There are a lot of votes to count, but initial results from Seattle’s City Council primary suggest the general election will feature a number of hard-fought matchups, including runoffs pitting labor-backed Councilmember Kshama Sawant against business-supported Pamela Banks and Council President Tim Burgess against tenant advocate Jon Grant.
The top two candidates in each race advance to the Nov. 3 general. All nine council seats are up for grabs, including seven with voting by geographic district for the first time in modern history.
The results also suggest the council may become younger, more female and more diverse.