Sawant made her 2019 reelection campaign announcement in late January
Another Seattle City Council incumbent is stepping aside as District 3’s Kshama Sawant, the longest serving member on the council, has yet to say if she plans to run again in 2023.
Wallingford, Roosevelt and the University District 4 rep Alex Pedersen said Tuesday he will not seek reelection. “Striving to serve the public as a voice of reason during tumultuous times has been an honor, but I am not a career politician,” Pedersen said.
Pedersen is the third of seven district council members to say they will bow out. North Seattle leader and current council president Debora Juarez and West Seattle’s Lisa Herbold have also decided to not defend their seats.
CHS reported here on speculation around a possible reelection run for Sawant who has served on the council since 2014.
In 2019, Sawant made her reelection campaign announcement in late January. “This year will be a referendum on one vital question: Who runs Seattle? Amazon and big business or working people?,” Sawant said in her kickoff speech that year.
That November, she defeated Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce-backed business community leader Egan Orion in a hugely expensive race that divided District 3.
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Sawant Please Go Away
Let’s hope she decides not to run. But I would be surprised if this happens, as her whole persona is defined as a far-left ideologue and socialism defender, and the Seattle City Council is one of the few places where she can showcase her extremist ideas.
Please, no more. I’ll happily give money to anyone with more common sense who actually cares about our community. Violent crime and shootings are up. I’ve never gotten a single response to any attempt to engage her. The one time I reached her office (pre-Covid), I was told “it” (all problems) were due to capitalism. Really indexing high on ownership, that one.
Please, sweet baby jesus, let it be true.
I can’t wait for the usual losers to spend another $Million and lose for the 5th time.
Like, what would all the old dudes here have to comment about without her? Y’all need her for to blame everything on.
Is it a game for you? She has been horrible for the city. Look at how bad crime has gotten amongst other deteriorations. Open your eyes. She needs to go. I’m not some MAGA crazy either.
It’s funny how you think one person on the council is directly related to the crime rate.
But then I realize you probably think that and it’s not so funny any more.
One of the many reasons (and a primary one for me) that people find her to be bad for Seattle is that she has fostered an intensely spiteful attitude toward neighbors – many of whom share goals and visions on a majority of issues. I can speak for a whole bunch of people that are now kinda terrified of speaking their mind if it contains even the slightest bit of nuanced difference from her policies, because you will very quickly get labeled a Trumpy asshat by your own friends, neighbors and coworkers. She has leveled a spiteful, blind hatred upon this town that used to love the art of debate, and the effects of this are on full display in your comment, A.J. “Losers”? “Old dudes”? That’s immensely reductive and disrespectful, and you are smearing that awful attitude on a whole bunch of people that don’t deserve to be marginalized for coming to different conclusions than you.
Very well said. I think Sawant is a terrible leader, but it’s her spitefulness, her name-calling, the you’re either with me or my enemy attitude I find so deplorable. Seattle politics used to be so vibrant and hopeful. Now it’s all in-fighting and nasty sane-calling.
Why is Sawant your headline, tagline, and photo for an article that isn’t about her? Are you that desparate for clicks?
She represents Capitol Hill…this is the Capitol Hill Seattle Blog…lol.
I have to wonder if the collapse in real estate transaction tax revenue is going to make being in charge more difficult, and that’s why 3 of 7 don’t want their jobs. City revenue is going to be down in a big way in the next year or two, and I can understand savvy politicians not wanting to be the face of budget cuts to come.
I’d say it’s been relatively easy to govern in Seattle’s boom times for the last 10yrs or so. It won’t be so easy to make difficult decisions, especially when you can’t as easily throw money at problems and hope they go away.
Doesn’t that revenue go to the county not the city?
Oh shoot, you might be right. I actually live in White Center, which is technically unincorporated King County, so I tend to read a lot of King County budget stuff. I think my point still stands though that public funds will likely be slimmer in coming years than they have been for the entire period these current council members have held office.
Of course she will run – she has no prospects at a higher office or NGO leadership
Not true. Sawant is far more popular and better funded outside of Seattle than here. She could easily be lured away. If we’re lucky.
HaHa…..good one!
If you want to see a progressive city council member actually engage with their district look at Girmay Zahilay. He is awesome. My biggest problem with Sawant is that she is waaaay more interested in causes outside the city, because that is where she gets the most attention. Look at Kshama’s social feeds to see where her priorities are. All national politics. And that’s great- if you are running for national office. I hope she hands over the seat to someone who cares about D3 first and foremost.