About the 2025 Seattle CityClub Debates
Public debates are a cornerstone of democracy, offering voters the chance to hear directly from candidates before casting their ballots. This election season, Seattle CityClub will host a series of free, public debates that bring candidates and communities together for thoughtful, moderated conversations.
Highlights include the Seattle Mayoral Debate, co-hosted by Seattle CityClub and Formidable, where Mayor Bruce Harrell and Katie Wilson will share their visions for the city’s future, and the King County Executive Debate featuring Girmay Zahilay and Claudia Balducci as they discuss priorities on housing, transportation, climate action, and more.
Audiences can expect dynamic exchanges on the most pressing issues facing our region, with opportunities to attend in person or watch through live broadcasts with our media partners.
With decades of experience producing trusted civic forums, Seattle CityClub and Formidable are committed to ensuring voters have clear, accessible, and reliable information as they make decisions that shape our future.
Submit questions for the candidates here.
2025 Seattle Mayoral Debate
Presented by:
Thursday, October 2, 2025 | 7 – 8pm PDT.
Cornish College of the Arts – Raisbeck Auditorium
Join us in person:
2025 King County Executive Debate
Presented by:
Friday, October 3, 2025 | 7 – 8pm PDT.
Cornish College of the Arts – Raisbeck Auditorium
Join us in person:
Where to Watch
Watch Live with FOX 13 Seattle: All Seattle CityClub debates will stream commercial-free on fox13seattle.com, the free FOX LOCAL app, and air on FOX 13 (ch. 13.1/cable 113) so you can follow every question and answer in real time.
An Annual Seattle CityClub Commitment
As part of Seattle CityClub’s ongoing Dialogue Across Differences initiative, local or state-wide debates will be held annually, according to the needs of the community. Thank you to our generous supporters for helping the WSDC address polarization through civil, public debate.
Please join our mailing list to be the first to learn about upcoming debates and Seattle CityClub’s other civic programming.
DEI Commitment
We are committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). In all debates, we are integrating five elements to maximize access and inclusion:
Distance – Shrinking the physical distance between communities and those that represent them so the people can hold elected officials accountable.
Discussion – Ensuring the topics of conversation and contestation reflect the needs of diverse communities.
Design – Recognizing that what it means to “debate” sounds different to different cultures and creating the spaces to recognize that plurality.
Debrief – Ensuring we have diverse perspectives contextualizing the conversation for our audiences.
Resources – Supplementing the debates with educational resources that respect different backgrounds.