Ry isn't going to win.

The Stranger has devolved to the point where it resembles my high school's "alternative" newspaper.

That was in Iowa, and I graduated in 1983.

This campaign seems unserious.

This was very long for a Mad Libs.

I guess The Stranger’s prior label of “Drama kid” didn’t go well so they dumped it.

https://www.thestranger.com/elections-2023/2023/03/13/78895136/drama-kid-ry-armstrong-wants-your-vote-in-district-3

@3 — see, we can agree about something! Hell is now freezing over.

During quarantine, they filmed The Gilded Age, HBO’s single season American swing at Bridgerton.

Actually The Gilded Age has just finished filming it's third season.

"Why not convert a retired battleship into 2,000 units of housing, and dock it at the Port of Seattle? Where this ship would come from, how it would be converted, the cost and what agencies would be involved, Armstrong did not exactly know, but they aren’t afraid to throw out wacky ideas just to see what sticks."

This is what I look for in a mayoral candidate. I too have wacky ideas.

Ry, you're a nice person, but this needs to be said. You already had your learning opportunity, and it’s clear you didn’t take anything from it. You got less than 2% of the vote in the D3 primary—now you think you’re ready to run for mayor of all of Seattle? With no meaningful ideas, no relevant experience, and no visible community leadership since your last failed campaign?

And your big solution to homelessness is… a battleship? That's not just unserious—it’s embarrassing. It makes a joke out of an issue that demands real, informed leadership.

Frankly, I’m exhausted by people like Ry who keep running for office despite being blatantly non-viable, contributing nothing of value, and offering no real solutions. It reeks of narcissism—like the real goal isn’t to serve, but to bask in the self-importance of running for office.

Please do your reputation and the city a favor: drop out. Stay involved in community work, prove your leadership and intelligence there, and develop ideas that people genuinely want to rally behind. The best candidates don’t have to seek attention—people in the community urge them to run. Use Katie Wilson as your model. She put in the work, earned credibility, and is bringing forward good ideas. People have been asking her to run for office for years, and now she has a really good shot at defeating Mayor Harrell.

Your campaign, Ry, feels like nothing but a distraction. Please stop calling and emailing. I will not give you $10.

Not only NO, but HELL NO.

Katie Wilson is just another run of the mill progressive nut job but I'd still vote for her in a second over Armstrong.

Don't listen to the naysayers Ry. True leadership is founded on imagination, moral integrity, courage, and kindness. Being a policy wonk can be an asset, but that's what staff are for. These are strange times requiring out of the box thinking. You have my vote.

Well, at least he wears pantsuits.

"Openly gay in a conservative town, they say they were threatened and harassed. "

The only gay in village? Check out his last campaign video.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMnWbNGbz38

Ry sound PERFECT! For Portland.

Seattle has moved passed incompetent progressives with not experience or skills. The city is trying to heal from progressive policies that resulted in skyrocketing homelessness, crime, human trafficking, and human suffering--despite massive spending.

Ry, try Portland--they will love you.

Again, Catalina Vel-DuRay has the best comment.

Hey, Stranger, you should hire her!

I'd rather have someone like Ry Armstrong in this position than the current mayor. Or the Republican crystal vendor mentioned in the article. They are at least willing to think big and focus on the most important issues and try new things other than just hiring more cops and opposing social housing and generally having no ideas or solutions for anything, which is Harrell's specialty.

I live in the suburbs, though, so it's not up to me. Hopefully at least the more seasoned left-of-center candidates like Katie Wilson can get things going, because the shift to moderate Democratic leadership has failed. We need real, effective progressive policies rather than the current mess or the reactionary policies of those even further to the right.

Hard NO! A boat is not a plan for homelessness. As a homeless advocate for close to two decades, i find the idea that we will solve this complex issue with a boat flippant and frankly immature. We need candidates who have a deep understanding of what drives and what prevents homelessness, not a wink and joke.