No Irony Here: Seattle Socialist Kshama Sawant Announces Run for U.S. Congress Challenging Incumbent Democrat Adam Smith

Former Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant announced Monday her independent candidacy for Washington’s 9th Congressional District, setting up a 2026 showdown with longtime Democratic incumbent Rep. Adam Smith that promises to center on Israel policy, healthcare, and economic inequality.

The 51-year-old socialist firebrand launched her “working-class, antiwar, anti-genocide” campaign at a news conference outside the federal building in downtown Seattle, positioning herself as an alternative to what she called the “warmongering” of both major political parties.

Campaign Platform and Gaza Focus

Sawant’s campaign will center on three key issues: opposing U.S. military support for Israel, implementing Medicare for all, and establishing a $25 minimum wage. She has filed as an independent candidate with the Federal Election Commission.

“Democrats and Republicans serve the interests of the billionaires, and both are warmongering parties down to their bones,” Sawant declared at her announcement, directly targeting Smith’s position on Israel. She accused the congressman of having “blood all over his hands” for his stance on what she termed the “genocide in Gaza.”

The Israel-Gaza conflict represents a stark dividing line between the candidates. Smith, the ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, has backed Israel’s right to attack Hamas while condemning aspects of its war in Gaza. Sawant, by contrast, has demanded a complete halt to U.S. military aid to Israel and has participated in anti-Israel protests.

From India to Socialist Politics

Kshama Sawant was born on October 17, 1973, in Pune, India, into what she has described as a family “full of doctors and engineers and mathematicians.” Sawant graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Mumbai in 1994 and moved to the United States in 1996.

Her candidacy will test whether the anti-war sentiment and economic populism that characterized her Seattle success can translate to a federal campaign in a more politically diverse district.

After initially working in software engineering, she earned her Ph.D. in economics from North Carolina State University in 2003. She worked as an adjunct lecturer at Seattle Central College and as a professor at Seattle University and the University of Washington Tacoma before entering politics.

Sawant moved to Seattle in 2006 and joined Socialist Alternative that same year, marking her entry into organized socialist politics. She is a member of Socialist Alternative, a Trotskyist organization that advocates for workers’ rights and systemic change to capitalism.

Seattle City Council Career and Controversies

Sawant’s political career began with her groundbreaking 2013 election to the Seattle City Council, where she became the first socialist elected to the position in nearly a century. She served on the Seattle City Council for a decade, managing to win three elections and survive a bitter recall campaign.

During her tenure from 2014 to 2024, Sawant championed progressive policies that gained national attention. She was instrumental in Seattle’s adoption of a $15 minimum wage, pushed for rent control measures, and advocated for taxing large corporations like Amazon to fund social services. In 2023, she spearheaded legislation making Seattle the first U.S. city to ban caste-based discrimination.

However, her tenure was also marked by significant controversies. In 2021, she narrowly survived a recall election that cited allegations of misusing city resources and leading protesters into City Hall during a pandemic-related closure. She also faced ethics complaints and defamation lawsuits, including cases from a landlord she labeled a “slumlord” and police officers she accused of “blatant murder.”

Post-Council Activism and Workers Strike Back

Sawant declined to seek reelection to the City Council in 2023, instead launching Workers Strike Back, an independent movement focused on labor rights, affordable housing, and healthcare reform. The organization advocates for unionizing workplaces while combating various forms of oppression.

Recently, Sawant has promoted a ballot initiative that would tax Seattle’s wealthiest corporations approximately $5 billion annually to fund free healthcare for all city residents. “We are preparing to file a ballot initiative in 2026, which would tax the city’s wealthiest corporations approximately $5 billion a year,” she announced at a recent rally.

Adam Smith’s Long Congressional Career

Sawant faces a formidable opponent in Adam Smith, an attorney and former state legislator who was first elected to Congress in 1996. At 59, Smith is the longest-serving member of Washington’s U.S. House delegation and holds significant influence as the Democratic ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee.

The Bellevue resident is a member of both the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the centrist New Democrat Coalition. Smith has been a vocal critic of Republican President Donald Trump while also taking aim at his own party’s left wing, blaming politicians in cities like Seattle for damaging Democrats’ brand with what he calls “radical identity politics” and struggles over crime, drugs, and homelessness.

In the 2024 election, Smith demonstrated his electoral strength by defeating a challenge from left-leaning Democrat Melissa Chaudhry, securing more than 70% of the vote. Chaudhry has filed to run again in 2026, along with candidates Janis Clark and Mark Greene, setting up a potentially crowded field.

Electoral Dynamics and District Demographics

The 9th Congressional District encompasses a diverse swath of the Seattle metropolitan area, including parts of Bellevue, Southeast Seattle, Seattle’s Central District, Mercer Island, and much of South King County, including the communities of Renton, Tukwila, Kent, Des Moines, and Federal Way.

Smith responded to Sawant’s candidacy by emphasizing what he called “a clear contrast” between their approaches. “Her record on the Seattle City Council is defined by extreme, divisive tactics and policies that left lasting harm,” he said in a statement.

The congressman also blamed Sawant for contributing to Donald Trump’s presidential victory, arguing that her active campaigning against former Vice President Kamala Harris undermined Democratic efforts. Sawant had rallied with Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein in Michigan and Seattle, declaring at the time that “Kamala Harris deserves to lose 1,000 times over.”

National Implications

Sawant’s congressional campaign represents part of a broader effort by socialist and progressive activists to challenge establishment Democrats from the left. Her candidacy will test whether the anti-war sentiment and economic populism that characterized her Seattle success can translate to a federal campaign in a more politically diverse district.

The race also highlights ongoing tensions within the Democratic Party over foreign policy, particularly regarding Israel, and economic issues like healthcare and minimum wage policies. As both candidates prepare for what promises to be a contentious campaign, the 2026 election will serve as a significant test of progressive versus centrist Democratic politics in the Pacific Northwest.

Sources: The Seattle Times, MyNorthwest.com, Washington State Standard, KUOW and others.