Tim Sheldon

Sheldon was born and raised in Mason County, Washington. He attended public schools until he entered the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1965, graduating in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He earned his Master of Business Administration at the University of Washington.

Following a decade of work in economic development for Native American tribes, Sheldon began a new career as executive director of the non-profit Mason County Economic Development Council, a post he held for 18 years.

First elected to the Washington House of Representatives for a term beginning in 1991, Sheldon served three terms there before being elected to the State Senate in 1997, defeating incumbent appointed Democrat Lena Swanson. During his tenure, Sheldon served as vice chair of the Energy Environment & Telecommunications Committee, and sat on the Rules and Transportation committees.{{Cite web|url=http://www.leg.wa.gov/senate/senators/Pages/sheldon.aspx|title = Senators}}

Sheldon was an opponent of state funding for the Mariners and Seahawks sports stadiums, calling the proposed legislation "corporate welfare." He also voted against budgets when his party supported them. He voted for Republican George W. Bush in 2004 and then Democrat Barack Obama in 2008.{{cite web|last=Gardner|first=Steven|title=Tim Sheldon Makes No Apologies for Dual Roles|work=Kitsap Sun |url=http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/mar/07/sheldon-makes-no-apologies-for-dual-roles/|accessdate=23 March 2012}} He was one of three Democratic state senators to vote against the gay-marriage bill.{{cite web|last=JORDAN SCHRADER|first=BRAD SHANNON|title=Senate votes 28-21 to legalize gay marriage|url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/02/01/v-printerfriendly/2008633/senate-votes-28-21-to-legalize.html|publisher=The News Tribune|accessdate=23 March 2012}}{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }} He later expressed regret over the vote and his opposition to LGBTQ rights, saying in a 2022 interview announcing his retirement that he had "tried to make up for it" with his votes in later years.{{cite news |last1=O'Sullivan |first1=Joseph |title=WA state Sen. Tim Sheldon, Rep. Jesse Johnson won't return to Legislature |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/wa-state-sen-tim-sheldon-rep-jesse-johnson-wont-return-to-legislature/ |access-date=16 March 2022 |work=The Seattle Times |date=10 March 2022}}

After the 2012 state legislature elections, he and Senator Rodney Tom joined the Republicans in a "Majority Coalition Caucus," resulting in a power sharing agreement, effectively giving the two Democrats control of the state senate along with 23 Republicans. The Caucus chaired the most powerful committees (such as ways and means, commerce and labor, and K-12 education, among others) for the 2013-14 session, and a few committees, such as transportation were claimed as "bi-partisan", co-chaired with the Democratic Caucus. Sheldon subsequently became president pro tempore of the Senate, elected by both Democrats and Republicans. He lost this position in 2015 when Democrats withdrew support in favor of Republican Pam Roach.{{cite news |url=http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/01/12/3585034_democrats-help-republican-sen.html |title=Democrats help Republican Sen. Pam Roach unseat a Democrat |first=Jordan |last=Schrader |date=January 12, 2015 |newspaper=The News Tribune |location=Tacoma, Wash. |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402095250/http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/01/12/3585034_democrats-help-republican-sen.html |archivedate=April 2, 2015 }} After Roach won a seat on the Pierce County Council in the 2016 election,{{cite web|title=November 8, 2016 General Election|url=http://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20161108/pierce/|publisher=Pierce County Auditor|date=29 November 2016|accessdate=23 December 2016}} Tim Sheldon, once again, became president pro tempore of the Washington State Senate.{{cite web|title=Sen. Tim Sheldon picked as president pro-tem of GOP-controlled state Senate|url=http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/sen-tim-sheldon-picked-as-president-pro-tem-of-gop-controlled-state-senate/|publisher=The Seattle Times|date=6 January 2017|accessdate=9 May 2017}} Due to the special election held in November 2017, the Senate returned to a Democratic 25–24 majority. Sheldon once again lost his position as President Pro Tempore. Democrat Karen Keiser now occupied the position.{{Cite web|url=http://sdc.wastateleg.org/keiser/2017/11/21/keiser-to-serve-as-president-pro-tempore-of-the-washington-state-senate/|title = Keiser to serve as President Pro Tempore of the Washington State Senate|date = 21 November 2017}}

The Majority Caucus was subsequently dissolved and replaced by a normal Republican Caucus, which Sheldon, while retaining his Democratic party registration, joined. In March 2022, Sheldon announced that he would not run for reelection. He left office in 2023.

• 2014 Guardians of Small Business award. Presented by NFIB.{{cite web |url=https://www.nfib.com/content/news/washington/69-lawmakers-win-main-streets-highest-award-65593/ |title=69 Lawmakers Win Main Street's Highest Award |website=nfib.com |date=May 12, 2014 |accessdate=September 18, 2021}}

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.leg.wa.gov/senate/senators/Pages/sheldon.aspx Sheldon's official State Senate page]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160110173152/http://senatorsheldon.org/ Sheldon's MCC page]
• [https://archive.today/20130216220351/http://www.theolympian.com/2013/01/14/2384394/sen-sheldon-elected-senate-president.html Olympian Article on Sheldon's election as pro tempore]
• [http://seattletimes.com/html/editorials/2020148893_editmajoritycaucusxml.html Sheldon takes control of Senate with Tom]

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Category:Living people

Category:Democratic Party members of the Washington House of Representatives

Category:Farmers from Washington (state)

Category:University of Washington Foster School of Business alumni

Category:County commissioners in Washington (state)

Category:Democratic Party Washington (state) state senators

Category:1947 births

Category:People from Shelton, Washington

Category:Wharton School alumni

Category:21st-century members of the Washington State Legislature