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November, Alexander sued the organizers of the effort for defamation, claiming that it had caused "humiliation and damage to her health". The following day, Alexander lost a case to prevent the second recall, with the judge ruling that the truth of allegations had no bearing on whether a recall vote could occur. The recall campaign was characterized by sharp rhetoric, with
Alexander's opponents describing her as "Madame Mussolini" and accusing her of instituting an "illegal feminine dictatorship". The recall election occurred on January 2, 1934, and Alexander was recalled with 206 votes in favor and 85 against.
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commented that "we elected her mayor, but she thinks she's the dictator and is trying to run the whole show." Alexander had lost the support of nearly the entire town government, with three members of the town council resigning, the town treasurer refusing to process any expenses, and the fire chief quitting. Upon his departure, the town's former fire chief said that
Alexander would "have to haul the truck and fight the flames herself" if a fire broke out. Tensions quickly boiled over in the town, with a riot breaking out and causing multiple injuries. The city council named McQuade
220:, who had made history as the first woman elected mayor of a major American city. Despite her initial good spirits, Alexander refused to return the keys to town hall for a week after the election, preventing the interim mayor from officially taking power. The keys were eventually returned on the night of January 8. The city council's first post-recall action was to pay off several of the town's bills, which they had previously accused Alexander of incurring illegally.
136:, from 1932 until 1934. The first female mayor of Issaquah, Alexander faced fierce opposition from the town council and other government officials and, after surviving two recall petitions, she was removed from office by a recall election in 1934. Prior to being elected mayor, Alexander was a member of the Issaquah Town Council. After being recalled, Alexander moved to
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On July 21, 1933, a recall petition was filed against
Alexander accusing her of committing malfeasance and of violating her oath of office. The recall petition was signed by 202 of the town's residents, more than the majority that had elected her. Charles McQuade, a member of Issaquah's town council,
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in 1895, when she was thirteen or fourteen years old. Alexander married
Fredrick Burkhart in 1901, however, the marriage ended in divorce after Alexander discovered that her new husband was already married to another woman. Alexander's second marriage was to John Alexander in 1919. The two moved to
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On August 16, a second recall effort began. The petitioners waited to file the petitions until after making a notification of charges in order to avoid the procedural issues that had doomed the previous effort. This recall quickly also failed and a third petition was filed on
September 29. In
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in 1936, three years after being recalled. She and her husband purchased a hotel there, which they managed together. After her husband's death in 1950, Alexander sold the hotel and most of her other property in order to live off the proceeds. She died in a
Seattle hotel on January 8, 1960.
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credited her win to a coalition of housewives and mothers in
Issaquah. Shortly after her election, Alexander outlined her plan for the community, saying that she would run the town government like "a model home." In June 1932, Alexander advocated for state and federal assistance to counter
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judge ruling that
Alexander did not have the authority to appoint a new council but also invalidating the recall petition. The judge described the proceedings as being "contrary to statutes" because Alexander had not received proper
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Alexander sought political office several more times in the following years. In 1934, she ran for the mayoral position again but lost, receiving only three votes. Later that year she filed to run for state representative as a
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152:. She was one of six children who were split apart when their parents separated. In her youth Alexander spent time living with her older sister and in an orphanage before entering
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On March 8, 1932, Alexander was elected Mayor of
Issaquah with 195 votes, earning a 59-vote majority over her opponent.
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Alexander responded by attempting to appoint a replacement council unilaterally. The dispute went to court, with a
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in 1940. She did not make the ballots in 1934 or 1938, but in 1940 she received 12,233 votes (2.80% of the total).
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that "Next time go out for a big job." In the days following the recall, Alexander received support from former
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unemployment in Washington to a state-wide meeting of mayors, an advocacy that was adopted unanimously.
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488:"In the 1920s, the Now-Forgotten Flood of 'Girl Mayors' Became the Face of Feminism"
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132:(July 2, 1881 – January 8, 1960) was an American politician who served as mayor of
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Alexander remained in relatively good spirits after being recalled, joking to
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228:. In 1938, Alexander ran for the same state representative position as a
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879:"Remembering Seattle's first woman mayor during Women's History Month"
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for a man named Josiah Summy. Alexander was abandoned by Summy in
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Episode 10: Stella Alexander, Issaquah's First Female Mayor
342:"Woman Is Elected Mayor of Issaquah by Majority of 59"
968:"Stella Alexander Seeks Vindication But Gets 3 Votes"
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20th-century mayors of places in Washington (state)
1086:"Elections Search Results - September 1940 Primary"
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232:. She sought the Republican nomination for
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728:"Fighting Mayor of Issaquah Faces Votes"
130:Stella May McCutcheon Burkhart Alexander
1179:Washington (state) city council members
1174:20th-century American women politicians
760:"Issaquah Will Vote on Recall Tomorrow"
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148:Alexander was born on July 2, 1881, in
49:June 6, 1932 – January 1, 1934
401:"Mayors in Favor of Program of Relief"
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429:"May Oust Issaquah "Petticoat Rule""
313:Dougherty, Phil (February 1, 2008).
