Sawant has indicated that the genesis of her becoming a socialist began in India, a country plagued by immense poverty. This development was furthered when she arrived in the United States, which she describes as “the wealthiest country in the history of humanity”, and was surprised to encounter poverty and homelessness. In 2008, she attended a Socialist Alternative meeting after reading a pamphlet and proceeded to become a member.WEB,www.capitolhillseattle.com/2019/10/a-battle-over-amazon-sawant-vs-orion-in-their-own-words-on-district-3-issues-housing-homelessness-public-safety-and-the-environment/, A battle over Amazon? Sawant vs. Orion in their own words on District 3 issues - housing, homelessness, public safety, and the environment, Capitolhillseattle.com, October 31, 2019, July 9, 2020, July 13, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200713003135/https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2019/10/a-battle-over-amazon-sawant-vs-orion-in-their-own-words-on-district-3-issues-housing-homelessness-public-safety-and-the-environment/, live, In 2012, Sawant ran unsuccessfully for Position 1 in the 43rd district of the Washington House of Representatives, representing Seattle. Sawant also ran and advanced past the primaries as a write-in win for Position 2. Washington state law allowed her to choose the election in which she would run, but as a write-in candidate, she was not permitted to state her party preference. Sawant successfully sued the Washington secretary of state for the right to be listed as a Socialist Alternative member on the ballot.NEWS,www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/08/washington_socialist_candidate.html, Associated Press, OregonLive.com, Washington socialist candidate wins suit to state party preference, August 30, 2012, November 19, 2013, February 22, 2014,www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/08/washington_socialist_candidate.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20140222201659www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/08/washington_socialist_candidate.html,">web.archive.org/web/20140222201659www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/08/washington_socialist_candidate.html, live, Sawant challenged incumbent Democratic House speaker Frank Chopp in the general election on November 6, 2012. She received 29% of the vote to Chopp’s 70%.WEB,your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2012nov-general/results/legislative/leg43-rep2.aspx, August 7, 2013, Legislative District 43 : Rep Position 2, State Legislative Races Results, November 2012 General Election, King County Elections, November 28, 2012, March 1, 2014,your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2012nov-general/results/legislative/leg43-rep2.aspx," title="web.archive.org/web/20140301181316your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2012nov-general/results/legislative/leg43-rep2.aspx,">web.archive.org/web/20140301181316your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2012nov-general/results/legislative/leg43-rep2.aspx, live,

