Former Seattle Council candidate switches party, announces Republican bid for Lt. Governor

SEATTLE – Ann Davison Sattler, who lost a bid for Seattle City Council in November, has announced she will switch parties and run for Lt. Governor as a Republican in 2020.

In an interview set to air Sunday on “The Divide with Brandi Kruse,” Sattler explained that she felt “intolerance” from the left over her ideas to address homelessness and crime. She said she decided to challenge Democratic Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib because she’s concerned Seattle’s problems will expand across the state if one-party rule continues.

“We have to have balance, we have to have pragmatism at our state, and we have been basically a one-party state from the top down for far too long. And I think that that is part of the issue. We are not allowed to question and check that one party that as a strong hold,” said Sattler, who described herself this week as "very moderate."

Earlier this month, Sattler published an op-ed in Shift, explaining why she decided to leave the Democratic party after losing to incumbent Seattle Councilwoman Debora Juarez in the 5th District.

“All my life I assumed that the Democratic Party believed in acceptance and tolerance, but that was not my experience in this race,” she wrote. “Those claiming to be the most tolerant, through their political party affiliation, showed their intolerance to differing political thought and approaches to problems.

“Well, if caring about improving problems and not wanting to waste taxpayer money makes me a Republican, then so be it," she continued.

The Washington State Democratic Party had some harsh words in response to Sattler's announcement.

"It's no surprise that someone who misrepresented her values and commitment to progressive policy would find Democratic voters less than tolerant of being misled," said Will Casey, communications director for the Washington Democrats. "If this is the way she is going to run her campaign for Lt. Governor, we expect she will do just as poorly with the statewide electorate as she did in her last election where she was the recipient of the fewest votes citywide."

You can watch more of Brandi’s interview with Ann Davison Sattler Sunday on “The Divide” at 7:30am on Q13 FOX.