Nelson tapped to head to Olympia

By LESLIE BROWN

Staff Writer

Sharon Nelson, banker turned community activist turned political aide, is about to add a new title to her name: member of the state House of Representatives.

The King County Council on Monday appointed Nelson to complete the term being vacated by outgoing state Rep. Joe McDermott in the 34th District, a wide swath that covers West Seattle, Burien and Vashon Island. As such, she becomes the first Islander to head to Olympia since Pete von Reichbauer, a former Vashon resident, left the state senate in 1993.

The county council’s action came after the 34th District Democrats’ precinct committee officers — the group legally required to recommend to the council McDermott’s replacement — selected Nelson to the spot over four other contenders last Thursday. After the second ballot, when the field was narrowed to three nominees, Nelson won 78 votes to Toni Lysen’s 39 votes and Greg Doss’s 12 votes.

A popular election for the seat will be held next November.

Nelson, a high-profile Islander known for her long-standing fight against Glacier Northwest’s efforts to expand its sand and gravel mine on Maury Island, said she’s excited to begin this new chapter in her life and was pleased by the lopsided vote.

“It was a real positive endorsement,” she said.

Nelson said she’ll focus on environmental issues, education and transportation when she heads to Olympia. Top on her list, she said, is to revive a bill that died in the Legislature last year requiring a conservation plan for the state’s aquatic reserves, such as the one that surrounds much of Maury Island.

“If we’re going to save Puget Sound, we need to take the next step and pass legislation that prevents more damage,” she said.

As for education, she said she’s concerned by Washington’s low ranking on many of the lists that measure the quality of public education, adding, “We’ve got to get our schools from the bottom 20 percent in the nation to the top 10 percent.”

She said she also plans to take on the Washington Assessment of Student Learning or WASL, the controversial state-mandated measure of student achievement.

“Our teachers are teaching to a test instead of to our children,” she said.

Nelson, 56, is currently chief of staff for King County Councilman Dow Constantine. She said she’ll take a leave of absence from her position when her legislative duties begin later this fall.

A series of dominoes led to the vacancy and Nelson’s new legislative opportunity. In September, Erik Poulsen, a popular West Seattle senator, said he was giving up his seat to become the government relations director for the Washington Public Utilities Districts Association, and Rep. Joe McDermott decided to go for his seat. Last month, he was sworn in as the 34th District’s new senator, leaving his seat open.

Nelson was considered the frontrunner for the spot after Poulsen, Constantine and King County Executive Ron Sims endorsed her. But Lysen, a West Seattle resident who briefly served in the state Legislature, was also a strong contender, observers said.

Islander Ivan Weiss, chairman of the 34th District Democrats who actively supported Nelson in her bid for the seat, said he believed the precinct committee officers were persuaded by the depth of her experience. While Lysen had legislative experience, Nelson’s experience in Olympia — as a lobbyist pushing on both environmental and transportation issues — was far more recent, he said. She also has many strong business and government connections after working several years in Constantine’s office.

“She’s no stranger to the workings of government,” he said.

Weiss, who early on in the process had sought the appointment to replace McDermott, said he’s pleased Nelson got the nod.

“It’s a great deal for the district. It’s a great deal for the Island. And it’s great deal for Sharon,” he added.

McDermott also praised Nelson’s appointment to his former seat.

“I’ve always found her to be incredibly responsive, knowledgeable and accurate, and those are skills that will arm her well as a legislator,” he said.

He added that Vashon residents will likely be well-served by having a fellow Islander in Olympia, especially on Island-specific issues such as ferry service.

“I might understand your issues. Sharon lives them,” he said.