Seattle City Council

2013 election

After her unsuccessful run for the House, Sawant entered the race for Seattle City Council with a campaign organized by the Socialist Alternative.WEB, KEXP interview with Kshama Sawant, KEXP-FM,www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HiEXINihrQ#t=91, April 14, 2016, August 22, 2017,web.archive.org/web/20170822151940/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HiEXINihrQ#t=91, live, She won 35% of the vote in the August primary election, and advanced into the general election for the at-large council position 2 against incumbent Richard Conlin, making her the first socialist to advance to a general election in Seattle since 1991.NEWS, Socialist Kshama Sawant wins Seattle City Council seat, Manuel Valdes, Associated Press, November 16, 2013,www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/nov/16/socialist-kshama-sawant-wins-seattle-city-council/, November 17, 2013, May 17, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190517012358/https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2013/nov/16/socialist-kshama-sawant-wins-seattle-city-council/, live, On November 15, 2013, Conlin conceded to Sawant when returns showed him down by 1,640 votes or approximately 1% of the vote.WEB, Conlin Concedes to Socialist Sawant in Seattle Council Race, Martha Kang and Manuel Valdes, November 16, 2013, KNKX.org,knkx.org/post/conlin-concedes-socialist-sawant-seattle-council-race, November 10, 2019, November 10, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20191110040820/https://www.knkx.org/post/conlin-concedes-socialist-sawant-seattle-council-race, live, Sawant’s victory made her the first socialist to win a citywide election in Seattle since Anna Louise Strong was elected to the School Board in 1916 and the first socialist on the City Council since A. W. Piper, elected in 1877.{{Citation |title= Now & Then â€“ Seattle’s Front Street (now 1st Avenue); Essay 2585 |publisher= HistoryLink |first= Paul |last= Dorpat |date= January 1, 1999 |url=www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=2585 |access-date= November 20, 2013 |archive-date= December 12, 2019 |archive-url=www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=2585" title="web.archive.org/web/20191212220954www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=2585">web.archive.org/web/20191212220954www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=2585 |url-status= live }}{{Citation |last= Stripling |first= Sherry |title= Coming home to Carkeek â€“ Carkeek Park, celebrating its 75th birthday, has seen some hard times. But thanks to dogged supporters, it is a refuge for nature, and nature lovers, in the city |newspaper= The Seattle Times |date= August 15, 2004 |url=community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20040815&slug=carkeek15 |access-date= November 21, 2013 |archive-date= December 2, 2013 |archive-url=community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20040815&slug=carkeek15" title="web.archive.org/web/20131202234658community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20040815&slug=carkeek15">web.archive.org/web/20131202234658community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=20040815&slug=carkeek15 |url-status= live }} She was sworn into office on January 6, 2014.WEB, Socialist sworn in as Seattle city council member, Associated Press, USA Today,www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/06/socialist-seattle-city-council/4349923/, January 6, 2016, August 3, 2019, August 3, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190803170504/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/01/06/socialist-seattle-city-council/4349923/, live, (File:$15-hr National Day of Action (16984748179).jpg|thumb|Sawant on $15/hr National Day of Action in 2015)Sawant declared a victory in May 2014 after Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced an increase in the minimum wage to $15, which was the cornerstone of her campaign for City Council, but she is not pleased that large corporations will be allowed a few years to phase in the wage hike.NEWS, Ryan, Buxton, May 1, 2014,www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/01/kshama-sawant-seattle-minimum-wage_n_5249435.html, Kshama Sawant, Seattle City Councilwoman: McDonald’s Doesn’t Need Time To Phase In $15 Minimum Wage, The Huffington Post, May 1, 2014, December 31, 2016,www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/01/kshama-sawant-seattle-minimum-wage_n_5249435.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20161231025650www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/01/kshama-sawant-seattle-minimum-wage_n_5249435.html,">web.archive.org/web/20161231025650www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/01/kshama-sawant-seattle-minimum-wage_n_5249435.html, live, During a speech at the City Council on the day of the vote she said, “We did this. Workers did this. Today’s first major victory for 15 will inspire people all over the nation.“WEB,www.socialistalternative.org/2014/06/03/speech-by-socialist-seattle-city-councilmember-kshama-sawant/, Speech by City Councilmember Sawant on $15 Victory, Socialist Alternative, June 3, 2014, June 3, 2014, June 8, 2014,www.socialistalternative.org/2014/06/03/speech-by-socialist-seattle-city-councilmember-kshama-sawant/," title="web.archive.org/web/20140608163551www.socialistalternative.org/2014/06/03/speech-by-socialist-seattle-city-councilmember-kshama-sawant/,">web.archive.org/web/20140608163551www.socialistalternative.org/2014/06/03/speech-by-socialist-seattle-city-councilmember-kshama-sawant/, live, Several Democrats endorsed her candidacy.WEB, Activist Democrats Support Socialist Candidate Kshama Sawant, Deborah Wang, October 30, 2013, KUOW-FM,kuow.org/post/activist-democrats-support-socialist-candidate-kshama-sawant, October 31, 2013, November 2, 2013,kuow.org/post/activist-democrats-support-socialist-candidate-kshama-sawant," title="web.archive.org/web/20131102040409kuow.org/post/activist-democrats-support-socialist-candidate-kshama-sawant,">web.archive.org/web/20131102040409kuow.org/post/activist-democrats-support-socialist-candidate-kshama-sawant, live, Celebrity endorsements included Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello and System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian.WEB, Sawant Lands Tom Morello/Serj Tankian ‘Axis of Justice’ Endorsement, Matt Driscoll, Seattle Weekly,www.seattleweekly.com/home/949429-129/sawant-endorsement-justice-axis-seattle-social, November 1, 2013,www.seattleweekly.com/home/949429-129/sawant-endorsement-justice-axis-seattle-social," title="web.archive.org/web/20160304070905www.seattleweekly.com/home/949429-129/sawant-endorsement-justice-axis-seattle-social,">web.archive.org/web/20160304070905www.seattleweekly.com/home/949429-129/sawant-endorsement-justice-axis-seattle-social, March 4, 2016, dead, Sawant received no endorsements from sitting councilmembers, while Mike O’Brien expressed support of the idea of third party candidates but explicitly declining to extend an endorsement of Sawant.WEB, Mike O’Brien Expected to Make ‘Significant Statement’ In Support of Sawant, Matt Driscoll, Seattle Weekly,www.seattleweekly.com/news/thedailyweekly/949630-129/sawant-brien-campaign-statement-according-council, October 31, 2013, November 3, 2013,www.seattleweekly.com/news/thedailyweekly/949630-129/sawant-brien-campaign-statement-according-council," title="web.archive.org/web/20131103063811www.seattleweekly.com/news/thedailyweekly/949630-129/sawant-brien-campaign-statement-according-council,">web.archive.org/web/20131103063811www.seattleweekly.com/news/thedailyweekly/949630-129/sawant-brien-campaign-statement-according-council, live, The Stranger alt-weekly endorsed both her State House and her City Council candidacy.NEWS, Endorsements for the August 7 Primary Election, Vote or We’ll Kill You, The Stranger (newspaper), The Stranger, Stranger Election Control Board, July 17, 2012,www.thestranger.com/seattle/vote-or-well-kill-you/Content?oid=14208972, August 7, 2013, August 6, 2013,www.thestranger.com/seattle/vote-or-well-kill-you/Content?oid=14208972," title="web.archive.org/web/20130806110109www.thestranger.com/seattle/vote-or-well-kill-you/Content?oid=14208972,">web.archive.org/web/20130806110109www.thestranger.com/seattle/vote-or-well-kill-you/Content?oid=14208972, live, Councilman Nick Licata also declined to endorse her but spoke positively of her campaign saying, “she has been able to craft a message that is understandable, simple and eschews most of the rhetoric”, and when her eventual election victory seemed unlikely, he expressed his hope that Sawant would not “disappear after the election if she loses. She represents the poor, the immigrants, the refugeesâ€”the folks who are not in our City Council offices lobbying us.“WEB, Why Socialist Kshama Sawant’s Campaign Matters, Win Or Lose, Isolde Raftery, KUOW-FM,kuow.org/post/why-socialist-kshama-sawants-campaign-matters-win-or-lose, November 17, 2013, November 9, 2013,kuow.org/post/why-socialist-kshama-sawants-campaign-matters-win-or-lose," title="web.archive.org/web/20131109024759kuow.org/post/why-socialist-kshama-sawants-campaign-matters-win-or-lose,">web.archive.org/web/20131109024759kuow.org/post/why-socialist-kshama-sawants-campaign-matters-win-or-lose, live,

