Ingrid Sheldon
Encyclopedia
Ingrid Blom Sheldon was mayor
of Ann Arbor, Michigan
from 1993 to 2000. A moderate Republican
, she served four two-year terms in the post.
, and a master's in education from the University of Michigan
, before working briefly as an elementary school teacher. Her husband, Cliff Sheldon, served as a member of the Ann Arbor city council from 1978 to 1982. Ingrid Sheldon became involved in city government during these years, and first ran for elective office in 1988, when she was elected to the city council as a Republican
.
Four years later, Sheldon ran for mayor, attacking what she and her supporters deemed to be the imperious style of governance by incumbent Democratic
mayor Liz Brater
. The campaign was seen as one of Ann Arbor's more divisive mayoral contests of recent years. Sheldon defeated Brater in the April 5, 1993, election.
Sheldon won an easy reelection victory over Democratic
challenger David F. Stead in November 1994. (Ann Arbor mayoral elections had been moved from April of every odd-numbered year to November of every even-numbered year, in order to coincide with state and federal elections, during Sheldon's first term in office.)
In Sheldon's reelection campaigns of 1996 and 1998, she eked out narrow victories against Ann Arbor Democratic
city-councilman Chris Kolb
, who accused Sheldon of not doing enough in the areas of environmental policy, affordable housing, and downtown vitality. Sheldon left office in 2000 when she elected not to run again, and she was succeeded by Democrat John Hieftje
.
As a Republican
mayor in an overwhelmingly Democratic
city, and facing large Democratic majorities on the city council throughout her tenure, Sheldon took a moderate and conciliatory approach to governance. She described herself as a fiscal conservative and a social liberal, with a practical rather than ideological approach to the city's problems.
During her years as mayor, Sheldon served on the board of the Michigan Association of Mayors, and served as president of the Michigan Municipal League
. She chaired the league's Let Local Votes Count campaign, an attempt in 2000 to pass a state initiative that would limit the state government's ability to overturn local municipalities' ordinances.
Since leaving office, Sheldon has been involved with a number of local nonprofit organizations, including the Ann Arbor Summer Festival
and the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre. She has two children and four grandchildren. Sheldon discusses her childhood and experiences as mayor in an essay in the book Ann Arbor (W)rites: A Community Memoir, ed. Nicholas Delbanco (Ann Arbor District Library, 2004).
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
from 1993 to 2000. A moderate Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
, she served four two-year terms in the post.
Biography
Sheldon earned a bachelor's degree in education from Eastern Michigan UniversityEastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
, and a master's in education from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, before working briefly as an elementary school teacher. Her husband, Cliff Sheldon, served as a member of the Ann Arbor city council from 1978 to 1982. Ingrid Sheldon became involved in city government during these years, and first ran for elective office in 1988, when she was elected to the city council as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
.
Four years later, Sheldon ran for mayor, attacking what she and her supporters deemed to be the imperious style of governance by incumbent Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
mayor Liz Brater
Elizabeth Brater
Elizabeth Brater is a Democratic former member of the Michigan Senate, who represented the 18th District from 2003 to 2010, and served as the Assistant Minority Leader. Her district included the cities of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti...
. The campaign was seen as one of Ann Arbor's more divisive mayoral contests of recent years. Sheldon defeated Brater in the April 5, 1993, election.
Sheldon won an easy reelection victory over Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
challenger David F. Stead in November 1994. (Ann Arbor mayoral elections had been moved from April of every odd-numbered year to November of every even-numbered year, in order to coincide with state and federal elections, during Sheldon's first term in office.)
In Sheldon's reelection campaigns of 1996 and 1998, she eked out narrow victories against Ann Arbor Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
city-councilman Chris Kolb
Chris Kolb
Chris Kolb is a politician from Ann Arbor, Michigan and a former member of the Michigan State House of Representatives. A Democrat, Kolb represented the 53rd district, based in Ann Arbor, from January 2001 to January 2007. He was first elected in November 2000, and term limits prevented him from...
, who accused Sheldon of not doing enough in the areas of environmental policy, affordable housing, and downtown vitality. Sheldon left office in 2000 when she elected not to run again, and she was succeeded by Democrat John Hieftje
John Hieftje
John Hieftje is the mayor of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Hieftje began his political career in 1999, when he was elected to the city council for Ann Arbor's 1st Ward as a Democrat. He was first elected to the post of Mayor in 2000, and was re-elected in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010...
.
As a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
mayor in an overwhelmingly Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
city, and facing large Democratic majorities on the city council throughout her tenure, Sheldon took a moderate and conciliatory approach to governance. She described herself as a fiscal conservative and a social liberal, with a practical rather than ideological approach to the city's problems.
During her years as mayor, Sheldon served on the board of the Michigan Association of Mayors, and served as president of the Michigan Municipal League
Michigan Municipal League
The Michigan Municipal League is a nonprofit association of municipalities and municipal leaders in the State of Michigan. The group banded in 1899 under the motto “Cooperation solves any problem” to reflect the organizers’ combined purposes: exchange of information, shared learning, development...
. She chaired the league's Let Local Votes Count campaign, an attempt in 2000 to pass a state initiative that would limit the state government's ability to overturn local municipalities' ordinances.
Since leaving office, Sheldon has been involved with a number of local nonprofit organizations, including the Ann Arbor Summer Festival
Ann Arbor Summer Festival
The Ann Arbor Summer Festival is an annual display of performing arts, outdoor entertainment and community spirit in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Each year, the three-week event offers dozens of performances, events, activities, exhibitions, parties and more, with eclectic music, dance, theater, film,...
and the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre. She has two children and four grandchildren. Sheldon discusses her childhood and experiences as mayor in an essay in the book Ann Arbor (W)rites: A Community Memoir, ed. Nicholas Delbanco (Ann Arbor District Library, 2004).