Ellen Craswell

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Ellen Craswell (1932-2008) was an American politician, a former Washington state legislator, and failed candidate for the 1996 Washington gubernatorial election. She ran as a Republican, but later identified as a member of the American Heritage Party, the Washington State affiliate of the Constitution Party. She resided in Poulsbo, Washington with her husband and fellow politician, Bruce Craswell.

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[edit] Legislative career

Craswell first was elected to the Kitsap County-based 23rd Legislative District. She received 33.69% of the vote against two Democrats in the 1976 Primary, before going on to defeat Democrat Ray Aardal, with 54.63% of the vote. She won landslides in both 1978 and 1980, when she became a state senator. From 1984 and onwards, she faced a series of close races, before being defeated solidly by Democrat Betti Sheldon in 1992. During her tenure as senator, she earned the nickname "Senator No" for her steady refusal to vote for any tax increases. In 1987 she was appointed as the first woman president pro temore of the senate, a position she held until the end of her career.

Primary results

  • 1976: Received 33.69% against Democrats Ray Aardal (34.28%) and Robert Randall (32.03%).
  • 1978: Received 65.41% against Democrat Sharon Shrader.
  • 1980: Running for the Washington State Senate, received 58.93% against Democrats Gordon Walgren (23.54%) and Frances Haddon Morgan (17.53%).
  • 1984: Received 51.31% against Democrat Sherril Huff.
  • 1988: Received 40.46% against fellow Republican Sherry Appleton (30.45%) and Democrat Bob Griffith (29.09%).
  • 1992: Received 42.23% against Democrat Betti Sheldon (28.89%) and fellow Republican Sherry Appleton (28.88%).

General results

  • 1976: Received 54.63% against Democrat Ray Aardal.
  • 1978: Received 66.43% against Democrat Sharon Shrader.
  • 1980: Running for Washington State Senate, received 73.52% against Democrat Gordon Walgren.
  • 1984: Received 54.00% against Democrat Sherril Huff.
  • 1988: Received 51.06% against Democrat Bob Griffith.
  • 1992: Defeated after receiving 44.62% against Democrat Betti Sheldon.

[edit] 1996 Washington gubernatorial election

Main article: Washington gubernatorial election, 1996

After Democrat Mike Lowry announced that he would not seek re-election due to allegations of sexual harassment, Craswell announced that she would win. During her legislative career, she gained a strong identity as an Evangelical Christian and member of the Christian right. Craswell was very open about her religious identity, prompting concern among some in the Republican Party that she would have difficulty in moderately liberal Washington. During the campaign, Craswell successfully appealed to suburban conservatives with more moderate social leanings by promising to repeal more than a third of state taxes and cut 30 percent of the state budget. In September of 1996, she narrowly gained the primary nod, receiving 15.26% of the primary vote and defeating nearest Republican opponent Dale Foreman, who received 13.37%.

Craswell campaigned both on fiscal issues and as an unabashed conservative Christian. She gained media coverage for comments, including those where she described herself as a "radical," declared that she would hire only "wise and godly people" as staffers, and listed God at the top of her campaign organisation chart. Education also became an important issue during the campaign, with Craswell supporting heavy localisation and a tuition-based system for all schools, and Democratic opponent Gary Locke supporting a more state-centric system. Locke's support for a state income tax, a position which he later withdrew, damaged his candidacy. Craswell successfully ran a grassroots campaign, receiving campaign contributions from only individuals and advertising only on billboards and yard signs and at campaign events.

Despite her successful campaigning tactics, Craswell's outspoken position on social issues -- including comments that gay rights were "special rights for sodomites" -- damaged her and further polarised the electorate. In November, Craswell was defeated by Locke in a small landslide, receiving only 42.04% of the vote.

[edit] Subsequent activity

Following her defeat in the election, Craswell switched party affiliation to the Christian right American Heritage Party (AHP). Her husband, Bruce, ran under the party's banner in the 1st congressional district and received 6.11%. His candidacy is generally regarded as being the force that allowed Democrat Jay Inslee to unseat incumbent Republican Rick White.

When the AHP (then a state affiliate of the Constitution Party) attempted to disaffiliate from the national party (CP), it caused an acrimonious schism resulting in non-renewal by over 90 percent of the state party members. The Craswells left both the American Heritage Party and the Constitution Party, refusing to take sides, and became independents.

Craswell lived with her family in the Poulsbo, Washington area, until her death on April 5th, 2008. She had four children and 14 grandchildren. She had been diagnosed with cancer twice before, survived both times, but then succumbed to her third bout with the disease. Since retiring from politics, Craswell had remained fairly quiet, granting few interviews.

[edit] External links