Beat big money politics, and a veteran incumbent Democrat.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Kshama Sawant has officially won her race for a seat on the Seattle City Council, becoming one of the rare few in the history of the US to be elected to public office while running on a Socialist platform.
Her opponent in the race, Democratic incumbent for the past 16 years, Richard Conlin, conceded defeat on November 15, when Sawant’s growing lead eventually became insurmountable.
Sawant’s victory against Conlin is not only impressive because of how long Conlin had held the Council Position #2 seat on the Seattle City Council, but also because of how Democratic the city historically has been.
The victory of the 40 year-old Sawant over the 66 year-old Conlin can therefore be seen as further proof that Americans are becoming disenchanted with what they see as an increasingly ineffective two-party political system. With bipartisanism growing day-by-day on Capitol Hill, many in Seattle, particularly young voters, saw Sawant’s run as a Socialist alternative as a refreshing change of pace.
Speaking at her victory rally on Sunday, Sawant deflected the spotlight off of herself whenever possible, instead urging her supporters to focus on the issues. She called attention to the fact that her campaign rejected funding from big business, something that caused her to be out-funded by a wide margin compared to Conlin. But Sawant has shown that money isn’t necessarily everything.
An active supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement, Sawant and her campaign employed a grass-roots tactics to great effect, hitting the streets and speaking with the people rather than talking at them. Rather than simply campaigning with platitudes – lower taxes, more jobs, and other bland promises made by politicians – Sawant made it clear exactly what she planned to do if elected.
The focal point of Sawant’s campaign has been her conviction to increase the city’s minimum wage from $9.19 (which is already relatively high) to $15 per hour, part of her plan to help bring the city out of economic doldrums by redistributing wealth all around. That plan also includes a “millionaire tax,” something that President Barack Obama has also supported.
Sawant also plans to use re-distributed funds to help improve the city’s infrastructure, particularly its public transportation system and its housing, the latter by making more buildings rent-controlled. Sawant has also said she will not be accepting her complete $120,000 salary as a Councilwoman, saying that she will only take as much as the average salary is for all of Seattle, and will use the rest to further the causes she championed during her campaign.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about Sawant’s victory as a Socialist, however, is its timing. The country is currently in the midst of large-scale derision against President Obama’s Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare), which many critics have claimed is a Socialist policy being used by the Obama administration to expand the government into sectors where it shouldn’t normally be.
Socialism has long been looked down upon in America, which prides itself on democracy and free-market capitalism. Yet the outcry over President Obama’s perceived Socialist tactics apparently did not dissuade voters from electing an outright Socialist to its city council.
It’s difficult to say at this early stage exactly what Sawant’s victory means for the future of the country. Other independents and radical leftists have been elected to minor public offices in America’s past, but Sawant’s victory – both as a Socialist and as an ethnic minority – speak volumes about the state of the union today. The US is looking for leaders who are willing to get up and go fix things, rather than get stuck in endless debates while the government shuts down. Sawant’s election may not be the biggest of the 2013 campaigns, but it almost certainly is one of the most important.
Sawant will officially begin her term on the Seattle City Council on January 1, 2014.
To contact the author, email to deepakchitnis@americanbazaaronline.com