Tenure

During her campaign, Sawant said that, if elected, she would donate the portion of her salary as a City Council member that exceeded the average salary in Seattle.WEB, Kshama Sawant: A Socialist, Indian-American Woman Running For Seattle City Council... And She May Win, International Business Times, Palash Ghosh, October 16, 2013,www.ibtimes.com/kshama-sawant-socialist-indian-american-woman-running-seattle-city-council-she-may-win-1428780, October 29, 2013, November 3, 2013,www.ibtimes.com/kshama-sawant-socialist-indian-american-woman-running-seattle-city-council-she-may-win-1428780," title="web.archive.org/web/20131103211134www.ibtimes.com/kshama-sawant-socialist-indian-american-woman-running-seattle-city-council-she-may-win-1428780,">web.archive.org/web/20131103211134www.ibtimes.com/kshama-sawant-socialist-indian-american-woman-running-seattle-city-council-she-may-win-1428780, live, NEWS, For Seattle council: Conlin against Sawant, O’Brien against Shen, Seattle Times, Young, Bob, August 6, 2013,seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021552376_elexseattlecitycouncilxml.html, August 7, 2013, November 3, 2013,seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021552376_elexseattlecitycouncilxml.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20131103043621seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021552376_elexseattlecitycouncilxml.html,">web.archive.org/web/20131103043621seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2021552376_elexseattlecitycouncilxml.html, live, On January 27, 2014, she announced that she would live on $40,000 of her $117,000 salary.Jeff Black (January 27, 2014). Seattle’s Socialist councilwoman to accept less than half of $117K salary {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129181420usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/27/22472667-seattles-socialist-councilwoman-to-accept-less-than-half-of-117k-salary |date=January 29, 2014 }}. NBC News. Retrieved January 28, 2014. She places the rest into a political fund that she uses for social justice campaigns.NEWS, Meet the Seattle Socialist Leading the Fight for a $15 Minimum Wage, Kevin Roose, New York Magazine,nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/05/kshama-sawant-seattle-socialist.html, May 27, 2014, May 27, 2014,nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/05/kshama-sawant-seattle-socialist.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20140527214902nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/05/kshama-sawant-seattle-socialist.html,">web.archive.org/web/20140527214902nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/05/kshama-sawant-seattle-socialist.html, live, As of September 19, 2021, she cited her current city-allotted salary as $140,000, while she continues to take home $40,000 of that amount.Council Connection (September 19, 2021). Councilmember Sawant: We Must All Back the Courageous Carpenters Strike {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210920005840council.seattle.gov/2021/09/18/councilmember-sawant-we-must-all-back-the-courageous-carpenters-strike/|date=September 20, 2021}}. Council Connection. Retrieved September 19, 2021.Sawant called for the expansion of bus and light rail capacity with a millionaire’s tax. She has also called for “transit justice”, which would include free user fares; an increase in free transit services to the poor, especially communities in south Seattle; and restriction of transit options to communities that “can afford other options” until the foregoing measures are implemented.WEB, What Our Campaign Stands For, Kshama Sawant, Wayback Machine, July 27, 2012,votesawant.org/?q=node/3, dead,votesawant.org/?q=node%2F3," title="web.archive.org/web/20120727035507votesawant.org/?q=node%2F3,">web.archive.org/web/20120727035507votesawant.org/?q=node%2F3, July 27, 2012, During the 2014 Israelâ€“Gaza conflict, Sawant urged the Seattle City Council to condemn both Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Hamas’s attacks on Israel, and called on President Obama and Congress to denounce the Israeli blockade of Gaza and to cut off all military assistance to Israel.WEB,www.salon.com/2014/08/09/they_don%E2%80%99t_have_the_courage_how_the_two_party_system_aided_israel_disaster/, “They don’t have the courage”: How the two-party system aided Israel disaster, Salon.com, August 9, 2014, August 18, 2014, August 17, 2014,www.salon.com/2014/08/09/they_don%e2%80%99t_have_the_courage_how_the_two_party_system_aided_israel_disaster/," title="web.archive.org/web/20140817115216www.salon.com/2014/08/09/they_don%e2%80%99t_have_the_courage_how_the_two_party_system_aided_israel_disaster/,">web.archive.org/web/20140817115216www.salon.com/2014/08/09/they_don%e2%80%99t_have_the_courage_how_the_two_party_system_aided_israel_disaster/, live, {{Citation |url=blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2014/08/13/war-in-gaza-israel-takes-fire-from-two-seattle-city-council-members/ |title= War in Gaza: Israel takes fire from two Seattle City Council members |date= August 13, 2014 |first= Joel |last= Connelly |newspaper= Seattle P-I |access-date= December 18, 2014 |archive-date= December 18, 2014 |archive-url=blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2014/08/13/war-in-gaza-israel-takes-fire-from-two-seattle-city-council-members/" title="web.archive.org/web/20141218180628blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2014/08/13/war-in-gaza-israel-takes-fire-from-two-seattle-city-council-members/">web.archive.org/web/20141218180628blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2014/08/13/war-in-gaza-israel-takes-fire-from-two-seattle-city-council-members/ |url-status= live }} Sawant’s call to condemn Israel’s actions prompted a response from Israeli ambassador Ron Dermer, calling for Sawant to retract the statement.WEB,mynorthwest.com/992/2581426/Ambassador-of-Israel-to-US-says-Seattles-Kshama-Sawant-will-have-to-retract-her-statements, Ambassador of Israel to US says Seattle’s Kshama Sawant will have to retract statements, MyNorthwest.com â€“ Blog, August 7, 2014, August 18, 2014, August 10, 2014,mynorthwest.com/992/2581426/Ambassador-of-Israel-to-US-says-Seattles-Kshama-Sawant-will-have-to-retract-her-statements," title="web.archive.org/web/20140810072123mynorthwest.com/992/2581426/Ambassador-of-Israel-to-US-says-Seattles-Kshama-Sawant-will-have-to-retract-her-statements,">web.archive.org/web/20140810072123mynorthwest.com/992/2581426/Ambassador-of-Israel-to-US-says-Seattles-Kshama-Sawant-will-have-to-retract-her-statements, live,

