| Susan Hutchison | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 24, 1954 Fairfield, California |
| Political party | Republican[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Andy Hutchison |
| Profession | philanthropy, Executive Director; journalism, television news |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
| Signature | |
| Website | susanhutchison.com |
Susan Hutchison (born March 24, 1954) is a former television news anchor and political candidate in Seattle, Washington.[2] She is the Executive Director of the Charles and Lisa Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences. Hutchison's twenty-five year career as a journalist began at KITV news in Honolulu and continued at KIRO-TV news in Seattle, where she received five regional Emmy Awards. In 2009, she ran for King County Executive, winning the primary but losing the general election to Dow Constantine.[3] Hutchison has been mentioned as a possible Republican candidate for U.S. Senate against Maria Cantwell in 2012.[4] [5]
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Susan Hutchison was born on March 24, 1954 at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California.[6] She graduated from Annandale High School in Annandale, Virginia in 1972 and earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Florida in 1975.[7] [8]
Hutchison began her career as a journalist in 1978 as a sportscaster for KITV news in Honolulu, Hawaii.[6] She later became a weekend news anchor, working at the Honolulu television station until 1981.[6] After being spotted by a Seattle television executive, Hutchison was hired in January 1981 as a TV news anchor for the Seattle CBS affiliate, KIRO-TV.[6] She eventually worked as an evening broadcaster there for more than 20 years, earning five regional Emmy Awards.[6]
In June 1993, after KIRO station management instituted format changes which were widely criticized and resulted in failed ratings, Hutchison resigned.[9] Hutchison returned as a news anchor in March 1995.[10]
She continued at KIRO-TV until an employment dispute in 2002, and subsequently filed a lawsuit against the television station alleging age discrimination.[11][12] The case was settled out of court in 2005.[12] The case was settled out of court in 2005.[12] At that time, summary judgment statements filed by the station were sealed at the station’s request. Those documents were unsealed in 2009 during the County Executive campaign, after an FOI suit by the Seattle Times, Associated Press and other news organizations.[12]. In the documents, the station alleged that Hutchison questioned her boss, John Woodin, regarding inappropriate behavior with a young woman employee and that Hutchison called in sick on two days she had requested off but had been denied. The case was settled before Hutchison’s attorney filed a rebuttal. During the 2009 campaign Hutchison said she could not comment on the lawsuit because of the non-disclosure agreement she signed when she won the settlement.[12]
In January 2004, Hutchison became Executive Director of the Charles Simonyi Fund for Arts and Sciences,[13] which provides grants to Science and Art Organizations, mostly in Western Washington but some on the east coast as well.[14]
Hutchison served as Chair of the Seattle Symphony and is a board member of the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum, Seattle Art Museum, Seattle Children's Hospital Foundation, Young Life International and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.[14] She served for ten years on the board of the Discovery Institute, leaving in 2008.[15][16]
She also has been a spokesperson for the American Leprosy Mission, Northwest Medical Teams, Job Corps, and March of Dimes, and has emceed charitable auctions and fundraising dinners.[17]
In 2005, Hutchison was one of ten people appointed by Ron Sims to be on the King County Independent Task Force on Elections, created to make recommendations to reform the election process.[18]
In April 2009, Hutchison announced her candidacy for King County Executive.[19] A self-described non-partisan moderate,[20] Hutchison won the primary election with 37% of the votes and advanced to the general election against Dow Constantine.[21] The Seattle NPR outlet KPLU described it as "perhaps the most contentious race on the November [2009] ballot",[22] characterized by negative campaigning and "mudslinging" ads paid for by the candidates' supporters.[23][24][25]
In October 2009, separate complaints were filed with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) against the Hutchison and Constantine campaigns.[26] Following its investigations after the election, the PDC dismissed the complaint against Constantine. The PDC determined the Hutchison campaign failed "to timely report in-kind contributions and a campaign debt", and fined the campaign $100.[27]
In the November election, Hutchison was defeated by Constantine, losing by 14 percentage points.[28]
In 1977, Hutchison married Andy Hutchison. He is an executive for Boeing aerospace corporation and a former Marine Corps Colonel. They have two teenage sons who attend Seattle public schools.
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