Judy Nicastro
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Judy Nicastro
| image = City Councilmember Judy Nicastro, 2002.jpg
| alt =
| imagesize = 175
| caption =
| office = Member of the Seattle City Council
from Position 1
| term_start = January 10, 2000
| term_end = January 5, 2004
| predecessor = Sue Donaldson
| successor = Jean Godden
| birth_date =
| birth_place = New Jersey
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Democratic
| relations =
| spouse = Peter Mansour
| children =
| residence = Seattle, Washington
| occupation =
| signature =
| website =
| alma_mater = {{plainlist|
- University of Washington (BA, JD)}}
| otherparty = }}
Judy Nicastro is an American former politician who served from 2000 to 2004 as a Seattle City Council member in Position 1.
Early life and education
Nicastro was born in New Jersey to working-class parents.{{cite web |last1=Bolz |first1=Wallis |title=Can Seattle's Renters Put Judy Nicastro in the Hot seat? |url=https://shelterforce.org/1999/05/01/can-seattles-renters-put-judy-nicastro-in-the-hot-seat/ |website=Shelter Force |publisher=Seattle Press |access-date=August 20, 2024 |date= April 21, 1999}} Living in Saddle River, New Jersey, Nicastro experienced the importance of political power when she and her mother suffered from funding cuts to widows' benefits when President Reagan signed the 1981 budget; her mother had been unsuccessful in lobbying their representatives in Congress to oppose the elimination of the program. She stated, "They took money away from us. I realized then the power of politics. It matters." This experience helped shape her populist agenda as a city council member.{{cite web |title=Judy Nicastro Records, 1993-2004 |url=https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:/80444/xv91664 |publisher=Archive West |access-date=August 20, 2024 |date=2004}}
She lived in New York City and attended the Fashion Institute of Technology, later working at Lord & Taylor. At the age of 22, she moved to Washington State in 1988, where she went to the University of Washington to earn her bachelor and Juris Doctor degrees. She would later work for Boeing before running for city council.
Seattle City Council
=1999 Seattle City Council election=
In 1999, Nicastro ran for city council after council member Sue Donaldson decided not to run for office. Ran as an outraged, "pissed off renter" with her campaign centering around a pro-tenant agenda that included rental reforms and greater housing options.{{cite web |last1=Feit |first1=Josh |title=Seattle's Pragmatic Populist |url=https://www.thestranger.com/news/2001/01/25/6284/seattles-pragmatic-populist |work=The Stranger |access-date=August 20, 2024 |date=January 25, 2001}} She was labeled a "Pragmatic Populist," advocating for a repeal of the state's rent control restrictions, stating at the time, "I don’t know whether or not rent control and overall rent regulation would work for Seattle. But I think we have a right to have that discussion...at a minimum, the law should be repealed..."
Nicastro ran against former city councilmember Cheryl Chow after her failed 1997 mayoral run.{{cite web |last1=Steffen |first1=Alex |title=CHARIOTS OF FIRE |url=https://www.thestranger.com/news/1999/08/05/1664/chariots-of-fire |work=The Stranger |access-date=August 20, 2024 |date=August 5, 1999}} Nicastro and Chow got first and second place in the August primary, respectively.{{cite web |last1=Couric |first1=Katie |title=Primary Night Fever |url=https://www.thestranger.com/news/1999/09/16/2016/primary-night-fever |work=The Stranger |date=September 16, 1999}}
Chow outraised Nicastro by over $12,000 due to support from landlords and other business leaders. Chow and her supporters labeled Nicastro as a "radical leftist," and Nicastro and her supporters labeled Chow "mediocre."{{cite web |last1=Corr |first1=O. Casey |title=Nicastro Doesn't Deserve This Political Mugging |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19991027&slug=2991356 |work=The Seattle Times |access-date=August 20, 2024 |date=October 27, 1999}}
In the November General Election, Nicastro narrowly defeated Chow, 50.49% to 49.51%.{{cite web |title=November 2, 1999 General Election |url=https://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/99nov/resPage10.htm|publisher=King County Elections |access-date=August 20, 2024}}
=Seattle City Council (1999–2003)=
While in office, Nicastro chaired the Landlord/Tenant & Land Use Committee, where she sponsored bills to strengthen tenant rights, lower parking requirements for affordable housing units, and increase density around transit hubs.
