Ellen Craswell

Ellen Craswell (May 25, 1932 – April 5, 2008) was an American politician who was a candidate in the 1996 Washington gubernatorial election. She ran as a Republican but grew disillusioned with the party and later joined the American Heritage Party, the Washington State affiliate of the Constitution Party. She resided in Poulsbo, Washington with her husband and fellow politician, Bruce Craswell. She received 33.69% of the vote against two Democrats in the 1976 primary, before going on to defeat Democrat Ray Aardal, with 54.63% of the vote. She won landslides in both 1978 and 1980, when she became a member of the Washington State Senate. From 1984 and onwards, she faced a series of competitive races. She narrowly won re-election after a recount in 1988 and was defeated by Democrat Betti Sheldon in 1992. During her tenure as a senator, she earned the nickname "Senator No" for her steady refusal to vote for any tax increases. – did not resonate with voters in the state. In November, Craswell was defeated by Locke, receiving only 42.04% of the vote.

Subsequent activity Following her defeat in the election, Craswell switched party affiliation to the Christian right American Heritage Party (AHP). Her husband, Bruce, ran under the party's banner in the 1st congressional district and received 6.11%.

When the AHP (then a state affiliate of the Constitution Party) attempted to disaffiliate from the national party (CP), it caused an acrimonious schism resulting in non-renewal by over 90 percent of the state party members. The Craswells left both the American Heritage Party and the Constitution Party and became independents.

Personal life In 1955, she married Bruce Craswell, a dentist who she had met in college.

Craswell lived with her family in the Poulsbo, Washington area, until her death on April 5, 2008. She had four children and 14 grandchildren. She had been diagnosed with cancer twice before but succumbed to her third bout with the disease. After retiring from politics, Craswell remained fairly quiet, granting few interviews.