SALEM, WEST VIRGINIA 一 The Mountain Party of West Virginia condemns right-wing efforts to recall Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant of Socialist Alternative.
Since becoming the first open Socialist to hold office in Seattle in nearly a century in 2013, Sawant has been a champion of the working class. She spearheaded fights for Seattle to become the first major city to pass a $15 minimum wage, secure landmark renters’ rights victories, establish Indigenous Peoples’ Day, ban chemical weapons, and tax Amazon to finance affordable housing and a Green New Deal. In consequence, Sawant has been relentlessly attacked by Seattle’s ruling class since taking office, culminating in a farcical campaign launched last year to have her recalled. This campaign is backed by Seattle’s ultra wealthy in collusion with big business to silence working class and third party voices. They aim to punish Sawant for standing up to the duopoly and its corporate backers such as Amazon.
In order to defeat capitalism and usher in a society based on workers power, working class unity and solidarity is necessary. Socialist Alternative has expressed this solidarity to us, having endorsed our party’s nominee for president every election cycle since 2012, and in the spirit of this solidarity the Mountain Party of West Virginia is proud to endorse Kshama Sawant in her efforts against this right-wing recall campaign.
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