Police Accountability Forum, Burgess Rides In to Attack González" by Doug Trumm https://www.theurbanist.org/category/politics-and-government/elections-and-endorsements/2021-election/
Transcript:
Transcript will be uploaded shortly.