Three moderate Seattle incumbents continued to lag behind progressive challengers in the latest vote counts from Tuesday's primary election, in an early sign that Seattle voters may be looking for change.

Why it matters: The initial results suggest Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, City Attorney Ann Davison and City Council President Sara Nelson are in danger of losing their seats — although there is still a long way to go until November.

The latest: After two days of vote counting, Harrell fell further behind progressive organizer Katie Wilson, who led by more than 4 percentage points in Wednesday's tally.

• Davison, meanwhile, was capturing only about 36% of the vote to challenger Erika Evans' 53%, while Nelson trailed Dionne Foster, the former executive director of a progressive nonprofit, by nearly 18 percentage points.

What they're saying: "Across the board, it was not a good night for moderates," political consultant Crystal Fincher told Axios about Tuesday's early results.

• She said the numbers suggest voter dissatisfaction with some of the policies pursued by the incumbents, such as Nelson's 2024 proposal to roll back a new gig worker minimum wage law.
• "People saw a council that got elected to work on public safety, eliminating homelessness and fixing housing problems — and none of those problems have been fixed," political consultant Michael Charles told Axios.

Between the lines: Local political consultant Stephen Paolini said President Trump's election last year has made voters in blue cities like Seattle crave more ambitious local leadership, because they "feel if anything good is going to happen in the next four years, it's going to happen locally."

• That's reflected in the mayor's race, where Wilson has "focused relentlessly" on improving future affordability, while Harrell's campaign has emphasized "let's not go backwards," political consultant Sandeep Kaushik told Axios.
• Going forward, Kaushik said, Harrell would do well to "focus on explaining to voters what he will do for them over the next four years if they re-elect him."

What we're watching: If Wilson ends up with more than 50% of the primary vote, that would make it "extremely difficult" for Harrell to win in November, Charles said.

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The high-paying, coding-heavy roles that once defined Seattle tech industry face fundamental disruption as the rules on who gets hired and how are rewritten.

Why it matters: Industry leaders say the next 12-18 months could bring seismic workforce changes as AI reshapes job expectations and recruiting playbooks.

Driving the news: Panelists who spoke July 29 at a Seattle Tech Week event warned that traditional job ladders — and the credentials that once almost guaranteed a shot at them — are losing relevance as companies chase versatile operators who can lead AI innovation.

What they're saying: "Everyone is chasing the same talent: the kind of builder who doesn't just code but shapes the intelligence behind the product," said Casium CEO Priyanka Kulkarni. "We're seeing the rise of multi-skilled builders."

Catch up quick: Amid heavy AI investment and warnings from execs that automation will shrink some roles, tech companies — including Microsoft, Amazon and Expedia — have laid off more than 22,000 workers this year, according to Tech Crunch.

What's changing: Hiring is shifting from technical execution to critical thinking and tool fluency, said Derek Sessions, chief technology officer at Yoodli.

• Coding tests are out. Employers are ditching whiteboard problems and take-home assignments in favor of AI-enabled interviews.
• Tool judgment is also in. "I'm hiring someone to drive the tractor, not pull weeds," said Joe Heitzeberg, founder of AI Tinkerers.

The bottom line: Seattle's tech economy may already be cooling, with falling demand for information workers last year and a city revenue report that forecasts regional job losses in the trade, construction and information sectors.

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🥪 Three Western Washington spots — Urban Chops in Auburn, plus Konvene Coffee and Un Bien in Seattle — have landed on Yelp's list of the Top 100 Sandwich Shops in the U.S. (KING 5)

🏛️ OpenAI will offer ChatGPT Enterprise to U.S. federal agencies for $1 per agency, with Seattle-based Slalom helping train workers as part of the yearlong initiative. (GeekWire)

🏀 The Seattle Storm have acquired 2025 All-Star Brittney Sykes from the Washington Mystics in exchange for Alysha Clark, Zia Cooke, and a 2026 first-round pick. (MyNorthwest)

The U.S. travel industry is warning that a new $250 visa fee could deter millions of international visitors just as the country gears up to host the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics.

Why it matters: The fee comes at a crucial moment for U.S. tourism, with America's 250th birthday — and for Seattle, which is hosting six World Cup matches next year.

Catch up quick: The fee applies to most nonimmigrant visa applicants, excluding those from the 42 countries in the Visa Waiver Program.

• The fee is in addition to the $185 nonimmigrant visa itself.

What they're saying: "This is nothing more than a cynical junk fee that attempts to steal money from travelers that otherwise would have been spent in U.S. businesses," Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, tells Axios.

By the numbers: 6.5 million people are expected to attend the FIFA World Cup across 16 cities in North America next year, while the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles are expected to bring in over 15 million visitors.

Go deeper

Here's another Seattle mystery location to test your Emerald City knowledge.

I'm on a rooftop bar, my friends, near the street where the market ends.

Glass towers shimmer left and right, graffiti'd walls are in my sight.

Downtown hums, the seagulls call. Do you know this view at all?

Hit reply or email us to submit your guess!