I suppose it’s time to party like it’s 1969. Or something.
Seattle voters have elected a socialist to city council for the first time in modern history.
Kshama Sawant’s lead continued to grow on Friday, prompting 16-year incumbent Richard Conlin to concede.
Even in this liberal city, Sawant’s win has surprised many here. Conlin was backed by the city’s political establishment. On election night, she trailed by four percentage points. She wasn’t a veteran politician, having only run in one previous campaign.
But in the days following election night, Sawant’s share of the votes outgrew Conlin’s.
“I don’t think socialism makes most people in Seattle afraid,” Conlin said Friday.
Well, that’s just fabulous. So where did this new, rising political star of Seattle politics come from? The bio shows that she first rose to prominence as part of the Occupy movement. (Natch.) And she ran a campaign based on plans. Boy howdy does she have some plans.
This year, though, she pushed a platform that resonated with the city. She backed efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15; called for rent control in the city where rental prices keep climbing; and supports a tax on millionaires to help fund a public transit system and other services.
Here’s the unedited Seattle King5 interview with the newest elected official.
So, with all that in mind, perhaps we should ask Boeing if they really, really want to work all that hard to keep their plant in Washington for the 777X?
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