Nichols writes: "Monday afternoon's inauguration of City Council member Kshama Sawant, arguably the most prominent socialist elected to local office since Bernie Sanders became mayor of Burlington, Vermont, thirty-three years ago, has inspired a striking level of excitement."
Seattle Mayor Kshama Sawant. (photo: Ted Warren/AP)
07 January 14
cross the United States this week, new mayors and city council members are being sworn in as the leaders of the cities that elected them in November. The inaugurations of mayors draw local attention-and, in cases like that of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, a good measure of national attention-but there is generally less focus on the city council members.
Except in Seattle.
Monday afternoon's inauguration of City Council member Kshama Sawant, arguably the most prominent socialist elected to local office since Bernie Sanders became mayor of Burlington, Vermont, thirty-three years ago, has inspired a striking level of excitement. Officials moved the swearing in for Sawant and Mayor Ed Murray-Seattle's first openly gay mayor-from the city council chambers to the much larger lobby of the city hall, and local media described "the largest turnout ever for a Seattle inauguration ceremony."
Continue Reading: Seattle Swears In a Socialist
