John Spellman
| John D. Spellman | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 18th Governor of Washington | |
|
In office January 14, 1981 – January 16, 1985 |
|
| Lieutenant | John Cherberg |
| Preceded by | Dixy Lee Ray |
| Succeeded by | Booth Gardner |
| 1st King County Executive | |
|
In office May 1, 1969 – January 14, 1981 |
|
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Ron Dunlap |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 29, 1926 Seattle, Washington |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Lois Spellman |
| Children | Six |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Battles/wars | World War II |
John Dennis Spellman (born December 29, 1926) was the 18th Governor of Washington between 1981 and 1985 and the first King County Executive from 1969 to 1981. He was elected governor in 1980 amid large gains for Republicans across the country. During his tenure, the Washington State economy suffered due to the early 1980s recession. Spellman was defeated in his reelection campaign in 1984. He is to date the last Republican to hold the office of Governor of Washington.
Spellman graduated from Seattle Preparatory School for high school. He was a 1949 graduate of Seattle University and a 1953 graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center.
Spellman began his political career on the three-member King County Commission in 1967. Following plans to implement a new Home Rule Charter in 1968, the office of County Executive was established and Spellman was elected the county's first chief executive over former Governor Albert Rosellini in 1969. Spellman played the lead role in establishing the county's new governmental structure under the Charter. He consolidated previously independent departments and replaced the old patronage system with a merit system. Spellman supervised the controversial process of siting and building the Kingdome, the domed stadium that provided the first home for the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Mariners, and initiated early efforts to deal with uncontrolled growth. He was twice re-elected to the office in 1973 and 1977.
Spellman first ran for Governor in 1976 and was the top Republican in the state's blanket primary, but lost the general election to Democrat Dixy Lee Ray. Spellman again ran for Governor in 1980. Ray was bested by then-state Senator Jim McDermott among the Democratic candidates, but Spellman defeated McDermott by a lopsided margin in the general election in a year Republicans made big political gains across the country, including the victory of Ronald Reagan over incumbent Jimmy Carter in that year's presidential election.
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