Seattle Democratic Socialists of America

Seattle Democratic Socialists of America
AbbreviationSeattle DSA
Ideology
Political positionLeft-wing
National affiliationDemocratic Socialists of America
State Senate (Seattle)
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State House (Seattle)
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Citywide executive offices
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Seattle City Council
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Website
seattledsa.org

Seattle Democratic Socialists of America (Seattle DSA) is the Seattle local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a democratic socialist political organization in the United States.[1] Seattle DSA expanded during DSA's national post-2016 growth and has participated in Seattle protests, electoral campaigns, labor organizing, and housing campaigns.[2]

History

Seattle DSA was small before the 2016 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. Seattle DSA grew alongside DSA's national post-2016 expansion and was active in Seattle municipal politics by 2017, including Seattle City Council election runs.[2][3][4][5]

Electoral campaigns

Elected offices

In the nonpartisan 2017 Seattle mayoral election, Seattle DSA endorsed Nikkita Oliver,[6] who ran on the "Seattle People's Party" ballot line and came 3rd in the top-two primary with 31,366 votes (17.27%).[7] Oliver's local Seattle People's Party campaign was separate from the later national Movement for a People's Party effort.[8][9] In the nonpartisan 2017 Seattle City Council election, Seattle DSA endorsed Jon Grant, a former Tenants Union of Washington State leader, for Position 8 (at-large).[10][3][11] Grant placed 2nd in the top-two primary and lost in the general election with 68,441 votes (43.96%).[12][10]

In the nonpartisan 2019 Seattle City Council election, member Tammy Morales ran for District 2.[13] Morales had previously been a Seattle DSA member, but no longer identified as a socialist.[14][15] Morales won the top-two primary[16] and won the general election with 16,379 votes (60.47%).[17] Seattle DSA member Shaun Scott, a former 2016 DNC delegate for Bernie Sanders, announced his campaign The Stranger.[18][19] Seattle DSA endorsed Scott, but not Morales.[20] Scott placed 2nd in the top-two primary[16] and narrowly lost the general election with 15,568 votes (47.69%).[17] Seattle DSA endorsed Kshama Sawant, a member of Socialist Alternative, in her successful re-election campaign.[20]

In the partisan 2020 Washington House of Representatives election, Seattle DSA endorsed Sherae Lascelles for district 43 position 2.[21] Lascelles' ballot ran on the "Seattle People's Party" ballot line.[22] Lascelles placed 2nd in the top-two primary[22] and lost the general election with 31,029 votes (33.4%).[23]

In the nonpartisan 2021 Seattle City Council election, Seattle DSA endorsed Nikkita Oliver for Seattle City Council Position 9.[24] Oliver placed 1st in the top-two primary[25] and lost the general election, with 119,025 votes (45.99%).[26] In the City Attorney election, Seattle DSA endorsed Nicole Thomas-Kennedy.[24][27] Thomas-Kennedy placed 1st in the top-two primary[25] and narrowly lost the general election with 122,947 votes (47.73%).[26]

In the 2021 recall election for Kshama Sawant, Seattle DSA endorsed Sawant by a vote of 94% to 6% in December 2020.[24][28] Sawant joined DSA in February 2021.[29] Sawant narrowly won the recall by just 310 votes, or 0.76% of the 41,033 votes cast.[30][31] Sawant left DSA in 2024.

In the 2022 US House elections, Seattle DSA endorsed Stephanie Gallardo for Washington's 9th congressional district.[24] Gallardo placed 3rd in the top-two primary, with 22,531 votes (15.9%).[32]

In the 2023 Seattle City Council election, Seattle DSA endorsed Matthew Mitnick.[33] In March, ten former campaign members published a statement against Mitnick,[34] leading Mitnick to withdraw in April.[35][36]

In the partisan 2024 Washington House of Representatives election, Seattle DSA endorsed DSA member Shaun Scott for district 43 position 2.[37][38][39][40] Scott ran on the Democratic ballot line.[41] Scott placed 1st in the top-two primary[42] and won the general with 49,990 votes (68.4%).[41]

In 2025, Katie Wilson won the partisan Seattle mayoral election as a Democrat. Wilson is a self-described democratic socialist,[43] but is not a member and was not endorsed by Seattle DSA.[44]

Ballot initiatives

In the 2020s, Seattle DSA increasingly emphasized ballot campaigns, including Seattle social-housing measures and South King County wage initiatives.[45][46]

