Cynthia Sullivan is a former member of the King County Council representing District 2 from 1984-2004.
Cynthia Sullivan | |
|---|---|
| Member of the King County Council from the 2nd district | |
| In office January 1, 1984 – January 1, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Scott Blair |
| Succeeded by | Bob Ferguson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1949 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jim Hebert |
| Alma mater | University of Washington (BA) |
King County Council
editSullivan dropped out of her graduate program at the University of Washington in 1983 to run for county council against Republican Scott Blair.[1][2] She called her opponent an entrenched republican and declared that the county had become "a candy store for developers" because of the republican led council.[1][2] Sullivan defeated Blair in the general election and credited her win to knocking on more than 1,000 doors in the district.[1]
Early in her career, King County experienced significant population growth, and the council passed a comprehensive redevelopment plan.[1][2] Sullivan became chair of the committee charged with creating the line between urban growth and other land uses.[1] She focused on growing metropolitan areas while protecting rural, forested, and agricultural areas.[2] Although she ran on slow-growth policies, Sullivan promoted pro-development and pro-mass transit legislation.[1][2] Sullivan stated, "If growth management fails, it's for two reasons: You didn't build housing where you need it — which is in urban centers — or you didn't build the transportation system to link up those urban centers."[2]
Sullivan and councilmember Greg Nickels endorsed and advocated for a 1988 advisory vote on developing a rail transit system, which voters overwhelmingly approved.[2] This led to the failed vote 1995 vote on the creation of the Regional Transit Authority before the successful creation of Sound Transit in 1996.[1][3] She would also play a leading role in the creation of a mass-transit bus system to entice more families into the cities.[2]
Sullivan was a reliable progressive vote and was an ardent supporter of rights for gays, women, and minorities.[1][4] She fought against citizen initiatives by anti-tax advocate Tim Eyman that would reduce the county's income from property taxes and vehicle license fees.[2]
Sullivan faced no serious challenger until her 2003 reelection bid when attorney Bob Ferguson challenged her in the Democratic Primary.[4] Ferguson critiqued Sullivan on her reliance on donations from developers, supporting Sound Transit, and her reluctance to shrink the council from 13 seats to 9.[2] Ferguson called Sullivan an entrenched incumbent as she did in her first election, and touted his campaign knocking on 25,000 doors.[4] In the September primary, Ferguson defeated Sullivan 50.37% to 49.63%, a margin of 143 votes.[5]
After leaving the council, King County Executive Ron Sims named Sullivan the director of the Metropolitan Initiative.[6]
Personal life
editWhile in office, Sullivan divorced her husband and became a single mother on the council.[2]
She married market researcher Jim Herbert in 1999.[2] In 2015, a jury ordered Herbert's company to pay $650,000 to a former employee after he told them to learn English or lose his job.[7] Sullivan supervised the employee until she cut back on her work at Herbert Research in August 2011, and was able to communicate effectively with the employee.[8] The couple would file for bankruptcy, with the biggest liability being the $650,000 judgment against Herbert Research.[8]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h McRoberts, Patrick (November 8, 2006). "Sullivan, Cynthia (b. 1949)". History Link. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Ervin, Keith (December 27, 2003). "Sullivan's legacy is a dividing line; Democrat steps out after 20 years on County Council". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Crowley, Walt (September 24, 2000). "Voters in King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties reject regional transit plan on March 14, 1995". History Link. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Modie, Neil (September 16, 2003). "King County Council's Sullivan gets run for her money". Seattle Post Intelligencer. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "September 16, 2003 Primary Election". King County Election. Wayback Machine. September 17, 2003. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ Modie, Niel (April 13, 2004). "Ex-Councilwoman Cynthia Sullivan hired for county post". Seattle Post Intelligencer. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ "Fired janitor awarded $650K in case against Bellevue businessman". Associated Press. Everett Herald. October 30, 2015. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ a b Grunbaum, Rami (January 14, 2016). "Market researcher Hebert, wife file for bankruptcy". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 28 September 2024.