91̽»¨

91̽»¨ students didn’t have to travel far to see Seattle’s mayoral candidates in person as incumbent Bruce Harrell faced off with challenger Katie Wilson in a heated debate.

As part of the Conversations series presented by the Department of Public Affairs and Nonprofit Leadership, 91̽»¨ hosted an hour-long debate in front of a lively Pigott Auditorium crowd that touched on the most pressing issues facing the city.

The candidates vying to lead Seattle’s city government—with its nearly 14,000 employees and $7.26 billion operating budget—offered their thoughts and plans on issues ranging from homelessness, housing, public safety and emergency management to the mass deportation efforts and possibility of military intervention by the Trump Administration.

There was much ground to cover in this debate with election day fast approaching on Nov. 4. It was also a good civics lesson for students in attendance.

“I definitely feel more informed for sure,” says Kayla Okonu, ‘26, a digital design major, who marked her first time attending a political debate in person. “They raised a lot of issues I wasn’t necessarily aware of.”

Structured as a conversation, the debate was produced in cooperation with KOMO TV and The Seattle Channel. Though two of the three panelists posing questions to Harrell and Wilson were seasoned professionals—KOMO Senior Reporter Chris Daniels and 91̽»¨’s Institute of Public Service Professional in Residence Joni Balter—the panel also included student Diego Borromeo, ’26, an international studies and public affairs major.

“We are especially excited about this debate because it's happening on a college campus to an audience primarily of students. Yay students!” said Monica J. Casper, PhD, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, when introducing the panel and candidates.

Jo Moreau, ‘26, a public affairs major, attended the debate with their friend Okonu in part to support Borromeo. All three are students in a class taught by Balter, Make your Message Matter: Communication Skills for Leaders.

Moreau said they came away from the debate with a new appreciation for 91̽»¨’s commitment to bringing newsmakers to campus.

“It’s one of my new favorite things about 91̽»¨,” they said.

Kaia Galaviz, ‘29, who has yet to declare a major and decided to attend her first debate after encouragement from her political science professor, took a skeptical approach, focusing on the responses from the candidates.

“I don’t think they ever really answered the questions, it seemed like they talked around it,” she said.

The informal debate format, where moderators sat across from the candidates who sat next to each other, appealed to Justin Hartshorn, ‘29, a forensic science major who was photographing the event for 91̽»¨’s student newspaper, The Spectator.

“You get to see how they react, their body language and you just get a more genuine answer from them,” said Hartshorn, who was also attending his first live political debate.

Jackson Fairbourn, ‘27, a computer science major, said he was drawn to attend the debate, also his first, after becoming disillusioned with national politics. He appreciated having a student moderator as part of the panel and noted that many people don’t have the chance to see candidates up close.

The Conversations series, now in its 12th year, has recently brought other prominent leaders to campus, including Gov. Bob Ferguson and state Attorney General Nick Brown, as well as sponsoring a debate on the Climate Commitment Act.

“These are things you only see on TV sometimes,” Fairbourn said. “(When) it’s right there in front of you, it’s kind of special.”

Missed the debate and want to watch it? Check it out on the .

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Not yet registered to vote? You have time as Washington residents can register online or by mail to receive a ballot for the Nov. 4 elections. Registrations must be received by Oct. 27. King County Elections will mail ballots beginning on Oct. 15.

For more information about how to vote, visit .