Former Seattle city councilmember Kshama Sawant announced Monday that she will run for Congress, KING 5 reports.
Sawant, who is also a socialist activist, will challenge incumbent Rep. Adam Smith, a Democrat, for the District 9 seat.
According to the Seattle Times, Sawant served as a city councilmember from 2014 to 2023. She fought for policies like increasing the minimum wage, rent control and taxing large corporations operating in Seattle to fund social services. My Northwest reports that Sawant was also instrumental in passing legislation to make Seattle the first U.S. city to ban caste-based discrimination.
In 2024, KING 5 reports, Sawant left the city council to help launch a national labor movement called Workers Strike Back.
Sawant has also spoken out against the genocide in Gaza.
Her campaign website says she is dedicated to fighting for working people.
“In Washington D.C., working people are being screwed over every day, not only by Trump but by both parties of big business,” the campaign writes. “Kshama will go to the mat for working people in D.C., as she did in Seattle, to fight for free healthcare for all, national rent control, and for an end to the genocide in Gaza.”
Registration is closed for Common Ground: Building Together conference and gala award banquet in San Francisco on January 24. A shoutout to our planning committee: Jane Chin, Frank Mah, Jeannie Young, Akemi Tamanaha, Nathan Soohoo, Mark Young, Dave Liu, and Yiming Fu.
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