2015 election

The core issues of Sawant’s campaign were a successful minimum wage increase to $15/hour, a successful “millionaire’s tax” or income tax on wealthy Seattleites, and an unsuccessful rent control program. Back during the 2013 campaign, Sawant had said rent control is “something everyone supports, except real estate developers and people like Richard Conlin” and compared the legal fight for its implementation to same-sex marriage, and the legalization of marijuana in the United States, both of which she supports. Her campaign for a $15 an hour minimum wage has been credited for bringing the issue into the mainstream and attracting support for the policy from both Seattle former Mayors Michael McGinn and Ed Murray.WEB, Kshama Sawant Is A Socialist But What Does That Even Mean?, Ross Reynolds and David Hyde, KUOW, November 18, 2013,kuow.org/post/kshama-sawant-socialist-what-does-even-mean, November 19, 2013, February 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210216024704/https://kuow.org/stories/kshama-sawant-socialist-what-does-even-mean/, live, In response to criticism that a $15 an hour minimum wage could hurt the economy, she said, “If making sure that workers get out of poverty would severely impact the economy, then maybe we don’t need this economy.” She is also a supporter of expanding public transit and bikeways, ending corporate welfare, ending racial profiling, reducing taxes on small businesses and homeowners, protecting public sector unions from layoffs, living wage union jobs, and social services.Sawant’s platform of non-local Seattle issues, like rent control, income tax, corporate welfare, supporting the minimum wage outside Seattle, in SeaTac, and other cities, and participating in the Seattle Arctic drilling protests drew criticism from Sawant’s opponents and favor with her leftist supporters.{{Citation |title= Kshama Sawant vs. Pamela Banks: Grandiose designs vs. local grounding |first= Joel |last= Connelly |date= October 5, 2015 |url=blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2015/10/05/kshama-sawant-vs-pamela-banks-grandiose-designs-vs-local-grounding/ |newspaper= Seattle P-I |access-date= January 27, 2016 |archive-date= January 27, 2016 |archive-url=blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2015/10/05/kshama-sawant-vs-pamela-banks-grandiose-designs-vs-local-grounding/" title="web.archive.org/web/20160127024049blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2015/10/05/kshama-sawant-vs-pamela-banks-grandiose-designs-vs-local-grounding/">web.archive.org/web/20160127024049blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2015/10/05/kshama-sawant-vs-pamela-banks-grandiose-designs-vs-local-grounding/ |url-status= live }} Her District 3 opponent Pamela Banks criticized Sawant’s status as a national figure was a distraction from her primary duty to serve her constituents. The Seattle Times, in their endorsement of Banks, said the City Council “isn’t a job for an ideologue” and that “the District 3 seat is more than a podium”, that it “needs a collaborative leader to work with other districts and balance resources and investment.“{{Citation |url=www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/the-times-recommends-pamela-banks-in-seattle-city-council-district-no-3/ |newspaper=The Seattle Times |title= The Times recommends: Pamela Banks in Seattle City Council District No. 3 |date=July 9, 2015 |author= Seattle Times editorial board }} On April 7, 2015, journalist Chris Hedges endorsed Sawant.Kiley, Brendan (June 6, 2015) A Quick Interview With Journalist Chris Hedges {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712011124www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2015/06/06/22341657/a-hasty-interview-with-journalist-chris-hedges |date=July 12, 2015 }}. The Stranger.Connelly, Joel (June 7, 2015) Kshama Sawant: I represent “aspirations of tens of thousands of people” {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150712044238blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2015/06/07/kshama-sawant-i-represent-aspirations-of-tens-of-thousands-of-people/#23925101=0 |date=July 12, 2015 }}. June 7, 2015Sawant advanced through the primary election for City Council District 3 representative on August 4, 2015 with 52% of the vote, 18 percentage points ahead of her closest opponent, Pamela Banks at 34%.WEB,electionsdata.kingcounty.gov/2015/election-results-august/three/City/Seattle/City+of+Seattle+Council+District+No.+3, The Data Platform for 21st Century Digital Government, Socrata, Inc., October 17, 2018, February 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210216024646/https://kingcounty.gov/depts/elections/about-us/data-and-statistics.aspx, live, WEB,q13fox.com/2015/08/04/primary-seattles-sawant-gets-strong-primary-vote-incumbent-godden-may-be-in-trouble/, Election: Seattle’s Sawant gets strong primary vote; incumbent Godden may be in trouble, August 5, 2015, October 17, 2018, October 18, 2018,web.archive.org/web/20181018122426/https://q13fox.com/2015/08/04/primary-seattles-sawant-gets-strong-primary-vote-incumbent-godden-may-be-in-trouble/, live, Voters returned Sawant to the City Council and made her the first District 3 representative in November 2015, with 17,170 votes counted for Sawant and 13,427 for Banks, or 56% to 44%. With incumbent O’Brien elected to District 6, and former Licata aide Lisa Herbold elected to District 1, they, along with Sawant, became the new progressive bloc of the Council, which became majority female with the addition of two other women, Debora Juarez and Lorena GonzÃ¡lez.{{Citation |url=www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/younger-more-diverse-seattle-city-council-could-bring-changes/ |title= Younger, more diverse Seattle City Council likely to bring changes |date= December 18, 2015 |first= Daniel |last= Beekman |access-date= January 28, 2016 |archive-date= February 16, 2021 |archive-url=web.archive.org/web/20210216024712/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/younger-more-diverse-seattle-city-council-could-bring-changes/ |url-status= live }} Sawant, as one of the four people of color on the new Council, also became part of a younger and more diverse Council, the first to seat members by district in more than 100 years.

2019 election

In 2019, Sawant ran against Egan Orion, the head of the United States Chamber of Commerce in Capitol Hill.NEWS, April 9, 2019, These Seattle City Council candidates want Kshama Sawant’s seat, Crosscut.com,crosscut.com/2019/04/these-seattle-city-council-candidates-want-kshama-sawants-seat, live,archive.today/20210622124758/https://crosscut.com/2019/04/these-seattle-city-council-candidates-want-kshama-sawants-seat, June 22, 2021, June 22, 2021, NEWS, April 2, 2019, Capitol Hill leader Egan Orion challenges Sawant in D3 race, KIRO-FM, MyNorthwest,mynorthwest.com/1331566/egan-orion-seattle-council-campaign/?, live,archive.today/20210622125409/https://mynorthwest.com/1331566/egan-orion-seattle-council-campaign/?, June 22, 2021, June 22, 2021, Sawant was endorsed by the Democrats of Seattle’s 43rd Legislative District.WEB, Capitol Hill Seattle Blog, ‘History’ â€” 43rd District Democrats endorse ‘non-Democrat’ Sawant, September 18, 2019,www.capitolhillseattle.com/2019/09/history-43rd-district-democrats-endorse-non-democrat-sawant/, The 2019 Seattle City Council election gained national attention after Amazon spent an unprecedented $1.5 million on the campaign.NEWS,www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/amazon-drops-additional-1-million-plus-into-seattle-city-council-races-with-ballots-mailing-this-week/, Amazon drops additional $1 million-plus into Seattle City Council races, with ballots out this week, Beekman, Daniel, Brunner, Jim, October 15, 2019, The Seattle Times, November 9, 2019, February 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210216024703/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/amazon-drops-additional-1-million-plus-into-seattle-city-council-races-with-ballots-mailing-this-week/, live, The company, which is the largest private employer in the city,NEWS,www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2019-11-07/amazon-kshama-sawant-seattle-socialist, Amazon spends big in attempt to defeat socialist City Council member in Seattle election, Read, Richard, November 7, 2019, The Los Angeles Times, November 9, 2019, contributed the funds to a political action committee operated by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce which backs candidates the chamber considers to be more “business-friendly”.NEWS,www.washingtonpost.com/politics/amazons-spending-in-seattle-council-races-doesnt-deliver/2019/11/06/d9fb2ac0-00f8-11ea-8341-cc3dce52e7de_story.html, Amazon’s spending in Seattle Council races doesn’t deliver, Johnson, Gene, November 6, 2019, The Washington Post, November 9, 2019, February 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210216022246/https://www.washingtonpost.com/, dead, The PAC supported Sawant’s opponent in the race. Amazon became increasingly involved in city council politics after the passage of the Seattle head tax in 2018, which would have cost the company $11 million annually in order to fund public housing and homeless services.MAGAZINE,time.com/5713537/amazon-seattle-city-council/,web.archive.org/web/20191029214253/https://time.com/5713537/amazon-seattle-city-council/, dead, October 29, 2019, Amazon Spends $1 Million to Remake Seattle’s Liberal City Council, Johnson, Gene, Associated Press, October 29, 2019, Time (magazine), Time, November 9, 2019, Shortly after enacting the tax, the city council voted 7â€“2 to repeal it, with Sawant being one of the two dissenters.NEWS, Johnson, Eric M., June 12, 2018, Seattle City Council repeals ‘head tax’ weeks after enactment,www.reuters.com/article/us-seattle-tax/seattle-city-council-repeals-head-tax-weeks-after-enactment-idUSKBN1J82UB, Reuters, November 9, 2019, On November 5, 2019, Sawant was elected to a third term on the Seattle City Council with 51.8% of the vote.NEWS,www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/09/seattle-amazon-kshama-sawant-socialist-elections, Blow to Amazon as Seattle socialist looks to have triumphed in key vote, Golden, Hallie, November 9, 2019, The Guardian, November 9, 2019, February 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210216024650/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/09/seattle-amazon-kshama-sawant-socialist-elections, live,

