Sue Donaldson (American politician)
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Sue Donaldson
| image = Sue Donaldson 1997.jpg
| alt =
| imagesize = 175
| caption =
| office = President of the Seattle City Council
| term_start = 1998
| term_end = 1999
| predecessor = Jan Drago
| successor = Margaret Pageler
| office1 = Member of the Seattle City Council
from Position 1
| term_start1 = January 19, 1990
| term_end1 = January 10, 2000
| predecessor1 = Norm Rice
| successor1 = Judy Nicastro
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Democratic
| relations =
| spouse = Paul Fletcher
| children =
| residence = Seattle, Washington
| occupation =
| signature =
| website =
| alma_mater = {{plainlist|
| otherparty = }}
Sue Donaldson was a member of the Seattle City Council from 1990 to 2000 and served as council president from 1998 to 1999.
Seattle city council
=Appointment and elections=
Donaldson was appointed to the council on January 19, 1990, to fill the first of two years of Norm Rice's remaining term, after he was elected Mayor of Seattle.{{cite web |title=Sue Donaldson Subject Files, 1974-1999 |url=https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv596669 |publisher=Archive West |access-date=13 October 2024}}{{cite web |last1=Goldsmith |first1=Steven |title=Former City Council leader Sue Donaldson joins UW |url=https://www.washington.edu/news/2000/02/15/former-city-council-leader-sue-donaldson-joins-uw/ |website=UW News |publisher=University of Washington |access-date=13 October 2024 |date=February 15, 2000}}{{cite web |title=Comptroller File 297592 |url=https://clerk.seattle.gov/search/results?s6=&l=200&Sect1=IMAGE&Sect2=THESON&Sect3=PLURON&Sect4=AND&Sect5=CFCF1&Sect6=HITOFF&d=CFCF&p=3&u=%2Fsearch%2Fclerk-files&r=436&f=G&s7=%22CITY-COUNCIL%22%5BINDX%5D |publisher=Seattle City Clerk |access-date=13 October 2024}} She would run in the 1990 special election with David Moseley, a political adviser and community activist, her primary opponent.{{cite news |last1=Nelson |first1=Robert T. |title=David Moseley Joins Race For City Council |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19900720&slug=1083249 |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=July 20, 1990}} In the November general election, Donaldson defeated Mosely in a landslide, 73% to 27%.{{cite web |title=General and Special elections |url=https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/seattle-facts/historical-election-results#19901999historicelectionresults |publisher=Seattle Municipal Archives |access-date=13 October 2024}}
In 1991, Donaldson ran for reelection with three challengers, with Freedom Socialist Party member Yolanda Alaniz moving past the September primary.{{cite news |last1=Raftery |first1=Isolde |title=Why Socialist Kshama Sawant's Campaign Matters, Win Or Lose |url=https://www.kuow.org/stories/why-socialist-kshama-sawants-campaign-matters-win-or-lose/ |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=KUOW |date=November 5, 2013}}{{cite news |last1=Kamb |first1=Lewis |title=Growing wealth gap spurs on socialist in Seattle council race |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/growing-wealth-gap-spurs-on-socialist-in-seattle-council-race/ |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=August 11, 2013}} In the November general election, Donaldson again won in a landslide earning 82% of the vote.
Donaldson faced two challengers during her 1995 reelection bid, and she advanced through the primary with University of Puget Sound professor Jordan Brower.{{cite news |last1=Angelos |first1=Constantine |last2=Westneat |first2=Danny |last3=Chiem |first3=Phat X. |title=Municipal League Favors Commons, But Leaves Ballpark Up To Voters - - Incumbents Generally Fare Well In Ratings Of Candidates |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19950831&slug=2139210 |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=August 31, 1995}} Brower sued the city of Seattle in October 1995 for allegedly misusing federal housing money for the new Nordstrom flagship store, which Donaldson voted in favor of.{{cite news |title=Lawsuit Alleges City Misused Housing Funds |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19951026&slug=2148982 |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=October 26, 1995}}{{cite news |last1=Feit |first1=Josh |title=Where Are They NoW |url=https://www.thestranger.com/news/2002/07/11/11269/where-are-they-now |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=The Stranger |date=July 11, 2002}} In the general election, Donaldson would win in another landslide, 77% to 23%.'
=Tenure=
Over her tenure, Donaldson chaired the Land Use Committee and Public Grounds and Recreation Committees. She was considered "establishment" and voted for legislation that favored downtown businesses, including Nordstrom's, and voted for socially conservative legislation, such as the drug loitering ordinance.{{cite news |last1=Grendon |first1=Timothy |title=Moseley supportive of Gay rights |url=https://washingtondigitalnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=SGN19900914.1.5&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=Seattle Gay News |publisher=Washington Secretary of State |date=September 14, 1990}}
Donaldson was council president from 1998 to 1999.{{cite web |title=1946-2015 |url=https://www.seattle.gov/cityarchives/seattle-facts/city-officials/city-council-members/city-council-1946-2015 |publisher=Seattle Municipal Archives |access-date=13 October 2024}} As president, she lobbied the United States Department of State to host the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference of 1999.{{cite news |last1=MURAKAMI |first1=KERY |title=City may tighten rules on new events in wake of WTO |url=https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/city-may-tighten-rules-on-new-events-in-wake-of-1057433.php |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=Seattle Post Intelligencer |date=June 15, 2001}} During the conference, people protested the event, which led to rioting through downtown Seattle, sometimes referred to as the Battle of Seattle. In her final month in office, Donaldson oversaw the response to the riot and the investigation into the city's failed response.{{cite news |title=news Council votes 5-3 to retroactively ratify Schell's orders |url=https://www.dailyuw.com/news/council-votes-5-3-to-retroactively-ratify-schells-orders/article_21f8dc5a-97a0-5a7c-82f0-b9d93e5e0f8c.html |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=DailyUW |date=December 7, 1999}}{{cite web |last1=Wilma |first1=David |title=Seattle City Council hearing on WTO unrest, the first, lasts eight hours on December 8, 1999 |url=https://historylink.org/File/2146 |publisher=HistoryLink |access-date=13 October 2024}} Police chief Norm Stamper resigned after the riots, which Donaldson opposed and placed blame on Mayor Paul Schell saying, "It is unfortunate that the mayor has taken this action at this time."{{cite news |title=`I Don't Feel Like The Fall Guy' -- In Wake Of WTO, Police Chief Stamper Announces He'll Retire |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19991207&slug=2999951 |access-date=13 October 2024 |work=The Seattle Times |date=December 7, 1999}}
In 1999, Donaldson announced that she would not seek reelection.
Post-council
After serving on the council, Donaldson worked at the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance and University of Washington. She also hosted an interview radio show called "The Bridge" with fellow former city councilmember Jean Godden, which is on hiatus due to the pandemic.{{cite web |last1=Farr |first1=Sheila |title=Godden, Jean (b. 1931) |url=https://www.historylink.org/file/21060 |publisher=HistoryLink |access-date=7 September 2024 |date=July 22, 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Godden |first1=Jean |title=Micro-casting Radio: SPACE101 for the Community |url=https://www.postalley.org/2024/05/15/micro-casting-radio-space101-for-the-community/ |publisher=Post Alley |access-date=7 September 2024 |date=May 15, 2024}}
Personal life
Donaldson is a graduate of Harvard University and earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Washington. Before running for city council, she was a property lawyer for Perkins Cole.
Donaldson is married to Dr. Paul Fletcher, and they have three daughters.