“It’s a far cry from a revolution, but socialists had a surprisingly strong showing in two city council races on Election Day, November 5,” MSNBC.com said the next day. “In Seattle, Kshama Sawant picked up 46% of the vote while challenging 15-year Democratic incumbent Richard Conlin. And in Minneapolis, Ty Moore is only 131 votes behind Democratic candidate Alondra Cano.”
The article said that, while Sawant and Moore both trail their opponents, neither race has been officially called. “And even if they both lose, they will have received an unusual amount of grassroots and institutional support for two avowedly anti-capitalist candidates running in major American cities.”
They both also received union endorsements, with Moore even managing to raise more money than the Democrat in the race.
“This is an indication of how eager people are for real change,” Sawant told MSNBC.com. Sawant and Moore ran as members of Socialist Alternative.
MSNBC.com said: “Among the issues Moore campaigned on: A $15 minimum wage, public ownership of Minneapolis utilities, and declaring housing to be a human right.
“Sawant also focused on low wages and affordable housing as key issues, and was a vociferous supporter of a referendum that raised that town’s minimum wage to $15 per hour.”