Sara E. Nelson is an American businesswoman and politician serving as a Seattle City Council member from Position 9. A member of the Democratic Party, she defeated Nikkita Oliver in the 2021 election. On January 2, 2024, the city council voted unanimously to appoint her City Council President upon the retirement of Debora Juarez.
Sara Nelson | |
|---|---|
_(1).jpg) | |
| President of the Seattle City Council | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Debora Juarez |
| Member of the Seattle City Council for Position 9 | |
| Assumed office January 1, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Lorena González |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of California, Santa Barbara (BA) University of Washington (PhD) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Early life and career
editNelson grew up "really poor" in Sacramento to a family of McGovern supporting Democrats.[1][2] Her parents divorced when she was 12, her mother struggling to raise her as a single mom, her father an alcoholic.[3] She received a BA degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Washington.[1]
After receiving her PhD, Nelson worked as a policy staff member for then-councilmember Richard Conlin from 2002 to 2013.[2] Nelson was bitter after Conlin's loss to Socialist Kshama Sawant, stating that the council is responding to activist voices.[3]
In 2009, Nelson, along with her husband Matt Lincecum, founded Fremont Brewing in the namesake neighborhood of Fremont, earning the King County Business of the Year award in 2014.[2]
Seattle City Council
edit2017 election
editIn 2017, Nelson ran for Seattle City Council position 8, portraying herself as a business-friendly candidate who maintained progressive bona fides.[2][4] In the August primary, Nelson came in third with 21.48%, with labor activist Teresa Mosqueda and tenant advocate Jon Grant advancing to the general election.[5]
2021 election
editIn 2021, Nelson again attempted to run for the city council, this time running for the position 9 office being vacated by Lorena Gonzalez who ran for Mayor of Seattle.[6] In the August primary, seven candidates ran for the open seat, with Nelson and activist Nikkita Oliver advancing to the general election, with 39.47% and 40.18%, respectively.[7]
Nelson was the more moderate choice in the election, with issues such as policing, homelessness, and pandemic recovery coming to the forefront.[6][8] One of the most drastic differences between the candidates was their approach to policing and police funding.[8] Oliver, a police abolitionist, called for a 50% cut to the budget of the Seattle Police Department, arguing the funds could be better used to address root causes of crime.[1][8] Nelson argued that the police budget should not be cut at all and that reforming the department would be the best solution.[1]
Throughout the election, Nelson claimed to have not laid off employees during the COVID pandemic, but a report showed that seven full-time and part-time employees were let go before Thanksgiving 2020.[9][10] Nelson dismissed the claims, saying "The employees you mention were part-time and/or seasonal hires, and the busy season — as much as there was a 'busy season' in 2020 — ended. We kept on every full-time employee who was on payroll when the pandemic hit..."[10]
In the general election, Nelson won with 53.84% of the vote to Oliver's 45.99%.[11][12]
Tenure
editIn her first two years in office, Nelson was a minority in the city council as a moderate, with the majority of the council being progressive.[13] She pushed for increased public safety measures, like police hiring bonuses and an ordinance criminalizing drug possession.[14]
In the 2023 election, the council experienced the largest changeover since 1911, with five new council members who campaigned on a moderate platform taking office.[15] In January 2024, Nelson was elected to council president by a unanimous vote from her fellow council members.[16] She stated her focus as council president would be on public safety and government accountability, especially with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority.[14][17] As council president, Nelson oversaw the passage of police hiring bonuses and the creation of controversial exclusionary zones, known as the Stay Out of Drug Areas and Stay Out of Areas of Prostitution.[18][19]
Personal life
editNelson met her husband at World Trade Organization protests.[3] She and her family live in the Green Lake neighborhood.[3] Nelson is a recovering alcoholic and has been sober since September 2020.[3][20]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Kroman, David (September 24, 2021). "Seattle's District 9 race: How Oliver and Nelson's visions diverge". Cascade PBS. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Norimine, Hayat (July 29, 2017). "Candidate Profile: Sara Nelson". Seattle Met. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Shapiro, Nina (October 18, 2021). "In high-profile Seattle City Council race, Nikkita Oliver and Sara Nelson call for different kinds of change". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ Nelson, Sara (July 10, 2017). "Guest Editorial: Yes, I'm the "Business Candidate," and Yes, I'm a Progressive". The Stranger. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ "Election Results" (PDF). King County Elections. August 15, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Daniels, Chris. "Sara Nelson, co-owner of Fremont Brewing, running for Seattle City Council again". King5. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ "Election Results" (PDF). King County Elections. August 17, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ a b c Hyde, David (October 12, 2021). "Sara Nelson and Nikkita Oliver miles apart in race for Seattle City Council". KUOW. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ Ford, Chamidae (June 1, 2021). "In Seattle City Council Bid, Sara Nelson Says Her Focus Is on Economic Recovery". South Seattle Emerald. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Smith, Rich (September 17, 2021). "Sara Nelson Said Fremont Brewing Didn't Lay Off Anyone During the Pandemic. Unfortunately, That's Not True". The Stranger. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ "Sara Nelson elected to Seattle City Council Position 9". King 5 News. November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
- ^ "Election Results" (PDF). King County Elections. November 22, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ Kroman, David (February 20, 2024). "Seattle City Council President Sara Nelson gets her turn". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Harris, Jeremy (November 10, 2023). "Sara Nelson rises in ranks as Seattle City Council reshapes with focus on public safety". KOMO. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ Ng, Assunta (December 12, 2023). "2024 will transform Seattle's City Hall — Its diversity is incomplete". Northwest Asian Weekly. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ Beekman, Daniel (January 2, 2024). "Seattle politics shift as City Council gets new members, president". The Seattle Times. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
- ^ Meyer, Mahlon (January 12, 2024). "Council President Sara Nelson and her priorities". Northwest Asian Weekly. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ Donovan, Lauren (September 17, 2024). "Seattle City Council passes controversial drug, prostitution buffer zones". Fox13 Seattle. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ Cohen, Josh (October 8, 2024). "Seattle increases police hiring bonus to $50,000". Cascade PBS. Retrieved December 1, 2024.
- ^ Zucco, Erica (November 11, 2022). "Seattle councilmember proposes pilot program to fund substance use disorder treatment". King5. Retrieved December 1, 2024.