Kshama Sawant vies for seat in Seattle city government.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: An Indian-American woman is running for a seat on the Seattle City Council, but she’s not running Democrat or Republican – she’s running socialist.
The word “socialism” carries with it a foul odor in America; even President Barack Obama has been plagued by socialist accusations throughout his presidency for his efforts to levy large taxes on the wealthiest Americans in an effort to redistribute wealth to citizens who need it more. But in Sawant’s case, her candidacy as a Socialist Alternative is not only getting support, but is looking increasingly likely to win.
Sawant’s platform not only includes Obama’s so-called “millionaire tax” – the funds from which would go primarily towards improving the city’s education and public transportation systems – but also her beliefs in increasing the minimum wage to $15/hour and establishing more rent-controlled buildings in order to make housing more affordable for a greater number of citizens.
The seat she’s targeting currently belongs to Richard Conlin, a 66-year old political veteran who’s been on the City Council since 1997. Not only does he have 16 years of experience in office, but he has also raised about five times as much money for his campaign as Sawant has. But despite these obvious setbacks, Sawant secured 35% of the vote in a three-way primary back in August. To compare, Conlin secured 48% — still more than Sawant, but by no means a dominant lead.
Also beneficial to Sawant’s chances of victory is that projections show those who will be voting in November will be younger in age than the traditional turnout. Young Americans tend to skew liberal and independent, and more often than not are looking for ways to shake up the establishment by electing someone who stands for changing the status quo. Her army of campaign volunteers is a testament to this.
“I think many Americans – particularly the youth – feel demoralized, dejected and disenfranchised by corporate-driven politics,” Sawant has been quoted as saying.
Sawant has come under criticism from some corners, namely for her sometimes outrageous claims in defense of socialism that send more conservative-minded voters running for the hills. The Seattle Times, in an editorial, called her “too hard-left for Seattle,” but Washington state as a whole has a Democratic governor, lieutenant governor, and senators.
This is not Sawant’s first run at elected office. Last year, she challenged Frank Chopp for his seat in the US House of Representatives; she won 29% of the vote, with Chopp winning comfortably with 70%. But this time, the numbers seem to indicate that, at the very least, she’ll make a very competitive run. She also has the endorsement of The Seattle Stranger, which wrote that “her very presence on the council would help make other council members more effective, simply by adding [some] context to the public debate.”
Originally from India, Sawant earned her BS in computer science from the University of Mumbai, and holds a Ph.D in economics, which she received at North Carolina State University. She teaches at Seattle Central Community College.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com