by Andrew Engelson

The effort to recall District 3 Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant — the unapologetic socialist, advocate for workers’ rights, and supporter of higher taxes on Seattle’s wealthy — took an unusual turn earlier this month. In a bold tactical move, the campaign that opposes Sawant’s recall is now asking her supporters to sign the recall petitions in order to ensure the recall vote takes place on the November general election ballot.

At a press conference on July 9, Sawant signed a recall petition herself and urged her supporters to do the same. 

“The Recall Campaign pretends they’re not attempting to carry out voter suppression in District 3. They don’t pretend very hard though,” Sawant said in a press release. “They want a winter special election because they don’t want ordinary working people to vote. They know Black people, working class people, young people, typically vote in dramatically lower numbers in special elections.”