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Seattle City Council Incumbents Are Leading In Early Returns

Paula Wissel
Kshama Sawant addresses supporters at election night party.

In Seattle’s City Council races, incumbents are all leading, including the city’s first socialist council member Kshama Sawant. Council President Tim Burgess, as well as council members Sally Bagshaw, Bruce Harrell and Mike OBrien, appear to be winning handily. Sawant’s race for Seattle City Council District 3 is closer.

Sawant is leading her opponent, Pamela Banks, 52%-47%.  But, at a packed election night party she was already talking like a winner.

“This victory is a strong victory for all working class people, for the socialist movement and for independent working class politics," Sawant told her supporters

Sawant has championed rent control and a tax on billionaires. Her opponent, Banks, isn’t ready to concede the election yet, pointing out she’s behind by less than a thousand votes. Early returns have Kshama Sawant with 8,197 votes to Pamela Banks 7,349 votes.

Complete list of King County results.

Paula is a former host, reporter and producer who retired from KNKX in 2021. She joined the station in 1989 as All Things Considered host and covered the Law and Justice beat for 15 years. Paula grew up in Idaho and, prior to KNKX, worked in public radio and television in Boise, San Francisco and upstate New York.