2020â€“present

File:2021 Seattle City Council 3rd district recall election by precinct.svg|thumb|right|Precinct results of the 2021 Seattle City Council 3rd district recall election 2021 Seattle City Council 3rd district recall electionSawant and Mayor Jenny Durkan repeatedly clashed, and in June 2020, Sawant said that the mayor should resign.WEB,www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/durkan-asks-seattle-city-council-to-investigate-sawant-for-contemptuous-behavior/, Durkan asks Seattle City Council to investigate Sawant for ‘contemptuous’ behavior, The Seattle Times, June 30, 2020, June 30, 2020, Beekman, Daniel, February 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210216024707/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/durkan-asks-seattle-city-council-to-investigate-sawant-for-contemptuous-behavior/, live, In a letter to the Council president on June 30, 2020, Durkan asked the City Council to investigate Sawant under its city charter authority to punish members for “disorderly or otherwise contemptuous behavior,” writing that Sawant had participated in a march to her home, knowing that her address “was protected under the state confidentiality program because of threats against me due largely to my work as U.S. Attorney.” The mayor accused Sawant and others of acting “with reckless disregard of the safety of my family and children.” Additionally, Sawant led protesters into Seattle City Hall, which was closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic, on the evening of June 9, 2020.WEB,www.king5.com/article/news/local/protests/seattle-protesters-enter-city-hall/281-35cf42b7-c634-4fef-a0df-09ade640a735, Seattle protesters enter City Hall calling for change and mayor’s resignation, king5.com, June 10, 2020, December 21, 2020, February 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210216024706/https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/protests/seattle-protesters-enter-city-hall/281-35cf42b7-c634-4fef-a0df-09ade640a735, live, Durkan also alleged that Sawant had used her council office to promote the “Tax Amazon” ballot initiative, urged protesters to occupy the East Precinct police station, and involved Socialist Alternative in her council office staffing decisions. Durkan said that she respected policy disagreements with members, but that these disagreements, “do not justify a council member who potentially uses their position in violation of law or who recklessly undermines the safety of others, all for political theatre.” In response, Sawant accused Durkan of being the leader of a “pro-corporate political establishment” and of carrying out “an attack on working people’s movements.“In August 2020, petitioner Ernie Lou submitted a petition to the King County Elections Office to recall Sawant, which was allowed to proceed in a decision by the Washington Supreme Court on April 1, 2021.WEB, Kshama Sawant recall, Seattle, Washington (2020-2021), Ballotpedia,ballotpedia.org/Kshama_Sawant_recall,_Seattle,_Washington_(2020-2021), March 16, 2021, Sawant responded by denying the charges in the petition and claiming that the recall effort was backed by right-wing billionaires.NEWS, Seattle man claims he was fired for launching recall effort against Councilmember Kshama Sawant, Fox News,www.foxnews.com/politics/washington-supreme-court-kshama-sawant-seattle-recall, The recall campaign was criticised by journalist Liza Featherstone, who characterised it as being controlled by “tech corporations, real estate interests, and business lobbyists”.WEB,jacobinmag.com/2021/04/kshama-sawant-amazon-city-council-seat, Defend Kshama Sawant, Jacobin (magazine), Jacobin, Featherstone, Liza, Liza Featherstone, April 7, 2021, April 7, 2021, In September 2021, the King County Elections Office set the recall election date for December 7.WEB, Recall vote for Seattle City Council’s Kshama Sawant set for December 7, KOMO News,komonews.com/news/politics/recall-vote-for-seattle-city-council-member-kshama-sawant-will-be-on-the-ballot, September 29, 2021, Sawant’s strategy for the recall election focused on driving up turnout among young voters, one of her core constituencies.WEB,jacobinmag.com/2021/12/seattle-kshama-sawant-reelection-socialism-city-council-capitalist-strategy, Seattle’s Capitalists Couldn’t Defeat Kshama Sawant, Jacobin, Silverstein, Richard, Richard Silverstein, December 10, 2021, December 10, 2021, It was the first recall election held in Seattle since the 1975 recall election against Mayor Wesley C. Uhlman.NEWS, November 18, 2021, Sawant recall campaign in full swing and Noam Chomsky has a bit role, Puget Sound Business Journal,www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2021/11/18/sawant-recall-campaign.html, live,archive.today/20211211084457/https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2021/11/18/sawant-recall-campaign.html, December 11, 2021, December 11, 2021, The results of the election were close, with Sawant overcoming the recall by 310 votes, which was 0.76% of the 41,033 votes cast. The turnout was 52.9%.NEWS, Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant defeats recall effort,www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seattle-city-councilmember-kshama-sawant-defeats-recall-effort/, December 16, 2021, Sarah Grace, Taylor, Seattle Times, On January 19, 2023, Sawant announced that she would retire from the city council at the end of the year, instead announcing that she would be launching Workers Strike Back, a national labor movement.WEB, Sawant, Kshama,www.thestranger.com/guest-editorial/2023/01/19/78821484/why-im-not-running-again-for-city-council, Why I’m Not Running Again for City Council, The Stranger (newspaper), The Stranger, January 19, 2023, January 19, 2023,

