Seattle just elected a socialist mayor who promises to stop private grocery stores from closing and replace them with city-owned alternatives, marking the most radical shift in American municipal politics since the Great Depression.
The Socialist Takeover of Seattle
Katie Wilson’s victory represents more than just another progressive win in liberal Seattle. The former Transit Riders Union founder campaigned explicitly on socialist principles, promising to fundamentally restructure how essential services operate in America’s 18th largest city. Her narrow defeat of moderate Democrat Bruce Harrell signals a dramatic leftward lurch that makes previous Seattle politics look centrist by comparison.
Seattle’s newly elected socialist mayor Katie Wilson says she’ll explore creating government-owned grocery stores.
Good. Let all of these deranged Democrats learn firsthand how terrible socialism is.
They voted for it.pic.twitter.com/23BfLlYIIv
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) November 13, 2025
Wilson’s election coincided with a progressive sweep that installed allies throughout city government, including progressive Dionne Foster as city council president. This unified control gives Wilson unprecedented power to implement her radical agenda without the typical checks and balances that moderate opposition politicians usually provide.
Government Grocery Stores Come to America
Wilson’s grocery store intervention plan goes far beyond typical government regulation. She proposes establishing city-owned grocery stores while simultaneously blocking private retailers from closing their doors, even when facing financial losses. This represents government control over private enterprise that would make Venezuelan socialist leaders proud, though Wilson frames it as addressing “food security and affordability.”
The economics behind this scheme raise serious questions about market fundamentals. Seattle already suffers from consumer prices 13% above the national average and housing costs 50% higher than typical American cities. Rather than addressing the underlying regulatory burdens driving these costs, Wilson proposes expanding government control over yet another sector of the economy.
The Communist Playbook in Action
Wilson’s approach mirrors classic socialist strategies for seizing control of essential industries. First, create artificial crises through excessive regulation and taxation that make private businesses unprofitable. Then, when businesses attempt to close or relocate, swoop in with government alternatives while blocking private exits. Finally, expand public control until government becomes the dominant or sole provider.
This strategy has failed spectacularly everywhere it’s been tried, from Soviet breadlines to Venezuelan grocery shortages. Yet Wilson and her supporters believe Seattle will somehow achieve different results using the same failed methods. The hubris required to ignore decades of economic evidence suggests ideological commitment trumps practical concerns about feeding Seattle residents.
Private grocery store owners now face an impossible situation. They cannot close unprofitable locations due to government decree, yet they must compete against taxpayer-subsidized city stores that can operate at losses indefinitely. This creates a rigged market where private enterprise bears all the risks while government enjoys unlimited advantages through forced taxpayer support.
The broader business community watches nervously as Wilson’s precedent could expand to other sectors. If government can prevent grocery store closures today, what stops them from controlling restaurants, gas stations, or retail shops tomorrow? Wilson’s victory sends a chilling message that private property rights and free enterprise face existential threats in major American cities.
Sources:
Mamdani-Style Candidate Living Off Parents’ Money Could Ouster Dem Incumbent Mayor – Fox News