She would be the lone vote on various bills, including a 2001 bill to sell off land in South Lake Union due to a lack of affordable housing guarantees and the 2002 Affordable Housing levy because the levy focused on homeownership.{{cite web |title=Judy Nicastro |url=https://www.thestranger.com/pullout/2003/09/03/15544/judy-nicastro |work=The Stranger |access-date=August 20, 2024 |date=September 3, 2003}}
=Strippergate Scandal=
Former Washington state governor Albert Rosellini assisted the Colacurcios family by lobbying six members of the Seattle City Council and raising funds for three of the politicians.{{cite web |last1=Howland |first1=George |title=Is Strippergate over? |url=http://www.seattleweekly.com/news/is-strippergate-over/ |work=Seattle Weekly |access-date=August 20, 2024 |date=July 30, 2003}} In June 2003, James Bush, a reporter for the North Seattle Sun, reported city council members Judy Nicastro, Jim Compton and Heidi Wills received large amounts of campaign donations from the Colacurcio family and their business associates.{{cite web |last1=Kershaw |first1=Sarah |title=A Tale of Sex, Money and Politics, in 'Mayberry' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/08/27/us/a-tale-of-sex-money-and-politics-in-mayberry.html/ |work=The New York Times |date=August 27, 2003}} On June 16, 2003, in a 5–4 vote, the council approved the parking zoning changes allowing them to use their existing land for parking requested by the Colacurcios. Nicastro, Compton, and Wills would all vote in favor on the expansion.
The Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission investigated "Strippergate" and determined that Nicastro received $22,000 in campaign contributions from the Colacurcio family. All of the council members later returned the contributions.
=2003 City Council elections=
Nicastro ran for reelection in 2003 with six challengers in the open primary. Nicastro won the September primary with 25.61% of the vote, and Seattle Times columnist Jean Godden narrowly came in second with 17.65%.{{cite web |title=September 16, 2003 |url=https://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/2003sep/resPage9.htm |publisher=King County Elections |access-date=August 20, 2024}}
Mayor Greg Nickels would endorse Godden in the November general election, a rare move for a Seattle mayor.{{cite web |last1=Mulady |first1=Kathy |title=Godden gets Nickels' backing |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/godden-gets-nickels-backing-1126508.php |work=Seattle Post-Intelligencer |access-date=August 23, 2024 |date=October 8, 2003}} Nicastro claimed the endorsement was due to a letter she sent to Nickels accusing him of lying, threatening her, and stealing her ideas.
Partially weighted down by the Strippergate Scandal, Nicastro lost reelection to Godden, 48% to 52%.{{cite web |title=Historic General And Special Elections |url=https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/seattle-facts/historical-election-results#20002009historicelectionresults |publisher=King County Elections |access-date=August 20, 2024}}
Personal life
Nicastro and her husband have two children together.{{cite web |last1=Nicastro |first1=Judy |title=My Abortion, at 23 Weeks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/21/opinion/my-abortion-at-23-weeks.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=August 20, 2024 |date=June 20, 2013}} In June 2013, after House Republicans passed a bill that would restrict abortions after 22 weeks, Nicastro released an op-ed talking about her struggle conceiving through IVF and her abortion at 22 weeks after complications carrying twins.
Electoral history
{{Election box begin no change |title=Seattle City Council Position 1, primary election 1999{{cite web |title=September 14, 1999 Primary Election |url=https://your.kingcounty.gov/elections/99sep/resPage4.htm |publisher=King County Elections |access-date=August 26, 2024}}}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Cheryl Chow
|votes = 29,497
|percentage = 38.76%
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Judy Nicastro
|votes = 26,592
|percentage = 34.95%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Daniel Norton
|votes = 13,019
|percentage = 17.11%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Bob Hegamin
|votes = 6,984
|percentage = 9.18%
}}
{{Election box turnout no change
|votes = 76,092
|percentage =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change |title=Seattle City Council Position 1, general election 1999}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Judy Nicastro
|votes = 79,662
|percentage = 50.49%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Cheryl Chow
|votes = 78,111
|percentage = 49.51%
}}
{{Election box turnout no change
|votes = 157,773
|percentage =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change |title=Seattle City Council Position 1, primary election 2003}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Judy Nicastro
|votes = 28,958
|percentage = 25.16%
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Jean Godden
|votes = 20,317
|percentage = 17.65%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Robert Rosencrantz
|votes = 20,142
|percentage = 17.50%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Kollin K Min
|votes = 19,477
|percentage = 16.92%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Darryl Smith
|votes = 13,607
|percentage = 11.82%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Art Skolnik
|votes = 8,049
|percentage = 6.99%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = David Ferguson
|votes = 4,567
|percentage = 3.97%
}}
{{Election box turnout no change
|votes = 115,117
|percentage =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change |title=Seattle City Council Position 1, general election 2003}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Jean Godden
|votes = 63,867
|percentage = 52.52%
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Nonpartisan politician
|candidate = Judy Nicastro
|votes = 58,353
|percentage = 47.74%
}}
{{Election box turnout no change
|votes = 122,220
|percentage =
}}
{{Election box end}}