Political positions

Sawant has advocated the nationalization of large Washington State corporations such as Boeing, Microsoft, and AmazonWEB,crosscut.com/2015/09/qa-councilmember-sawant-on-public-broadband-and-a-socialist-microsoft/, Q&A: Councilmember Sawant on public broadband and a socialist Microsoft, Drew, Atkins, September 2, 2015, Crosscut, January 27, 2016, October 6, 2015,crosscut.com/2015/09/qa-councilmember-sawant-on-public-broadband-and-a-socialist-microsoft/," title="web.archive.org/web/20151006112145crosscut.com/2015/09/qa-councilmember-sawant-on-public-broadband-and-a-socialist-microsoft/,">web.archive.org/web/20151006112145crosscut.com/2015/09/qa-councilmember-sawant-on-public-broadband-and-a-socialist-microsoft/, live, and expressed a desire to see privately owned housing in “Millionaire’s Row” in the Capitol Hill neighborhood turned into publicly owned shared housing complex saying, “When things are exquisitely beautiful and rare, they shouldn’t be privately owned.“WEB, You might be a socialist if... An interview with Kshama Sawant, Sarah Stuteville, Seattle Globalist, October 30, 2012,www.seattleglobalist.com/2012/10/30/you-might-be-a-socialist-if-an-interview-with-kshama-sawant/7721, During an election victory rally for her City Council campaign, Sawant criticized Boeing for saying it would move jobs out of state if it could not get wage concessions and tax breaks. She called this “economic terrorism” and said in several speeches that if the company moved jobs out of state, the workers should take over its facilities and bring them into public ownership. She has said they could be converted into multiple uses, such as production for buses.WEB, Seattle City Councilmember-elect shares radical idea with Boeing workers, Gary Horcher, KIRO-TV, November 19, 2013,www.kirotv.com/news/news/seattle-city-councilmember-elect-shares-radical-id/nbxbC/,www.kirotv.com/news/news/seattle-city-councilmember-elect-shares-radical-id/nbxbC/," title="web.archive.org/web/20131122004252www.kirotv.com/news/news/seattle-city-councilmember-elect-shares-radical-id/nbxbC/,">web.archive.org/web/20131122004252www.kirotv.com/news/news/seattle-city-councilmember-elect-shares-radical-id/nbxbC/, 2013-11-22, WEB, Longshot winner of Seattle City Council seat warns of struggle ahead, Chris Legeros, KIRO-TV, November 18, 2013,www.kirotv.com/news/news/longshot-winner-seattle-city-council-seat-warns-st/nbwhK/, Sawant maintains that a socialist economy cannot exist in a single country and must be a global system just as capitalism today is a global system.WEB,www.salon.com/2013/11/18/capitalism_is_a_dirty_word_meet_the_nations_new_socialist_councilmember/, Capitalism is a “dirty word”: America’s new socialist council member talks to Salon, Josh Eidelson, November 18, 2013, Salon, November 19, 2013, File:Sawant-Classroom-Visit (42158553371).jpg|thumb|Sawant greeting students that are touring Seattle City Hall Seattle City HallSawant opposed the construction of the Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement tunnel calling it “environmentally destructive” and “something most people were against, most environmental groups were against”.She opposed the Seattle Public Schools Measures of Academic Progress test in public schools, and supported the teachers’ boycott of the standardized tests.WEB, Sawant Campaign Issues Page, votesawant.org,www.votesawant.org/issues, Sawant has called for a revolt against student debt saying that “the laws of the rich are unenforceable if the working class refuses to obey those laws”. She is an active member of the American Federation of Teachers union and has been critical of American labor union leadership, saying the leadership, “in the last 30 years has completely betrayed the working class. They are hand in glove with the Democratic Party, pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into their campaigns, and they tell rank and file workers that you have to be happy with these crumbs”. Sawant believes the American Labor movement should break with the Democratic Party and run grassroots left-wing candidates.Sawant advocates for a moratorium on deportations of undocumented immigrants from Seattle and granting unconditional citizenship for all persons currently in the United States without citizenship. She opposes the E-Verify system.

Political ideology

Sawant is a member of Socialist Alternative, the United States section of the Trotskyist international organization the International Socialist Alternative, formerly the Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI).WEB, Kshama Sawant Speech at Vote Sawant election night party 11/6/2012, Socialist Alternative,www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3Ur_4Ur-ss, WEB, Speech: Relevance of Socialism in Seattle today, Socialist Alternative, YouTube,www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3phth27dSU, Sawant said she rejects working with either the Democratic or the Republican party and advocates abandoning the two-party system.Matt Taylor (April 28, 2014). Is Seattle’s Socialist City Council Member Going to Show Us How to Ditch the Two-Party System? {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403035251www.vice.com/read/we-talked-socialist-city-councilwoman-from-seattle-about-ditching-the-two-party-system |date=April 3, 2016 }} Vice. Retrieved May 1, 2014. She has called for “a movement to break the undemocratic power of big business and build a society that works for working people, not corporate profitsâ€”a democratic socialist society.“United States: Seattle socialist Kshama Sawant defeats Democrat incumbent {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216024655links.org.au/node/3592 |date=February 16, 2021 }}. Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal. Retrieved November 17, 2013. In 2013, Sawant urged other left-wing groups, including Greens and trade unions, “to use her campaign as a model to inspire a much broader movement”.On February 20, 2019 she published an article in Socialist Alternative backing Bernie Sanders’ run for the Democratic nomination.WEB,www.socialistalternative.org/2019/02/20/lets-use-bernies-2020-campaign-to-launch-a-mass-working-class-fightback/, Let’s Use Bernie’s 2020 Campaign to Launch a Mass Working Class Fightback, Sawant, Kshama, February 20, 2019, Socialist Alternative (United States), Socialist Alternative, November 28, 2019, In 2020, she spoke at a campaign rally for him at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, Washington.{{Citation|title=Seattle Councilwoman Kshama Sawant introducing Bernie Sanders at a rally on Monday|url=https://www.facebook.com/foxandfriends/videos/seattle-councilwoman-kshama-sawant-introducing-bernie-sanders-at-a-rally-on-mond/2422199561425041/|language=en|access-date=April 10, 2020}} She joined the Democratic Socialists of America in February 2021.WEB, Mullen, Keely, 2021-02-26, Why I’m Joining Democratic Socialists of America,www.socialistalternative.org/2021/02/26/why-im-joining-democratic-socialists-of-america/, 2021-05-22, Socialist Alternative, en-US,

