Something Pretty Remarkable is Underway in Seattle Politics – Opinion

There are a lot of parts of the country that conservatives have more or less written off as “hopeless” in terms of flipping them from blue to red or even at least making significant inroads that would make political life more difficult for Democrat officeholders in those areas in the short term. These include deep blue states such as California, and cities that are solidly blue like Portland, Oregon.

Although I am in the low seats, I can see that it is unlikely I will reverse the trend in hardline blue areas of the country. But I’m also a firm believer in the cliché that if you really do think something is achievable and you put in the hard work that goes along with trying to make it happen, more often than not you will be pleasantly surprised by the outcome. It holds true regardless of your profession, politics included.

One example is the fact that I was told many times before last month’s election in Virginia that they lost the state to Republicans. While it’s true that Virginia was not as dyed-in-the-wool blue as a state like New York, for the last decade or so it felt like the deck was increasingly being stacked against Republicans in the state with hope dwindling that they could be victorious in Senate races, Governor races, and the like.

But “the impossible” happened in Virginia, as we all now know.

With all of that in mind, let’s get to what’s happening in Seattle politics that should be of interest to those on the right who view the city as a lost cause.

Although there has not been any hard right changes in the city since recent elections, it does seem that there is a return of some sense of normalcy. The mayoral race last month saw former City Councilman Bruce Harrell, who was the “less woke” of the two Democrats vying for the seat, win over the “more woke” candidate City Council President Lorena Gonzalez who wanted to slash police funding among other things. The city council is now viewed as more pro-business than previous versions with the election wins of who left coasters would view as “moderate” Democrats.

Perhaps even more interestingly, at least from the “high drama” perspective, has been the attempt at recalling admitted Socialist City Councilwoman Kshama Sawant. She’s been on the city council since 2014, but over the last 18 months has landed herself in hot water amongst Democrats who say she’s taken her radical wokeness too far. She is one of their biggest issues.

First, in June 2020, in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minnesota, Sawant used her keys to open the door to city hall, and she allowed in more than 1,000 anti-police protesters for a rally in violation of the state’s coronavirus lockdown orders. Later that month, Sawant helped lead a march of anti-police protesters to Mayor Jenny Durkan’s home. The address of Durkan’s home is supposed to be confidential because she is a former federal prosecutor.

And in early May, Sawant agreed to pay a $3,500 fine as part of a settlement with the city’s ethics and elections commission for using city funds to help pay for her ballot initiative to institute a payroll tax on high-paying jobs at Amazon and other big Seattle businesses.

It is even more interesting that Sawant, according to the Seattle Times, appears in danger.

An effort to recall Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant led in Tuesday night’s vote count with about 53% supporting her removal from office, as voters in her district took part in a historic election to decide whether the outspoken socialist politician should be ousted or retained.

Henry Bridger II (seen in the above photo) is a former supporter of Sawant’s and has led the recall campaign

All of that said, there are still votes to count, and according to MyNorthwest, if history is any indication Sawant could end up ultimately surviving the recall effort due to “sizable late swings for progressive candidates” that “have effectively become the norm” in Seattle.

Even if she does, that it even got to this point – and considering last month’s citywide elections – shows that there is now a concerted pushback against “woke” in the city. Though that’s a far cry from the rock-ribbed conservatism Republican voters would like to see, it’s better than what has been the norm there in previous election cycles.

As I’ve said before, in cities with large concentrations of Democrats, Republicans have to figure out how to work with the hand they’ve been dealt. If you’re in such a city (or state), stay informed and keep the pressure on the more sane Democrats in city and state leadership positions.

Because oddly enough they may turn out to be the lone voices of reason after all the chips are put on the table, as we’ve recently seen in New York City, Oakland, and elsewhere.

Flashback: Here’s Why the Prog Left Are Running Away From ‘Woke’ as Fast as They Can