In office since 2014, Kshama Sawant is Seattle’s longest tenured city councilmember, but she announced this morning she is not running for reelection in 2023. After a decade on Council, Seattle’s only socialist and only non-Democrat councilmember said she is shifting gears to launch a new political party called “Workers Strike Back” that appears focused on national political battles over the local ones that consume most of a councilmember’s time.
Sawant’s announced departure makes Council District 3 the fourth open seat after three of her colleagues — Lisa Herbold (D1), Debora Juarez (D5), and Alex Pedersen (D4) — also announced retirement plans.
Only Councilmember Andrew Lewis of District 7 has announced plans to run for reelection, but Councilmembers Dan Strauss (D6) and Tammy Morales (D2) may join him, as they have not yet announced their plans. With at least four open seats in play, the makeup of the Seattle City Council could change considerably, with newly redrawn council districts also a factor deciding which candidates may thrive in these races.
Both in her livestreamed announcement press conference and op-ed in The Stranger, Sawant pointed to the limitations as one councilmember on a body of nine as a reason to leave and focus instead of a new party which could foster the mass movement she said is necessary to bring about the socialist victories for workers she is seeking.
