Seattle City Council’s Sally Bagshaw to decline re-election bid?

Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw isn’t expected to seek re-election after her current term ends in December 2019, sources in her district said.

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Bagshaw, 67, was first elected in 2009 and represents District 7 (Queen Anne, Magnolia, Uptown, Downtown, and Pioneer Square). She reportedly has been meeting informally with potential candidates for the seat in District 7, which includes the iconic Space Needle, some of Seattle’s wealthiest neighborhoods, and the city’s most prominent business district in South Lake Union.

Most recently, she helped lead the repeal of the controversial $275-per-employee head tax that was unanimously approved by the council. Bagshaw, along with the rest of the council, voted in favor of the plan only to rescind that vote three weeks later when public opinion turned against the council.

Working with councilmember Debra Juarez,  Bagshaw also helped guide the plan by the Oak View Group’s effort to rehabilitate the former Key Arena with the hope of bringing an NHL franchise to Seattle. The estimated $600 million project currently is undergoing an environmental impact review.

Bagshaw didn’t initially return calls seeking comment. But in response to the story, she emailed the Jason Rantz Show on KTTH, “Keeping all options open for now, working hard.”

One district source, who declined to be identified, said the councilmember has already made her mind up, but thus far, has declined to make a public announcement of the decision.

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Deborah Frausto, who is on the executive council of the Uptown Alliance, said she would be disappointed if Bagshaw declined to seek re-election.

“She has been great for Uptown,” Frausto said. “I have not heard that she isn’t going to run but then I would not be the first person to hear it.”

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