Seattle DSA supported Initiative 135 to create the Seattle Social Housing Developer.[47] I-135 passed in the February 14, 2023 special election with 57.09% of the vote.[48] Proposition 1A then defeated Proposition 1B in the February 11, 2025 special election by 63.13% to 36.87%.[49] Seattle DSA backed the 1A campaign.[50]

Seattle DSA was a lead organizing group in the "Raise the Wage Renton" campaign, a ballot measure that sought to set the minimum wage at $20.29 for larger employers and $18.29 for smaller covered employers.[46][51] The measure passed in the February 13, 2024 special election, with 58.04% in favor and 41.96% against, and increased Renton's minimum wage beginning July 1, 2024.[52][53]

Other campaigns

Seattle DSA has supported Starbucks Workers United and promoted local solidarity actions during Starbucks organizing drives and strikes.[54][55][56] Seattle DSA also backed the unionization effort at Index Media in Seattle.[57]

In February 2021, Seattle DSA joined labor and tenant-rights groups in a Renton protest that supported the union drive in Amazon's Bessemer warehouse and demanded stronger renter protections.[58]

On January 27, 2024, protesters occupied US Representative Adam Smith's district office in Seattle during a Gaza ceasefire action. Smith had contacted Seattle DSA before and remained open to meeting afterward.[59]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Seattle DSA Bylaws". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  2. ^ a b Uetricht, Micah; Day, Meagan (2020). Bigger Than Bernie. Verso Books. ISBN 9781788738392. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  3. ^ a b "Are the Socialists Here to Ruin Everything?". The Stranger. 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  4. ^ Freedlander, David (2022). The AOC Generation. Beacon Press. ISBN 9780807055441. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  5. ^ Lipsitz, Raina (2022). The Rise of a New Left. Verso Books. ISBN 9781839764264. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  6. ^ Seattle Democratic Socialists of America (June 2, 2017). "Seattle DSA Endorses Nikkita Oliver for Mayor". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on 2022-09-27.
  7. ^ "Election Results - August 1, 2017 Primary and Special Election" (PDF). King County Elections. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  8. ^ LaForgia, Michael (September 7, 2017). "Inspired by Seattle and turned off by Trump, the People's Party looks for a national stage". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on 2026-03-09.
  9. ^ Graham, Nathalie (August 18, 2017). "Effort to Launch National People's Party Has Local Ties, Inspirations". Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on 2017-08-18.
  10. ^ a b Bryan, Mason (2018-02-06). "At-large city council race tests Seattle's progressive identity". Cascade PBS. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  11. ^ Seattle Democratic Socialists of America (May 12, 2017). "Seattle DSA endorses housing activist Jon Grant for City Council". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on 2017-07-17.
  12. ^ "Election Results - November 7, 2017 General and Special Election" (PDF). King County Elections. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  13. ^ "Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan weighs in on City Council race with endorsement, attacks". The Seattle Times. July 24, 2019. Retrieved June 22, 2021.
  14. ^ "U.S. Rep. Jayapal endorses a Harrell challenger as Seattle City Council incumbents weigh options". The Seattle Times. January 7, 2019.
  15. ^ Anthony, Stephen. "Kshama Sawant Made the Wrong Decision to not Run for Reelection". The Activist. Young Democratic Socialists of America. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  16. ^ a b "2019 primary results" (PDF). King County, Washington. August 6, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 8, 2021.
  17. ^ a b "2019 primary results" (PDF). King County, Washington. November 5, 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 4, 2020.
  18. ^ "Former UW student Shaun Scott running for Seattle City Council District 4". The Daily of the University of Washington. December 7, 2018.
  19. ^ "Democratic Socialist Shaun Scott Is Running for Seattle City Council". The Stranger. November 23, 2018.
  20. ^ a b Seattle DSA (May 17, 2019). "The Hellhole – Week of 5/13". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on 2019-07-17.
  21. ^ Seattle Democratic Socialists of America (September 29, 2020). "Endorsements 2020". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on 2025-12-13.
  22. ^ a b "August 4, 2020 Primary Results". Washington Secretary of State. August 4, 2020.
  23. ^ "November 3, 2020 General Election Results". Washington Secretary of State. November 3, 2020.
  24. ^ a b c d "Our 2021 & 2022 Endorsements". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  25. ^ a b "City elections in Seattle, Washington (2021)".
  26. ^ a b "Election Results – November 02, 2021" (PDF). King County Elections. November 2, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  27. ^ Seattle Democratic Socialists of America (September 20, 2021). "Seattle Democratic Socialists of America Endorse Nicole Thomas-Kennedy for City Attorney". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on 2021-09-23.
