Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson to Deliver First State of the City Address

After one month in office, the new mayor will outline priorities on homelessness, public safety, and economic development.

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson will deliver her first State of the City address on Tuesday, just one month after taking office. In her first month, Wilson has already made headlines with executive orders on immigration enforcement, responding to recent teen shootings, pausing a homeless encampment sweep, and addressing thousands of local tech layoffs. Wilson plans to focus her speech on supporting small businesses, attracting green energy employers, expanding the shelter system, and adding more density around transit hubs to address the city's housing shortage.

Why it matters

As a new mayor, Wilson's State of the City address will provide insight into her priorities and vision for Seattle during a challenging economic period marked by tech layoffs, a homelessness crisis, and budget deficits. Her policy proposals and tone will signal how she plans to balance the needs of the business community, residents experiencing homelessness, and the city's long-term economic and social goals.

The details

In her first month, Wilson has already taken steps on key issues, including issuing executive orders on immigration enforcement, responding to recent teen shootings, pausing a homeless encampment sweep, and addressing the impact of thousands of local tech layoffs. In her speech, Wilson plans to focus on supporting small businesses, attracting green energy employers, expanding the shelter system by 1,000 beds, and adding more density around transit hubs to address the city's housing shortage.

  • Mayor Wilson will deliver the State of the City address on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.
  • Since the start of 2025, Amazon has laid off 3,633 employees in Seattle.
  • Another 3,948 layoffs have been posted to the Washington State Employment Security Department in that time.

The players

Katie Wilson

The newly elected mayor of Seattle who will deliver her first State of the City address.

Bruce Harrell

Wilson's predecessor as Seattle mayor, whose housing plan she plans to build upon.

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What they’re saying

“We have a large budget deficit. We are going to have to make some hard choices and really decide where our priorities lie, and I mean just honestly, with thousands of people on our street every night, this has to be at the top.”

— Katie Wilson, Mayor of Seattle (mynorthwest.com)

“People are going to continue moving into our region, right? We can't stop that, we don't want to stop that, and so we have to build the housing to accommodate them.”

— Katie Wilson, Mayor of Seattle (mynorthwest.com)

What’s next

Mayor Wilson's State of the City address will be streamed live on KIRO 7 on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 11:50 a.m.

The takeaway

As a new mayor, Katie Wilson faces the challenge of balancing the needs of Seattle's business community, residents experiencing homelessness, and the city's long-term economic and social goals. Her State of the City address will provide insight into her priorities and vision for addressing issues like tech layoffs, the housing shortage, and the homelessness crisis.