Occupy movement

(File:Transgender Pride Day Proclamation (35403555282).jpg|thumb|Sawant at Transgender Pride Day Proclamation)Before running for office, Sawant received attention as an organizer in the local Occupy movement. She praised Occupy for putting “class,” “capitalism,” and “socialism” into the political debate. After Occupy Seattle protesters were removed from Westlake Park by order of Seattle Mayor Michael McGinn, Sawant helped bring them to the Capitol Hill campus of Seattle Central Community College, where they remained for two months. She joined with Occupy activists working with local organizations to resist home evictions and foreclosures, and was arrested with several Occupy activists including Dorli Rainey on July 31, 2012 for blocking King County Sheriff’s deputies from evicting a man from his home.WEB, Council hopeful Sawant arrested during anti-eviction protest, Brian M. Rosenthal, Brian M., Rosenthal, The Seattle Times, July 31, 2012,blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2013/07/31/council-hopeful-sawant-arrested-during-anti-eviction-protest/, November 18, 2013, August 18, 2013,blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2013/07/31/council-hopeful-sawant-arrested-during-anti-eviction-protest/," title="web.archive.org/web/20130818094804blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2013/07/31/council-hopeful-sawant-arrested-during-anti-eviction-protest/,">web.archive.org/web/20130818094804blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2013/07/31/council-hopeful-sawant-arrested-during-anti-eviction-protest/, live, The Sawant state campaign criticized the raiding of Occupy Wall Street activists’ homes by the Seattle Police Department’s SWAT team.WEB,www.socialistalternative.org/news/article10.php?id=1882, July 19, 2012, dead,www.socialistalternative.org/news/article10.php?id=1882," title="web.archive.org/web/20120805201048www.socialistalternative.org/news/article10.php?id=1882,">web.archive.org/web/20120805201048www.socialistalternative.org/news/article10.php?id=1882, August 5, 2012, Police Raid Occupy Seattle Activists’ Apartment - Tell Seattle Mayor McGinn to stop the political repression!, WEB,mynorthwest.com/11/704637/Police-conduct-raid-in-May-Day-investigation, Police serve warrant in May Day investigation - Local, MyNorthwest.com, July 10, 2012, February 9, 2014, She also advocated on LGBT, women’s, and people of color issues, and opposed cuts to education and other social programs.WEB,www.olyblog.net/student-debt-explosion-new-indentured-servitude, The Student Debt Explosion: The New Indentured Servitude?, OlyBlog, February 27, 2012, February 9, 2014, She gave a teach-in course at an all-night course at Seattle Central Community College.WEB,www.capitolhillseattle.com/2011/10/30/occupy-capitol-hill-all-night-teach-in-at-seattle-central, Occupy Capitol Hill | All-night ‘teach in’ at Seattle Central | CHS Capitol Hill Seattle, Capitolhillseattle.com, October 30, 2011, February 9, 2014,

Civil disobedience

On November 19, 2014, Sawant was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct at a $15 minimum wage protest in SeaTac, Washington. She was released on $500 bail. On May 1, 2015, a SeaTac municipal court judge dismissed charges against her. The judge determined that testimony provided by police demonstrated that it was technically the police themselves, not protesters, who had blocked traffic.WEB, SeaTac judge tosses case against Kshama Sawant, 2 others, Daniel Beekman, May 2015, Seattle Times,www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seatac-judge-tosses-case-against-kshama-sawant-2-others/, May 8, 2015, February 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210216024712/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/seatac-judge-tosses-case-against-kshama-sawant-2-others/, live, In a February 2017 article in the socialist magazine Jacobin, Sawant called for a “wave of protests and strikes” on May Day, including “workplace actions as well a mass peaceful civil disobedience that shuts down highways, airports, and other key infrastructure”.Kshama Sawant, Why We Should Strike on May Day, Jacobin (February 21, 2017). Her statement was controversial: Seattle Mayor Ed Murray said that it was “unfortunate and perhaps even tragic for an elected official to encourage people to confront and engage in confrontations with the police department” and the Washington State Patrol called the writings “irresponsible” and “reckless”.Steve Kiggins, weblink {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216024656www.q13fox.com/news/sawant-insists-may-day-march-will-be-peaceful-despite-calling-for-protesters-to-block-freeway-airport|date=February 16, 2021}}, KCPQ (April 27, 2017).In June 2020, Sawant was criticized by the Trotskyist World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) for supposedly working “along politically harmless channels by promoting illusions in local police reform” and for promoting “the anarchistic commune” known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ).WEB,www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/06/19/seat-j19.html, Socialist Alternative’s Kshama Sawant promotes local police reform, Democratic Party politics, World Socialist Web Site, June 19, 2020, June 19, 2020, Patron, Julio, Costa, Kayla, June 27, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200627092929/https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/06/19/seat-j19.html, live, Following a June 20 shooting in the zone that left one man dead and another critically wounded,WEB,www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/after-early-morning-shooting-in-chop-occupied-area-returns-to-its-new-normal/, After early morning shooting in CHOP, occupied area returns to its new normal, The Seattle Times, June 20, 2020, June 20, 2020, Gutman, David, Kiley, Brendan, Furfaro, Hannah, Carter, Mike, June 21, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200621202748/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/after-early-morning-shooting-in-chop-occupied-area-returns-to-its-new-normal/, live, Sawant said there were “indications that this may have been a right-wing attack,” for which President Trump would bear “direct responsibility, since he has fomented reactionary hatred specifically against the peaceful Capitol Hill occupation”.WEB,www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/06/20/43944133/one-dead-one-in-critical-condition-after-shooting-at-chop-at-220-am, One Dead, One in Critical Condition After Shooting at CHOP at 2:20 am, The Stranger (newspaper), The Stranger, June 20, 2020, June 21, 2020, Frizzelle, Christopher, Smith, Rich, February 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210216024712/https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2020/06/20/43944133/one-dead-one-in-critical-condition-after-shooting-at-chop-at-220-am, live, WEB,www.kuow.org/stories/updates-on-protests-for-racial-justice-in-the-seattle-area-june-15-21, Updates on protests for racial justice in the Seattle area (June 15â€“21), KUOW-FM, June 21, 2020, June 23, 2020, Oxley, Dyer, WEB,council.seattle.gov/2020/06/20/statement-on-the-shooting-at-the-capitol-hill-organized-protest/, Statement on the Shooting at the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, City of Seattle, June 20, 2020, June 21, 2020, Sawant, Kshama, February 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210216024705/https://council.seattle.gov/2020/06/20/statement-on-the-shooting-at-the-capitol-hill-organized-protest/, live, Two days later, The Seattle Times reported, Sawant “walked back her unfounded claim that the shooting ‘may have been a right-wing attack.’ She now says that appears to be incorrect”.WEB,www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-police-will-return-to-east-precinct-where-chop-has-reigned-durkan-says/, Seattle will phase down CHOP at night, police will return to East Precinct, Durkan says, The Seattle Times, June 22, 2020, June 23, 2020, Gutman, David, Brodeur, Nicole, June 24, 2020,web.archive.org/web/20200624150446/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/seattle-police-will-return-to-east-precinct-where-chop-has-reigned-durkan-says/, live,

