A proposed State House and Senate Bill would prohibit elected officials from holding more than one office at a time. Democrat Tim Sheldon is such a person who is paid $74,000 as a county commissioner and $42,000 as a state senator. But some Democrats are not too concerned about it.
State Sen. Tim Sheldon has rubbed Democrats the wrong way for years.
A conservative who represents a rural south Puget Sound district, Sheldon frequently has sided with Republicans on key issues — helping to kill a gay-rights bill in 2005, for example.
Democrats and liberal groups have accused him of being a Republican in all but name. They poured more than $250,000 into an unsuccessful effort to defeat him in the 2006 primary.
Josh Feit from The Stranger complained about Tim Sheldon’s dual offices five years ago. While recently Democrats have held a 31-18 lead in the state senate this situation is unique and typically they have held a slim majority. So throughout my political activism and Tim Sheldon’s 20-year legislative career, he has stood in the way of everything that represented fairness for gay and lesbians. And were not just talking about gay marriage here. Were talking about laws that provide fair employment and housing. And even when the legislature finally did pass the gay civil rights bill, Sheldon voted against it.
Seattle Times continued with comments from Senator Adam Kline:
Kline said he wished there were “a Democrat in the mix” who would be affected by the bill so it wouldn’t be viewed as just a “vindictive” attack on Sheldon.
Reminded that Sheldon identifies as a Democrat, Kline said, “I meant a real Democrat.”
