Catharine Smith
Politics Editor
About
Catharine is KUOW's politics editor. She never met a spreadsheet she didn't like, and she's obsessed with campaign trail drama, voting trends, debates in the state Legislature, and Trump's tweets. Before starting at KUOW in 2022, she worked in New York City at as a producer at WNYC, and she freelanced for The Guardian and the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting.
Catharine got her start in journalism on HuffPost's technology desk — and she will always regret ditching her flip phone for that job.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English
Professional Affiliations: Investigative Reporters and Editors, Society of Environmental Journalists
Podcasts
Stories
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‘It’s a coin flip.’ Experts say Seattle mayor’s race still too close to call
Activist Katie Wilson continues to gain on incumbent Bruce Harrell in the closely watched race for Seattle mayor. As of Friday’s ballot count, Wilson was just 4,300 votes behind Harrell, narrowing his early lead. With about 45,000 ballots left to tally, independent analysts weren’t ready to call the race.
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All politics is national
Let's dig into to what we know on day one after the 2025 general election.
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The last Seattle mayor to get reelected tells us how he did it
Greg Nickels got reelected about 20 years ago. How much has Seattle changed since then?
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The weird rule that shapes Seattle school board races
We got a listener question, and we had to answer it.
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Send this to a procrastinator voter
A procrastinator’s guide to why you should care about this year’s election.
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KUOW's 2025 voter guide for Western Washington ballots
Ballots in Washington state’s general election are due by Nov. 4. We’ll walk you through some of the hottest races we’re watching. Most are in the Seattle area, with a few notables elsewhere in Western Washington. We also highlight a couple ballot measures to keep an eye on.
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He went viral for shouting down 'antifa.' Now he feels different
We're taking a look at the complex patchwork of political ideologies on the left when it comes to protests, non-violence, and Antifa.
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The dream of the right wing is alive in Portland
What’s the truth on the ground in Portland? Dirk VanderHart of OPB's Politics Now podcast breaks down what he's seeing in the Rose City.
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TV on the radio
This week, we're talking TV. What we see on our screens and what goes on behind the scenes -- and how that shapes the political landscape.
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A high horse and a gaslight walk into a bar (with guest Brandi Kruse)
Our guest this week is Brandi Kruse, conservative influencer and host of the UnDivided Podcast. We decided to have her on as the nation and our region are still reeling from the murder of Charlie Kirk -- and struggling with how to discuss the event.