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Donaldson Announcement Coming on Mayor's Race

News   March 9, 2009 at 9:34 am Josh Feit

An extra splash of Morning Fizz this AM. 

City Council candidate and former Seattle Super Sonic, James Donaldson, is reportedly getting set to announce that he’s running for mayor.

This message went out to his supporters last night: 

Subject: Re: Big Week This Week!

Hey everyone on Team Donaldson!

I hope that you all had a great weekend and that everyone is fine!

This week, I plan to gear up my campaign in a major way!  Stay tuned and let’s talk about it this week when you hear the news!  We’re going to need tons of volunteers, suppport and $$$.  Please help and support all the you can!

Wish me luck!

James

I’ve got several calls out to Donaldson’s camp to see what the “news” is.

UPDATE: Local consultant Blair Butterworth, who’s in talks with Donaldson about running a Donaldson mayoral campaign, told me that Donaldson is “establishing an exploratory committee today to test the waters.”  

Butterworth said Donaldson’s candidacy is not a done deal yet, though.

However, other sources say it’s going to happen. 

Butterworth added that if Donaldson did go for it the “main issue would be change. You’re not going to get different results in this city with the same people.”

Christian Sinderman has been the political consultant for Donaldson’s council candidacy, but Sinderman also consults for Mayor Greg Nickels, so Sinderman wouldn’t be able to work with Donaldson if Donaldson ran for mayor. Thus Donaldson’s talks with Butterworth.


  • Bluneck

    With only exclamation points as punctuation, it MUST be exciting news!!!!!!!!!!

  • Bluneck

    With only exclamation points as punctuation, it MUST be exciting news!!!!!!!!!!

  • Bluneck

    With only exclamation points as punctuation, it MUST be exciting news!!!!!!!!!!

  • http://threetreejournal.blogspot.com david

    Guaranteed to be a popular candidate amongst the KJR sports radio crowd who think the loss of the sonics is the biggest political issue in the are since the construciton of Qwest Field.

  • Ian

    Considering the Mayor’s job is to run the City perhaps Derek Harper would be a better candidate. It’s pretty ballsy though for a European-born, former Cougar to run for Mayor of Seattle!

  • Ian

    Considering the Mayor’s job is to run the City perhaps Derek Harper would be a better candidate. It’s pretty ballsy though for a European-born, former Cougar to run for Mayor of Seattle!

  • Ian

    Considering the Mayor’s job is to run the City perhaps Derek Harper would be a better candidate. It’s pretty ballsy though for a European-born, former Cougar to run for Mayor of Seattle!

  • Ian

    Considering the Mayor’s job is to run the City perhaps Derek Harper would be a better candidate. It’s pretty ballsy though for a European-born, former Cougar to run for Mayor of Seattle!

  • correctnotright

    The Donaldson candidacy will be a slam dunk :) . Actually, he is a prety good guy. I have met him. I am not sure what his politics are – but he is smart and reasonable.

  • correctnotright

    The Donaldson candidacy will be a slam dunk :) . Actually, he is a prety good guy. I have met him. I am not sure what his politics are – but he is smart and reasonable.

  • correctnotright

    The Donaldson candidacy will be a slam dunk :) . Actually, he is a prety good guy. I have met him. I am not sure what his politics are – but he is smart and reasonable.

  • correctnotright

    The Donaldson candidacy will be a slam dunk :) . Actually, he is a prety good guy. I have met him. I am not sure what his politics are – but he is smart and reasonable.

  • jeff

    this guy is trying to ride the obama wave. get your own campaign slogan ass hole! what has this guy ever done besides underacheive on the court? nothing. and dont tell me obama never did anything ethier, it was obvious he was a once in a lifetime candidate. charisma wont solve our budget problems. fuck this guy.

  • jeff

    this guy is trying to ride the obama wave. get your own campaign slogan ass hole! what has this guy ever done besides underacheive on the court? nothing. and dont tell me obama never did anything ethier, it was obvious he was a once in a lifetime candidate. charisma wont solve our budget problems. fuck this guy.

  • jeff

    this guy is trying to ride the obama wave. get your own campaign slogan ass hole! what has this guy ever done besides underacheive on the court? nothing. and dont tell me obama never did anything ethier, it was obvious he was a once in a lifetime candidate. charisma wont solve our budget problems. fuck this guy.

  • jeff

    this guy is trying to ride the obama wave. get your own campaign slogan ass hole! what has this guy ever done besides underacheive on the court? nothing. and dont tell me obama never did anything ethier, it was obvious he was a once in a lifetime candidate. charisma wont solve our budget problems. fuck this guy.

  • Max

    Donaldson would make a great city council candidate and councilman.

    But Mayor? For a first run? Somebody is giving this guy bad advice.

  • Max

    Donaldson would make a great city council candidate and councilman.

    But Mayor? For a first run? Somebody is giving this guy bad advice.

  • Max

    Donaldson would make a great city council candidate and councilman.

    But Mayor? For a first run? Somebody is giving this guy bad advice.

  • Ian

    I heard that Blair Butterworth is only backing James Donaldson because Kevin Duckworth declined to run. But I could be just making that up.

  • Ian

    I heard that Blair Butterworth is only backing James Donaldson because Kevin Duckworth declined to run. But I could be just making that up.

  • Ian

    I heard that Blair Butterworth is only backing James Donaldson because Kevin Duckworth declined to run. But I could be just making that up.

  • Ian

    I heard that Blair Butterworth is only backing James Donaldson because Kevin Duckworth declined to run. But I could be just making that up.

  • Fredman

    Donaldson’s run is going to be the local equivalent of the ’92 democratic presidential process. As in ’92, alot of people around here are going to be wondering why they didn’t get in after JD exposes Nickles’ weaknesess and it then looks so obvious that the incumbent was beatable. Look for Nickels to be on the defensive from the word go regarding snow, sonics and no mercer money.

    BTW @7, Kevin Duckworth passed away a couple years ago.

  • Fredman

    Donaldson’s run is going to be the local equivalent of the ’92 democratic presidential process. As in ’92, alot of people around here are going to be wondering why they didn’t get in after JD exposes Nickles’ weaknesess and it then looks so obvious that the incumbent was beatable. Look for Nickels to be on the defensive from the word go regarding snow, sonics and no mercer money.

    BTW @7, Kevin Duckworth passed away a couple years ago.

  • Fredman

    Donaldson’s run is going to be the local equivalent of the ’92 democratic presidential process. As in ’92, alot of people around here are going to be wondering why they didn’t get in after JD exposes Nickles’ weaknesess and it then looks so obvious that the incumbent was beatable. Look for Nickels to be on the defensive from the word go regarding snow, sonics and no mercer money.

    BTW @7, Kevin Duckworth passed away a couple years ago.

  • mike

    James Donaldson can’t even run his failing chain of gyms. how is he going to run an entire city?

  • mike

    James Donaldson can’t even run his failing chain of gyms. how is he going to run an entire city?

  • mike

    James Donaldson can’t even run his failing chain of gyms. how is he going to run an entire city?

  • mike

    James Donaldson can’t even run his failing chain of gyms. how is he going to run an entire city?

  • http://threetreejournal.blogspot.com/ david

    Guaranteed to be a popular candidate amongst the KJR sports radio crowd who think the loss of the sonics is the biggest political issue in the are since the construciton of Qwest Field.