Former Seattle City Council member and vocal socialist Kshama Sawant has announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives, challenging longtime Democratic incumbent Adam Smith in Washington’s 9th Congressional District. The announcement was made during a livestreamed press conference on June 2.
Sawant, who is running as an Independent, previously served on Seattle City Council from 2014 until 2024. After stepping down, she launched Workers Strike Back, a nationwide labor movement focused on advancing working-class issues.
In her campaign announcement, Sawant declared that neither major political party represents working people, criticizing both Democrats and Republicans as being beholden to corporate interests and military agendas.
“The billionaires have two parties—working people need our own,” she said, calling for an “immediate end to the genocidal war and occupation of Gaza” and the termination of U.S. military aid to both Israel and Ukraine.
Sawant also stressed domestic priorities such as expanded healthcare, stronger public education funding, job creation, and rent control. Her campaign platform builds on her record in Seattle, where she helped push through the city’s $15 minimum wage and advocated for taxing large corporations like Amazon.
Sawant did not hold back in her criticism of Smith, labeling him “pro-corporate” and a “warmonger.” Smith, a Democrat who has represented the district since 1997 and previously chaired the House Armed Services Committee, responded by welcoming her to the race but accused her of divisive politics.
In a statement to McClatchy, Smith argued that Sawant’s past support for Green Party candidate Jill Stein and opposition to Vice President Kamala Harris could contribute to Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House.
“This election will offer a clear contrast,” Smith stated. “Voters deserve thoughtful, effective leadership—not ideological stunts.”
Sawant’s announcement included sharp rebukes of fellow progressives, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders, whom she accused of capitulating to what she described as the Democratic Party’s corporate agenda.
The race is expected to be a high-profile contest between an entrenched Democratic incumbent and an outspoken left-wing challenger aiming to shake up national politics from outside the two-party system.
