Sawant campaign lambasts Republican-backed, pro-Banks PAC

What could possibly bring Washington’s Republicans and Democrats together?

Kshama Sawant.

“Rank and file Democrats are supporting Kshama Sawant. Progressive Democrats are supporting Kshama Sawant,” said Phillip Locker, political director for the Sawant campaign. “But the Democratic establishment, six out of the nine council members, and the chamber of commerce, and Vulcan, and Amazon, and Starbucks, and Microsoft have all lined up with a Republican-linked PAC now to throw Kshama Sawant out of office.”

“We’re prepared for business to really pour in a lot of money, with slander and smears to try to confuse people to vote out the strongest advocate for working people, which big business is not happy with, which is Kshama Sawant,” he said.

Related: Contributions to Kshama Sawant’s campaign break record

Sawant recently sent an email to supporters informing them that a political action committee (PAC) with Republican ties is partnering up with the local Democratic establishment to support Sawant’s opponent &#8212 Banks &#8212 in the race for the District 3 position she currently holds. Also among the partnership, Sawant argues, are big business and developers.

But KIRO Radio’s Jason Rantz doesn’t believe that Republicans are joining forces with Democratics, or are really in support of Pamela Banks, Sawants opponent, who promotes herself as a Democratic and progressive voice.

“If it was a broom stick that was running against Kshama Sawant, you would have people supporting the broom stick,” Rantz said. “Because Sawant is so polarizing.”

“I think the mainstream of the Democratic Party, undoubtedly [don’t support Sawant],” Rantz said. “It’s the more progressive ones that side with Kshama Sawant. I don’t understand why you’re going after a PAC.

“I don’t think they are supporting Pamela Banks because they think she is going to be their arm,” Rantz said. “I think Republicans literally would vote for anyone because they do not like Kshama Sawant because she does so much damage to the Republican cause.”

Rantz argued that the PAC is no different than any other interested party that raises money against a political figure. He also notes that Sawant has taken PAC money and support in the past for her own campaigns.

“There is a corporate-backed PAC that has been established and it’s linked to the Republican Party. It’s very shady, it’s dark money … there are two officers. One of them is Bob Ratliffe, he’s an international investment banker and developer,” Locker said, further listing off Ratliffe’s connections, such as the Republican National Committee and John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign. He said he has used his position as chairman of the board of trustees at Seattle University to prevent adjunct professors from unionizing.

Locker also said that the treasure of the PAC, Tom Perry of Puyallup, is also the campaign treasurer for Chris Vance, the former head of the Washington State Republican Party.

Rantz remains curious, however, as to why the Sawant campaign would make such a big deal out of the PAC; partially, because the city council member has worked with PACs in the past, but also because it doesn’t seem as if Banks poses too much of a threat to Sawant.

“This is the first time that I’ve got the sense from the Sawant campaign that you guys are a little bit scared of Pamela Banks. That’s what’s throwing me. There’s nothing out there that gives me any indication why you guys should be scared,” Rantz said.

“We’re concerned about big business money coming in,” Locker responded. “And we’ve seen it before.”