  28. ^ Seattle Democratic Socialists of America (December 17, 2020). "Seattle DSA Statement in Support of Council Member Kshama Sawant". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on 2020-12-18.
  29. ^ Mullen, Keely (2021-02-26). "Why I'm Joining Democratic Socialists of America". Socialist Alternative. Retrieved 2021-05-22.
  30. ^ Taylor, Sarah Grace (December 16, 2021). "Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant defeats recall effort". Seattle Times.
  31. ^ "Election Results" (PDF). King County Elections. 12 December 2021. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  32. ^ "Federal Elections 2022" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. February 2025. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 19, 2025.
  33. ^ Seattle Democratic Socialists of America (February 2, 2023). "Seattle DSA Endorses Matthew Mitnick for Seattle City Council District 4". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on 2023-02-03.
  34. ^ Schwarzwalder, Sophia (3 April 2023). "Questions of professionalism, maturity, and accountability". The Daily of the University of Washington. Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  35. ^ Krieg, Hannah (14 April 2023). "NEW(ish): UW grad student Matthew Mitnick has withdrawn from the City Council District 4 race. This comes two weeks after former campaign staff/volunteers released a public statement against him as reported by @TheStranger". Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  36. ^ Mitnick, Matthew (14 April 2023). "I've made the difficult decision to withdraw from the D4 city council race. Running for office at a young age was always going to be an uphill challenge. I'm proud of the issues we brought to the table, advocating on behalf of the students, youth, and working people of D4. 1/2". Archived from the original on April 15, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  37. ^ Seattle Democratic Socialists of America (November 6, 2024). "Workers Need a Hammer". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on 2025-11-17.
  38. ^ "Tabling for Shaun Scott at the First Hill Farmers Market". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on 2025-12-16.
  39. ^ Santos, Melissa (2024-11-06). "Democratic socialist Shaun Scott wins Seattle legislative race". Axios Seattle. Retrieved 2024-11-11.
  40. ^ Cohen, Josh (November 5, 2024). "Shaun Scott wins WA's 43rd Legislative District, Suarez concedes". Cascade PBS. Archived from the original on 2025-12-08.
  41. ^ a b "November 5, 2024 General Election Results". Washington Secretary of State. November 5, 2024.
  42. ^ "August 6, 2024 Primary Results". Washington Secretary of State. August 6, 2024.
  43. ^ Smith, Catharine (2025-11-12). "Katie Wilson poised to be Seattle's first Millennial mayor". KUOW. Retrieved 2025-12-03.
  44. ^ Cathell, Mia (November 17, 2025). "Why the socialist mayor-elect of Seattle didn't earn the DSA's endorsement". Washington Examiner. Archived from the original on 2025-12-08.
  45. ^ Trumm, Doug (2025-03-07). "How Seattle Social Housing Advocates Campaigned to Victory". The Urbanist. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  46. ^ a b Randels, Christopher (2023-01-23). "Minimum Wage Initiative Launches in Renton, Builds Off Successes in South King County". The Urbanist. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  47. ^ Seattle Democratic Socialists of America (February 16, 2024). "Let's Endorse House Our Neighbors Initiative to Fund Social Housing (I-137)". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Archived from the original on 2025-11-19.
  48. ^ "Election Results - February 14, 2023 Official Final Election Results" (PDF). King County Elections. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  49. ^ "February 11, 2025 Special Election - Official Results". Washington Secretary of State Elections Division. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  50. ^ "Full Steam Ahead to Fund Social Housing in Seattle: Vote Yes on Prop 1A". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  51. ^ Trumm, Doug (2024-01-31). "Voters Set to Decide on Raise The Wage Renton in February Ballot Measure". The Urbanist. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  52. ^ "February 13, 2024 Special Election - Official Results (King County)". Washington Secretary of State Elections Division. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  53. ^ "Renton's new minimum wage goes into effect July 1". Renton Reporter. 2024-03-05. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  54. ^ "From Buffalo and Boston to San Francisco and San Antonio, Starbucks workers are organizing" (PDF). Democratic Left Archive. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  55. ^ "Starbucks Solidarity". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  56. ^ "Celebration in Seattle – Solidarity Wins!". Starbucks Workers United. 2024-03-18. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  57. ^ "Index Media: Recognize the Union!". Seattle Democratic Socialists of America. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  58. ^ Oron, Guy (2021-02-23). "Protestors Rally in Renton in Support of Alabama Amazon Workers". South Seattle Emerald. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  59. ^ "Protesters occupy Representative Adam Smith's office to demand Gaza ceasefire". KIRO 7. 2024-01-27. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
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