Kshama Sawant

Kshama Sawant is a candidate for U.S. Representative District 9 Primary Election in 2026 in Congressional District 9, Washington.

Leader of Workers Strike Back in Seattle, WA

Also running: Jacob Perasso, Melissa Chaudhry, Doug Basler, Adam Smith.

Kshama Sawant is a socialist and former Seattle City Council member, born in Pune, India in 1973. She holds a Ph.D in economics and previously taught at Seattle Central Community College. During her decade on the City Council (2014-2023), she championed a $15 minimum wage, the Amazon Tax, and various renters' rights. Sawant announced her 2026 campaign for the U.S. House in Washington's 9th Congressional District as an independent, challenging incumbent Adam Smith. She is running to represent working people, advocating to shut down ICE, end military aid to Israel, implement free healthcare for all by taxing the rich, and establish national rent control.