On a recent episode of The Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI, host Ari Hoffman welcomed a guest he disagrees with—but whose perspectives he finds invaluable: Chappin Eze, the progressive commentator behind the increasingly popular Substack The Noise Ordinance. Eze, who has lived in Seattle for eight years, has been gaining attention for videos critiquing the city’s political landscape from the left, often challenging assumptions and dominant narratives within Seattle’s progressive circles.
Their conversation was both spirited and unusually candid, revealing surprising areas of agreement between the conservative-leaning Hoffman and the left-of-center Eze on Seattle’s political realities and the emerging debate surrounding Socialist Mayor-elect Katie Wilson.
“Katie Wilson is a progressive in name only…The Stranger and The Urbanist have a history of manufacturing progressive champions.”
My full interview with Chappin Eze from The Noise Ordinance pic.twitter.com/JZR1PHN9Ex
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) December 1, 2025
Is Katie Wilson Really a Progressive Leader?
Hoffman opened with a point of overlap: skepticism about Seattle Mayor-elect Katie Wilson, a candidate widely billed as the next rising progressive star. While Hoffman believes Wilson is used as a “beard” by political groups seeking influence, Eze’s critique comes from within the progressive movement itself.
Eze argues that Wilson is “a progressive in name only,” a label amplified by local media outlets like The Stranger and The Urbanist, which he says often “manufacture progressive champions.” He compares her to past candidates similarly elevated by niche, largely white, Capitol Hill–centric activist circles.
"The Stranger & the Urbanist have a history of manufacturing progressive champions…not everyone reads The Stranger or The Urbanist. They have a very niche following. It's usually just white people that live in Capitol Hill."
Preview of my interview with Chappin Eze discussing… pic.twitter.com/vKA7yibb2b
— Ari Hoffman 🎗 (@thehoffather) December 1, 2025
According to Eze, the numbers themselves tell the story:
- In the primary, Wilson ran behind several candidates widely viewed as authentic progressives: Dionne Foster, Erica Evans, and Alexis Mercedes Rink.
- She received 15,000 fewer votes than the reauthorization of Seattle’s Democracy Voucher program.
- Her South End “support” is overstated, he argues, because voting patterns there still skew predominantly white, meaning white voters are promoting white progressive candidates.
For a city that prides itself on elevating marginalized voices, Eze questions how Wilson can be framed as a champion of communities of color when her transition team reportedly lacks Black leadership and draws heavily from familiar left-leaning activist networks.
The Zoran Mamdani Comparison: “An Insult,” Eze Says
Wilson’s supporters have likened her to New York State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, a rising star in national left politics. Eze strongly rejects the comparison.
Mamdani, he explains, is:
- A person of color
- Raised in Queens
- A “generational political talent” akin to Barack Obama
- A leader whose policies center on the empowerment of communities historically shut out of power
Wilson, Eze argues, does not share Mamdani’s lived experience, constituency base, or political grounding. Instead, he sees her candidacy as another example of Seattle’s cycle of affluent white progressives elevating one of their own.
Why a Progressive Backed Bruce Harrell
One of the most surprising revelations in the interview was Eze’s endorsement of current Mayor Bruce Harrell in the last election, especially given Harrell’s reputation as a moderate not fully embraced by Seattle’s left.
Eze explains his reasoning simply: progressivism is fundamentally about transferring power to the historically powerless, not merely checking policy boxes on climate, LGBTQ rights, or transit.
Harrell, in his view, has:
- Decades of government experience
- A track record of elevating people of color into positions of influence
- Proven ability to turn ideas into policy
- Built one of Seattle’s broadest, most diverse coalitions in modern politics
Katie Wilson, by contrast, has led a nonprofit, the Transit Riders Union, but lacks governmental leadership experience and the coalition-building skills required of a city executive.
“You are not an activist anymore when you’re mayor,” Eze says. “You are an executive.”
When Progressives Attack Their Own
Despite his lifelong commitment to progressive causes, Eze says he has been labeled “conservative” by some online Seattle progressives, an accusation he laughs off but also finds troubling.
“It shows how warped the political reality is here,” he says.
What Seattle calls “centrist,” he notes, would be viewed as left-leaning anywhere else in the country.
He attributes the hostility to echo chambers, ideological purity tests, and a refusal to engage with dissenting views, even from those on the same side.
“Even when we’re all on the same team,” he says, “I get called conservative just for pointing out basic facts, like Katie Wilson has never worked in government.”
Will Wilson Be Another One-Term Mayor?
Seattle has developed a habit of electing one-term mayors, a trend Eze believes could continue.
“Once someone becomes mayor, they become the establishment,” he says. “And what does the online left hate? The establishment.”
Whether Wilson survives politically will depend on her ability to govern, build coalitions, and deliver results, not simply generate enthusiasm among activist groups or be propped up by ideological media outlets.
Still, Eze emphasizes that he wishes her the best.
“This is the city I love,” he says, “and I have to live with the consequences.”
A Rare Cross-Ideological Conversation
As the interview wrapped, Hoffman praised Eze for being one of the most compelling guests ever to join his program. Despite their ideological differences, their discussion was marked by mutual respect, curiosity, and a shared desire to push Seattle’s political discourse into more honest territory.
Hoffman encouraged listeners to follow Eze’s Substack, The Noise Ordinance, not because they’ll agree with him, but because understanding opposing viewpoints is essential to forming strong arguments of one’s own.
