SEATTLE — Seattle Mariners Majority Owner John Stanton is among the group of well-heeled donors looking to shake up the Seattle City Council.
New documents filed with the city, show that the People for Seattle PAC raised almost $140,000 for the effort between May 16 and May 31. Stanton donated $5,000, the biggest total of any individual person.
He was joined by other people with ties to sports, tech, and the Seattle Center in particular.
Former Seattle mayor and longtime councilmember Tim Burgess announced the PAC last week. He has donated $1,000.
Stanton has been joined by Tacoma Rainiers owner and Seattle resident Mikal Thomsen, who also donated $5,000. The two helped start McCaw Cellular and Western Wireless. Multiple members of the McCaw family have also donated to the PAC: Craig and Susan McCaw both donated $1,000 each, and Bruce McCaw donated $5,000. John McCaw also donated $5,000. Developer Jon Runstad of Wright Runstad donated $2,500.
The Wright family, which owns the Space Needle and has a long history in civic engagement, is well represented in the filings. Space Needle Chairman Jeffrey Wright donated $2,500. Howard Wright has chipped in $2,500. David Wright, who is a minority investor in the NHL Seattle franchise, has donated $2,500 as well.
Former Seattle Center Director Virginia Anderson attached her name with a $50 donation, a number matched her longtime Center employee Terry McLaughlin.
Other longtime Seattle families have put money toward the Council, including Joshua Green with a $5,000 donation and Madrona Ventures CEO and early Amazon investor Tom Alberg, who gave the same amount. Jon Alberg also donated $2,000.