Seattle Council President Sara Nelson’s leadership as council president has caused divides among the Seattle City Council. (Kevin Clark / The Seattle Times)
As 2024 began, Councilmember Sara Nelson transitioned from a lone moderate voice to Council President, elected by a new slate of pragmatic colleagues, many of whom she helped get elected in 2023. But a recent vote to expand housing in SODO near the stadiums has exposed growing tensions within the Council.
Nelson’s rezone proposal passed 6-3, but not without friction. Councilmember Dan Strauss, the Council’s longest-serving member, criticized her for using her administrative power to influence legislation by assigning it to specific committees. He also voiced frustration at being removed from the committee responsible for long-term housing policy.
Nelson, however, remains undeterred. “I’m fine if people disagree with my policy positions, but I’m not going to shy away from taking on powerful institutions that want to preserve the status quo,” she said. “Because it’s not working, in so many ways, for the majority of our constituents.”
She’s not without support. Councilmember Maritza Rivera praised her as a leader who “brings people from across the city to solve the city’s toughest problems.”
Jon Scholes, president and CEO of the Downtown Seattle Association, commended Nelson for pushing forward even in an election year, saying she “wants to get things done.”
