Kshama Sawant is an Indian-American politician and economist who served on the Seattle City Council from 2014–24. She was a member of Socialist Alternative as the first of the party elected to public office. A former software engineer, Sawant became an economics instructor in Seattle after immigrating to the United States from her native India. In 2024, Sawant announced she formed her own party Revolutionary Workers. She launched her candidacy for the 2026 United States House of Representatives election in Washington's 9th congressional district as an independent in June 2025.