1159:People from Lancaster, Pennsylvania
672:"Washington News Items of Interest"
54:Member of the Issaquah Town Council
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1134:People from Issaquah, Washington
877:Cashman, Chris (March 2, 2023).
234:Secretary of State of Washington
816:"Woman Rule Closes at Issaquah"
486:Nofil, Brianna (July 6, 2016).
315:"Alexander, Stella (1881-1960)"
267:"Alexander, Stella (1881-1960)"
16:American politician (1881–1960)
1164:People from Renton, Washington
1060:"Tickets Filled For Primaries"
1040:. September 7, 1938. p. 2
936:"Males Abolish Petticoat Rule"
904:"Petticoat Rule Has Whip Hand"
708:. November 3, 1933. p. 13
373:"Efficiency, No Dirty Corners"
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1091:Washington Secretary of State
1066:. August 11, 1940. p. 14
948:. January 9, 1934. p. 12
916:. January 8, 1934. p. 12
858:. January 4, 1934. p. 28
680:. November 2, 1933. p. 3
826:. January 3, 1934. p. 1
796:. January 3, 1934. p. 1
768:. January 1, 1934. p. 1
740:. January 2, 1934. p. 1
652:. August 17, 1933. p. 7
624:. August 17, 1933. p. 1
582:"Court Sustains Woman Mayor"
547:"Woman Mayor to Appeal Case"
244:Alexander left Issaquah for
1074:– via Newspapers.com.
1048:– via Newspapers.com.
1020:– via Newspapers.com.
1012:. August 3, 1934. p. 6
988:– via Newspapers.com.
980:. March 15, 1934. p. 8
956:– via Newspapers.com.
924:– via Newspapers.com.
866:– via Newspapers.com.
834:– via Newspapers.com.
804:– via Newspapers.com.
788:"Voters Recall Woman Mayor"
776:– via Newspapers.com.
748:– via Newspapers.com.
716:– via Newspapers.com.
688:– via Newspapers.com.
660:– via Newspapers.com.
632:– via Newspapers.com.
602:– via Newspapers.com.
594:. August 9, 1933. p. 3
567:– via Newspapers.com.
559:. August 8, 1933. p. 2
527:. July 24, 1933. p. 11
381:. March 14, 1932. p. 4
1200:
700:"Woman Mayor Faces Recall"
644:"Move to Oust Woman Mayor"
467:. July 22, 1933. p. 5
457:"Woman Mayor Faces Recall"
437:. July 22, 1933. p. 1
409:. June 19, 1932. p. 8
350:. March 9, 1932. p. 7
193:King County Superior Court
515:"Woman Mayor on Hot Spot"
140:, where she ran a hotel.
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1144:Recalled American mayors
677:Kennewick Courier-Herald
200:of the recall petition.
65:1927 – May 1930
1032:"Stella Alexander Runs"
618:The Tacoma Daily Ledger
434:The Tacoma Daily Ledger
150:Lancaster, Pennsylvania
96:Lancaster, Pennsylvania
165:, shortly afterwards.
973:The Bellingham Herald
83:Stella May McCutcheon
520:The Spokesman-Review
163:Issaquah, Washington
154:indentured servitude
134:Issaquah, Washington
37:Issaquah, Washington
1000:"Seeks Nomination"
846:"Extends Sympathy"
461:The Daily Olympian
273:. February 1, 2008
1117:Uniquely Issaquah
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1154:1960 deaths
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1070:November 3,
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1016:November 3,
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413:October 23,
385:October 23,
354:October 23,
326:October 20,
320:HistoryLink
271:HistoryLink
1128:Categories
253:References
240:Later life
226:Republican
158:California
144:Early life
117:Washington
89:1881-07-02
61:In office
45:In office
35:Mayor of
230:Democrat
188:pro tem
113:Seattle
246:Renton
186:mayor
138:Renton
119:, U.S.
98:, U.S.
883:King5
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103:Died
79:Born
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