Editing Ron Sims (section)

==Political career==
[[Image:Ronsims002.jpg|thumb|Sims speaking at a [[California Proposition 8 (2008)|Proposition 8]] protest in Seattle]]
In 1985, Sims was elected to the [[King County Council]], being reelected in 1989 and 1993. During his first term, he and fellow Councilman Bruce Laing led a campaign that saw the county rededicate its name, in 1986, to honor [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], rather than original namesake and slaveowner [[William R. King]], who had been elected as [[Vice President of the United States]] just prior to the 1852 creation of the county.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/mlk/motion.htm |title=Metro-King County motion |accessdate=2009-09-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000306143252/http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/mlk/motion.htm |archive-date=March 6, 2000 }}</ref> (The namesake change was legally enshrined by [[Washington (state)|Washington state]] in 2005.)<ref>[http://www.leg.wa.gov/pub/billinfo/2005-06/Htm/Bill%20Reports/Senate%20Final/5332.FBR.htm Washington State bill information]</ref>

In [[1994 United States Senate election in Washington|1994]], he was defeated by [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] incumbent [[Slade Gorton]] in an election for the [[United States Senate]].

In 1996, he was appointed King County Executive after the previous holder of the office, [[Gary Locke]], was elected governor of Washington. He was re-elected in 1997, 2001 and 2005.{{Citation needed|date=June 2011}}

On July 29, 2003, he announced that he would seek the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nomination for Washington state governor in the [[2004 Washington gubernatorial election|2004 election]]. Sims made news in the campaign when he proposed replacing the state [[sales tax]] and [[business and occupation tax]] with a progressively graduated [[income tax]].  In the primary election held on September 14, 2004, Sims lost to state [[Attorney General]] [[Christine Gregoire]].

On February 2, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Sims to become Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, being confirmed by the United States Senate on May 6, 2009 and sworn in on May 8, 2009 <ref name="HUD news release">[http://www.hud.gov/news/release.cfm?content=pr09-055.cfm HUD news release]</ref>

On June 14, 2011, less than two years after accepting his HUD appointment, Sims announced his resignation and intent to return to Seattle, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015320389_sims15m.html | work=The Seattle Times | first=Jim | last=Brunner | title=Ron Sims to leave Obama administration, return to Seattle | date=June 14, 2011}}</ref> Sims' announcement followed the release of official travel records to [[Americans for Limited Government]] that showed Sims had spent 45 of 128 travel days during his tenure on trips to Seattle,<ref>{{cite web| url = http://mynorthwest.com/?nid=577&a=30751&p=&n=AudioClip| title = MyNorthwest.com - AudioClip}}</ref> a statistic that the group said raised "questions about the legitimacy of these trips." A HUD spokesperson responded that the trips were legal and appropriate, noting that "every trip taken by Deputy Secretary Ron Sims was in response to a formal speech or forum participation request."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.yahoo.com/obama-admin-political-appointee-takes-heat-trips-home-043107513.html|title = Obama admin political appointee takes heat for trips home on taxpayers' dime| date=28 June 2011 }}</ref>