Seattle Recall Petition Against Mayor Katie Wilson Withdrawn and Dismissed Without Prejudice

The court order leaves the recall legally open because the judge did not rule on the charges and petitioners say they will investigate new information before deciding whether to refile.

Overview

Two Seattle residents, Melinda Jacobson and Dale Osterud, asked a judge on Thursday to withdraw their recall petition after missing a key filing deadline and the court signed an order dismissing the case without prejudice.
Judge Patrick Oishi canceled a scheduled sufficiency hearing and made no finding on whether the petition met Washington’s legal standard for misfeasance or malfeasance, keeping the procedural path to a new filing intact.
The petitioners told the court they had trouble securing legal representation and had uncovered new information they wanted to investigate, and they have since retained counsel who they say will help prepare a potential refiling.
If a future filing is accepted by a judge, organizers would still face a harsh practical test that requires roughly 69,000 valid Seattle voter signatures collected in 180 days to trigger a recall election.
The recall was driven by public safety complaints focused on the July 26 Bite of Seattle mass shooting, the resignation of Police Chief Shon Barnes, and local crime and CCTV decisions in neighborhoods such as Aurora Avenue, Belltown, and the Chinatown‑International District.