Rather than an abandoned subway station or an entire city block, Katie Wilson chose a practical spot for her inauguration: the central lobby of City Hall itself, just a quick elevator ride away from her new office. 

It’s one choice, among many to come, that Wilson hopes will reflect her future administration: no frills, no performance, just letting the work speak for itself. 

“There’s no more important part of my job, as mayor, than to build up reserved trust,” said Wilson. “That means making true, tangible progress on problems, like homelessness, where progress has eluded our city for so many years.”

On January 2, Katie Wilson was ceremonially inaugurated as the 58th mayor of Seattle. In front of a packed crowd of supporters, she was introduced by a sequence of organizers who spoke about her personal history and how she found small ways to leave an immense impact, long before she was a political force in the city. 

Health and transit advocate Ifrah Abshir spoke about how Wilson’s early trust in her, when she was just a Somalian high school student, inspired her to stay optimistic about her career. Homelessness organizer Jarvis Capucion recounted stories of Wilson standing alongside activists — even camping overnight with them — in solidarity with their cause, no matter the weather. 

“Katie never gives up,” said think tank founder John Burbank. “The day after Trump’s first election, Katie came to my office and said, ‘Let’s start the movement to Trump-proof Seattle.’ And she did. And we did.” 

When Wilson arrived onstage, she spoke about directing her administration to serve those who live paycheck to paycheck, who have to consistently work simply to keep ahead of overwhelming expenses. She spoke about “bread and roses,” a century-old call to action first written by suffragist Helen Todd in 1911, that has been recently reused and repurposed by progressive feminists. It expresses the idea that our society should not just enable us to achieve our basic needs but also allow us time to appreciate the beauty of life.

Adapted into art, poetry, and music, the idea of “bread and roses” has connected activists and artists across time. Singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus actually performed a song of the same name on New Year’s Day, for Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration ceremony as New York City mayor. It’s a small, coincidental reminder that Wilson and Mamdani, as democratic socialists elected to lead major US cities at the same time, will inevitably be compared to each other. How they may diverge, in terms of success and policy, is what we’ll learn in the coming years. 

Now the inauguration is behind us, and the Wilson administration has officially taken charge in Seattle. The mayor hopes she can continue to serve the people directly from her new office, just as she did with her campaign. 

“Is anyone here at Seattle City Hall for the very first time?” said Wilson, and hands went up in the crowd. “Welcome! This is your building, and I’m gonna need you to come back here. Again, and again, and again.”