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‘Upfront, principled, and reliable’ — Council colleague endorses Sawant

This is the future Socialist Alternative liberals want

You won’t find many of her comrades on the Seattle City Council supporting the often abrasive, always passionate Kshama Sawant’s run for reelection — in fact, two of them came out swinging for what turned out to be one of her longshot opponents in the primary.

But in a political team-up that surely is making the Seattle Times Editorial Board and conservative talk radio folks at KIRO giddy with excitement over the hot takes they’ll be able to bake, City Council member Mike O’Brien Monday handed the Socialist Alternative candidate his endorsement:

Councilmember Sawant has pushed Seattle politics in a progressive direction in a way that few have. While I’m not a socialist, and Kshama and I have had our share of disagreements, we’ve worked together on many issues like the $15 minimum wage, the ‘Shell NO!’ campaign against Arctic drilling, on blocking the $160 million North police precinct, and now on the Green New Deal. Kshama is a strong woman of color who stands up to big business. I refute the negative attacks on her attempting to paint her as divisive because of her courageous positions.

“I find her to always be upfront, principled, and reliable, even if I don’t always agree with her theory of change or criticisms of other elected officials,” he concludes. “We need to keep Kshama on the Council as a consistent voice for ordinary people, and to stand up to the attempts of the Chamber of Commerce to run City Hall.”

O’Brien, of course, won’t be rejoining Sawant should she best challenger Egan Orion in November. Back in February, the Ballard rep joined the list of incumbents fleeing the council.

Tuesday night, Sawant and Orion are set to face off — or will they? — at the GSBA candidate forum at the Broadway Performance Hall.

Face to Face GSBA Candidate Forum

 

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17 Comments
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Sean
Sean
4 years ago

Looks like one of Kshama’s mindless minions got in before me. Yes I prefer Egan. He cares about Seattle and will listen and respond to the people in the district.

Evan
Evan
4 years ago

@James in the CD
I voted for Orion in the August primary election and I intend to vote for him again in the November general election. However, I voted for Sawant in past elections. I actually think Sawant is qualified to be a city council member, I do. But I’m disappointed in the results, as her as her approach, during her tenure so far. I simply think Orion would be an improvement.

southsound22@hotmail.com
4 years ago

Why are all my posts bring deleted?

Edward Everett
Edward Everett
4 years ago

I’m in the district and I do NOT support Sawant in any way shape or form.

joanna
4 years ago

I am feeling a little dense. The picture and captions with the story seems odd. What are you trying to say? Is it just intended to be a picture of a white male who joined the women’s march? If so, how is that more socialist than democratic? I guess the caption seems to imply more and would like to understand.

harvardave
harvardave
4 years ago
Reply to  joanna

That is a picture of Mike O’Brien

joanna
4 years ago
Reply to  harvardave

I know that is Mike O’brien. I am wanting to understand the editorial intent of the caption.

RWK
RWK
4 years ago

Mike O’Brien is a lame-duck member of the City Council, and he decided not to run for re-election because he knew that his lefty positions are not exactly popular in Seattle these days, and he saw the writing on the wall.

I don’t give a damn what he thinks.

Adam
Adam
4 years ago

If you already didn’t support Sawant, I don’t think O’Brien is going to change your mind.

Sending Sawant packing along with him would be one of the best things in Seattle politics in years.

joanna
4 years ago

The endorsement mainly demonstrates that some of her colleagues and others like to work with her even when they don’t agree on all issues. Remember Nick Licata who served with her has also endorsed her.

Self-aggrandizement makes for strange bedfellows.
Self-aggrandizement makes for strange bedfellows.
4 years ago
Reply to  joanna

It demonstrates that _one_ of her colleagues can “work” with her. Notice that O’Brien basically disses Mosqueda and Gonzalez, both “women of color,” and both of whom have endorsed Egan Orion.

O’Brien (and Licata) are both desperate to prove how woke they are. And neither has a political future in this town (the former is the most reviled politician in Seattle, the latter regarded ad an anachronistic joke).

Damning with faint praise.

joanna
4 years ago

I really see no dissing of Mosqueda and Gonzalez in O’Brien’s statement. Also as far as I know since the primary, I have not seen any statements of endorsements from CMs Mosqueda and Gonzales. Orion was not their choice in the primary.

sasha
sasha
4 years ago

Voting for Sawant just to piss off boomers.

CD Rez
CD Rez
4 years ago
Reply to  sasha

That essentially makes you the same as a Trump “own-the-libs” dummy. Try harder.