Seattle's socialist rockstar Kshama Sawant has almost left the building. Here's how she changed...

Seattle’s most famous and controversial elected official, Kshama Sawant, is headed for the exits in January after a decade on the City Council. In that time, she’s managed to win three elections and survive a bitter recall campaign.

Sawant told KUOW the key to her success from the start was refusing to compromise and staying true to her socialist principles.

“We had any number of well-meaning political people telling us, 'Don't run openly as a socialist, don't call yourself a socialist,’ Sawant said. But she ignored that advice and railed against capitalism on the stump to win her first Seattle race in 2013.

The win made Sawant one of the only openly socialist candidates ever elected in Seattle, and one of very few serving in local office at the time anywhere in the United States.