Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has secured a legal victory after two residents seeking to remove her from office withdrew their recall petition in King County, Washington.
Melinda Jacobson and Dale Osterud asked King County Superior Court to dismiss the action on Thursday, August 27, shortly before a hearing was due to examine whether the allegations met the legal threshold for a recall.
Judge Patrick Oishi granted the request and dismissed the petition without prejudice, meaning the couple could attempt to file a fresh case. The court did not rule on the truth or legal sufficiency of the allegations against the 44-year-old Democrat.
Jacobson told reporters that the pair had obtained legal advice only recently and needed time to investigate what she described as additional information. She also indicated that the campaign against Ms Wilson was not necessarily over.
The recall effort, filed with King County Elections on August 11, accused the mayor of misfeasance over a series of decisions, including her handling of the city’s police leadership after a shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival.
Dmitri Iglitzin, representing Ms Wilson, did not oppose the withdrawal but described the petition as frivolous. He warned that the mayor could seek sanctions if the same organisers submitted another case that was found to abuse the recall process.
King County Elections’ website now lists no current petitions. The withdrawal means the proposed recall will not proceed unless a new filing is made and cleared through the required legal and electoral process.
