Nearly Half Of Durkan Transition Team Donated To Campaign

SEATTLE, WA - Nearly half of the members picked for mayor-elect Jenny Durkan's transition committee donated money to her campaign, according to state Public Disclosure Commission records. Out of the 61 members of the committee, 28 supported Durkan's campaign with donations, including independent expenditures.

Combined, the donors gave about $9,500 to Durkan's campaign. Durkan raised close to $1 million for her campaign, and was bolstered by $800,000 in spending from a pro-Durkan independent committee. A total of 4,131 people donated to Durkan's campaign this year.

There are also two members of the transition committee connected to political action committees (PACs) that donated thousands to support Durkan's election.

Durkan appointing campaign contributors is not a violation of any city campaign finance rules, according to the Seattle Ethics and Elections Committee. That's because all contributions to Durkan are public.

Durkan released the names of the appointees to her transition committee through a city spokesperson Monday morning. Durkan labeled the transition committee the "[m]ost diverse, inclusive transition committee representing all parts of the city."

"Our transition team reflects the best of Seattle. To solve our affordability, housing, and homelessness crisis, we need urgent action and innovative ideas. These community leaders and policy experts from all parts of Seattle will develop key achievable policy recommendations to make differences not just in the short term, but which help build a progressive, innovative and inclusive city for the next generation," Durkan said in the press release.

In response to questions about the number of donors included on the committee, Durkan spokeswoman Kamaria Hightower said:

"Jenny ran a historic campaign, drawing a record level of support from grassroots supporters, and community leaders from across Seattle. Jenny’s diverse and inclusive team - a majority of which are people of color and women - were chosen because of these leaders and activists work in their communities and policy areas of expertise."

Here are the members of the committee who donated the campaign (from state Public Disclosure Commission records):

• Angela Stowell, United Way, Campaign Co-Chair and Co-Founder of Stowell Restaurants - $500 (her husband, Ethan Stowell, also gave $500)
• Charlene Strong, Washington State Human Rights Commission, Chair - $225
• Charles Royer, Former Mayor of Seattle - $500
• Dave Stewart, Vulcan, Executive Vice President and General Counsel - $500
• Diane Sosne, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW, President - $50
• Eileen Sullivan, Amazon, Senior Manager, U.S. State Public Policy - $500
• Eileen V. Quigley, Clean Energy Transition, Director - $250
• Ezra Teshome, Community Leader - $500
• Helen Howell, Building Changes, Executive Director - $500
• Jan Drago, Former Seattle City Councilmember - $415
• Jerry Everard, Capitol Hill and Belltown Business Owner - $500
• Jordan Royer, Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, VP for External Affairs, Manufacturing Industrial Council Board Member, and Washington CeaseFire Board Member - $500
• Juan Cotto, El Centro de la Raza, President of the Board, and Board Member of Sound Mental Health - $431
• Lauren McGowan, United Way, Sr. Director, Ending Homelessness & Poverty - $50
• Linda Di Lello Morton, Greater Seattle Business Association, Board Member, and Terra Plata, Owner - $100
• Louise Chernin, Greater Seattle Business Association, President & CEO - $480
• Lt. Kenny Stuart, Seattle Fire Fighters Union, IAFF Local 27, President - $250
• Mariko Lockhart National Coordinator, 100,000 Opportunities Initiative - Demonstration Cities, The Aspen Institute's Forum for Community Solutions - $500
• Martha Kongsgaard, Kongsgaard-Goldman Foundation, President - $500
• Mary Jean Ryan, Community Center for Education Results, Executive Director - $500
• Maud Daudon, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, President & CEO - Independent expenditures (the chamber's PAC, Civic Alliance for a Sound Economy gave $581,000 to Durkan's campaign)
• Nicole Grant, M. L. King County Labor Council, Executive Secretary Treasurer - Independent (the labor council's PAC, Martin Luther King Jr. Co Labor Council Committee gave $500 to Durkan's campaign)
• Norm Rice, Former Mayor of Seattle- $350
• Ollie Garrett, Tabor 100, President - $100
• Paul Lambros, Plymouth Housing, Executive Director - $250
• Ruthann Kurose, Community Leader - $200
• Sheila Edwards Lange, Ph.D, Seattle Central College, President - $250
• Taylor Hoang, Ethnic Business Coalition, Executive Director - $100

Image via Elaine Thompson/Associated Press