Personal life

Sawant is often reticent about her personal life and background, preferring to stick to political issues. She has said that her entire family remains in India with her mother currently residing in Bangalore. During her 2013 campaign for the Seattle City Council, she indicated that she and her husband Vivek Sawant, had been separated for nearly six years. In 2014, Sawant and Calvin Priest, a Seattle Socialist Alternative organizer, purchased a home together in the Leschi neighborhood.WEB,www.capitolhillseattle.com/2016/08/where-is-kshama-getting-married/, Where is Kshama? Getting married, Capitolhillseattle.com, August 16, 2016, July 9, 2020, September 25, 2019,web.archive.org/web/20190925220324/https://www.capitolhillseattle.com/2016/08/where-is-kshama-getting-married/, live, In 2016, Sawant took time off to be out of the country for their wedding. Kshama became a United States citizen in 2010.WEB, Richard Conlin making issue of Kshama Sawant’s voter registration, Brian M. Rosenthal, Brian M., Rosenthal, The Seattle Times,blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2013/10/08/richard-conlin-making-issue-of-kshama-sawants-voter-registration/, November 16, 2013, December 3, 2013,blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2013/10/08/richard-conlin-making-issue-of-kshama-sawants-voter-registration/," title="web.archive.org/web/20131203030019blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2013/10/08/richard-conlin-making-issue-of-kshama-sawants-voter-registration/,">web.archive.org/web/20131203030019blogs.seattletimes.com/politicsnorthwest/2013/10/08/richard-conlin-making-issue-of-kshama-sawants-voter-registration/, live,

Electoral history

(File:2015 Seattle City Council final results.gif|thumb|upright=1.1|Graph of the 2015 City Council election, with size of circle showing number of votes cast and angle of pies showing percentage in each race.November 3 General Election results {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216024717www.kingcounty.gov/depts/elections/elections/past-elections.aspx |date=February 16, 2021 }} published by King County Elections, certified November 24, 2015){{Election box begin |title=Washington House of Representatives, District 43b, General Election, 2012WEB, Washington House of Representatives elections, 2012,ballotpedia.org/Washington_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2012, Ballotpedia, April 15, 2014, February 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210216024708/https://ballotpedia.org/Washington_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2012, live, }}

{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Frank Chopp
|votes = 49,125
|percentage = 70.6%
|change =-16.2%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link
|party = Socialist Alternative (United States)|Socialist Alternative
|candidate = Kshama Sawant
|votes = 20,425
|percentage = 29.4%
|change =N/A
}}

{hide}Election box majority

|votes = 28,700
|percentage =
|change =
{edih}
{{Election box turnout
|votes = 69,550
|percentage =
|change =
}}
{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin |title=City of Seattle, City Council, Position 2, 2013WEB, Election Results,your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2013nov-general/results/final/results.pdf, April 15, 2014, King County, 46, November 26, 2013, February 16, 2021,web.archive.org/web/20210216024626/https://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2013nov-general/results/final/results.pdf, live, }}{{Election box candidate

|party = Nonpartisan
|candidate = Kshama Sawant
|votes = 93,682
|percentage = 50.7%
|change =N/A
}}

{{Election box candidate| candidate = Richard Conlin| party = Nonpartisan politician| votes = 90,531| percentage = 49.0%|change =-28.3%}}{{Election box candidate with party link|| candidate = Write-ins| party = | votes = 665| percentage = 0.4%|change =nil}}{hide}Election box majority|

|votes = 3,151
|percentage =
|change =

{edih}{hide}Election box turnout|

|votes = 184,878
|percentage =
|change =

{edih}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin no change|title=City of Seattle, City Council, District 3, 2015WEB, Election Results,your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2015/nov-general/results/results.pdf, December 11, 2015, King County, 45, November 24, 2015, December 16, 2015,your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2015/nov-general/results/results.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20151216061916your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2015/nov-general/results/results.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20151216061916your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2015/nov-general/results/results.pdf, live, }}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Kshama Sawant
|votes = 17,170
|percentage = 56.0%
}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change| candidate = Pamela Banks| party = Nonpartisan politician| votes = 13,427| percentage = 43.8%}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change| candidate = Write-ins| party = Nonpartisan politician| votes = 87| percentage = 0.3%}}{hide}Election box majority no change

|votes = 3,743
|percentage =

{edih}{hide}Election box turnout no change

|votes = 31,613
|percentage =

{edih}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin no change|title=City of Seattle, City Council, District 3, 2019WEB, Election Results,results.vote.wa.gov/results/current/king/, November 8, 2019, November 9, 2019, November 29, 2017,web.archive.org/web/20171129001734/https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/current/king/, live, }}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Kshama Sawant
|votes = 22,263
|percentage = 51.8%
}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change| candidate = Egan Orion| party = Nonpartisan politician| votes = 20,488| percentage = 47.7%}}{{Election box candidate with party link no change| candidate = Write-ins| party = Nonpartisan politician| votes = 205| percentage = 0.5%}}{hide}Election box majority no change

|votes = 1,775
|percentage =

{edih}{hide}Election box turnout no change

|votes = 42,956
|percentage =

{edih}{{Election box end}}{{Election box begin no change|title=December 7, 2021 Recall Election of Kshama SawantWEB, Election Results,aqua.kingcounty.gov/elections/2021/dec-recall/results.pdf, December 17, 2021, }}{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = NO
|votes = 20,656
|percentage = 50.38%
}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change| candidate = YES| party = Nonpartisan politician| votes = 20,346| percentage = 49.62%}}{hide}Election box majority no change

|votes = 310
|percentage =

{edih}{{Election box turnout no change

|votes = 41,033
|percentage = 52.9

}}{{Election box end}}

References

External links

Kshama Sawant, Seattle City Council Position 2 at Seattle.gov
Kshama Solidarity Campaign {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624203818www.kshamasolidarity.org/ |date=June 24, 2021 }}
Entry at VoteSmart
Socialist Alternative
King County voters’ pamphlet November 5, 2013 General And Special Election, Seattle, Council Position No. 2
King County voters’ pamphlet August 4, 2015 Primary And Special Election, Seattle, Council District No. 3
www.kshamasawant.org/meet" title="web.archive.org/web/20190524215948www.kshamasawant.org/meet">Meet Kshama Biography from 2019 website

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