Sharon Kay Nelson (born 1951) is an American politician from the state of

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

Background

Nelson is the former Chief of Staff to then

King County Council The Metropolitan King County Council, the legislative body of King County, Washington, consists of nine members elected by district. The Council adopts laws, sets policy, and holds final approval over the budget. Its current name and structure i ...

Chair

Dow Constantine James Dow Constantine (born November 15, 1961) is an American politician, lawyer, and urban planner in the state of Washington who is serving his third term as King County Executive, an office he has held since November 2009. He was in the state ...

. She has long been a leader in the fight to protect Maury Island from the expansion of a gravel mine on the island's shore. Senator Nelson, a former Bank Executive, has lived on Maury Island since 1994 with her husband John. Sharon and John have two grown daughters, Amy and Lyssa Ann, and they live with their dog, Abby.

Political career

She was first appointed to the State House of Representatives in 2007 following the elevation of Joe McDermott to the Senate. Nelson was elected to State Senate in 2010, and was sworn in on December 2, 2010. In March 2018, Nelson announced that she would retire at the end of her term. She was the Democratic Leader of the

Washington State Senate The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 members, each representing a district with a population of nearly 160,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olympi ...

, elected to that position by her colleagues in 2013. Nelson represented the 34th Legislative District, which includes

West Seattle West Seattle is a conglomeration of neighborhoods in Seattle, Washington, United States. It comprises two of the thirteen districts, Delridge and Southwest, and encompasses all of Seattle west of the Duwamish River. It was incorporated as an i ...

Vashon Island Vashon is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. It covers an island alternately called Vashon Island or Vashon–Maury Island, the largest island in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. The population was 10,6 ...

Maury Island Maury Island is a tied island in Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is connected to Vashon Island by an isthmus built by local homeowners in 1913. Before construction of the isthmus, the island was connected to Vashon only durin ...

, and most of North Highline and Burien.

Awards

* 2009 Fuse Sizzle Award - Intercontinental Smackdown Champion. for her leadership in the Washington State Legislature and efforts to clean up the lending industry water pollution. Presented by Fuse.( ) * 2009 Fuse Sizzle Award - Mother Jones. Presented by Fuse.

References

External links

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Nelson, Sharon 1951 births Living people 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Democratic Party members of the Washington House of Representatives Democratic Party Washington (state) state senators Whitman College alumni Women state legislators in Washington (state)