WA-09 House winner?
$8.1K
NOV 7, 2026
General Election
Voters choose the office holder.
Overview
Current roleFormer Council Member
PartyIndependent
Political ideologyDemocratic Socialist
Age52 years old (Oct 17, 1973)
GenderFemale
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LocationWashington
BackgroundPolitician
EducationUniversity of Mumbai (B.S.)
Notable personal detailsKshama Sawant is an American politician and activist who served on the Seattle City Council after being first elected in 2013. She has worked as an economics instructor and previously worked as a programmer. Born in Pune, India, she earned a B.S. from the University of Mumbai and later completed a Ph.D. in economics at North Carolina State University.
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
Advocates taxing wealthy individuals and large corporations (including proposals like a local income tax, an Amazon/corporate payroll/head tax, and higher taxes on high earners) to fund affordable housing, public services, and expanded social spending. Opposes raising taxes on working- and middle-class people while supporting redistribution and expanded public investment funded by wealth/corporate taxes.
Healthcare
Supports a fully public, universal single-payer healthcare system (Medicare for All) that would provide comprehensive, free healthcare services for all, funded by taxing the wealthy. Has called for expanding access during public-health crises and for municipal actions to guarantee care access.
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Immigration & Border
Supports sanctuary policies, opposes large-scale deportations and ICE enforcement, and calls for full legalization and protections for immigrants including DACA. Advocates shutting down deportation operations and ending use of private detention facilities, while urging expanded legal pathways and comprehensive immigration reform.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports broad abortion and reproductive rights, has sponsored legislation to make Seattle an "abortion rights sanctuary city," and backed measures to fund abortion access for residents and people traveling to the city for care. Advocates for protecting providers and patients from prosecution under restrictive laws and for public funding to expand access.
Climate & Energy
Supports Green New Deal–style policies, rapid transition off fossil fuels, large public investment in clean energy and building retrofits, and policies to create unionized clean-energy jobs. Has led and endorsed local measures to electrify buildings and reject fossil-fuel infrastructure projects while proposing taxes to fund Green New Deal conversions and affordable, energy-efficient housing.
Public Safety & Guns
Advocates major reforms to policing including significant cuts to police funding and bans on police crowd-control weapons; supports actions to reduce the flow of guns into Seattle and calls for stronger state-level gun safety measures. Frames public safety as tied to addressing economic inequality and shifting resources toward community-based responses. Opposes current policing practices and has sponsored legislation to restrict police use of chemical agents and chokeholds.
Fundraising
Latest report: Cycle 20262026
LatestCycle 2026
Source: FEC
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We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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