2004 Candidate Questionnaire

SECTION I               

BASIC CANDIDATE INFORMATION

1. Name as it will appear on the ballot

First Name	Middle Initial or Nick Name	Last Name
Helen	E	Sommers

2.   Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):

State Representative

3.   Are you the incumbent?                  Yes              No

4.   How long have you resided in this district/city?

33 yrs

5.   How long have you resided in King County?

36 yrs

6.   Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan?         Partisan      Nonpartisan         

7.   If partisan, please indicate party:  Dem

CAMPAIGN CONTACTS

Campaign Name:	Citizens for Sommers
Address:	2832 W. Elmore Place
City/State/Zip:	Seattle, Wash.  98199
Campaign Phone:	206 352-7505
Campaign Fax:	206 284-1878
Campaign E-mail:	bonnie@helensommers.org
Campaign Website:	www.helensommers.org

POLITICAL BACKGROUND

1.   Beginning with the most recent position, please list public offices which you have held.  Include positions on appointive Boards or Commissions.

Public Office	Elective or Appointive?	Dates Held	Leadership Role (if any)
State Representative	elective	1973 to present	Appropriations Comm. Chair Capital Budget Comm. Chair Revenue Comm. Chair Higher Education Comm. Chair State Government Comm. Chair Democratic Caucus Chair

2.   If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:

Office Title

Year of Run

SECTION III

In this section, we are seeking responses that reflect the four ratings criteria: involvement, effectiveness, character, and knowledge.  These are defined as follows:

• Involvement: What has the candidate done previously in family, neighborhood, community, volunteer work, employment or public life to suggest readiness to accomplish challenging objectives? How do these activities demonstrate readiness for the challenges unique to the office sought?

• Effectiveness: Has the candidate demonstrated promise of being productive in the office sought?  Has the candidate shown the ability to work with other people?

• Character: Do the candidate's personal traits show the ability to take on the responsibilities of campaigning for and holding the public office she or he is seeking? Is the candidate a leader, participant or observer?  Is the candidate trustworthy, reliable and candid?

• Knowledge: Has the candidate demonstrated the willingness and ability to learn and adapt?  Does the candidate understand the duties and challenges of the office sought?  Does the candidate have a firm grasp of the issues important to his or her constituency and their potential effects?

1. In a page or less, why are you running for this office?  (Note: the interview committee will be given a copy of this statement before your interview; at the beginning of your interview you will have the opportunity to expand on this statement in any way you wish.)

I hope to continue serving in my present position as chair of House Appropriations Committee.   I have led the House budget process through several years of fiscal challenges, including analysis of competing spending priorities, proposing a series of difficult choices, and negotiating the differences with the Senate.  I believe this experience is valuable for the leadership required in the next biennium.

2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.

I believe, and I hope, that I have gained the credibility and respect from constituents and the broader community, and the knowledge of state issues, to participate in the leadership necessary to move our state forward in a changing economy.  I am occasionally told that my candor and straightforward response to requests are appreciated.

3. Please describe in sufficient detail, one to three accomplishments or contributions of which you are most proud.  These examples should illustrate effective skills and capabilities you think apply to the office you are seeking.  These accomplishments may have occurred at any time in your personal, professional, or public life. 

1.  Negotiation of budgets in the last three years--under difficult fiscal circumstances.  This includes within my own caucus, passage through the House, and handling sometimes strong conflicts in philosophy and goals with the Senate.  Forging compromises finally acceptable to both houses.

2.  Support for higher education, which the Legislature as a whole frequently treats as a low priority.  Support for educating our workforce for the emerging new economy--a much more knowledge based economy.  Achieving some increase in enrollment capacity and raising the need for a four-year institution in Central Puget Sound--probably a UW regional type (not research) unit.  Other areas, such as Ellensburg, have four-year regional universities, but the  population dense Seattle area does not.

3.  Participation and leadership in the reform of the three major employee pension systems, correcting costly sections, requiring fulll funding, and assuring the systems would be souind and able to pay the benefits due retirees.  (PERS state employees, TRS teachers, LEOFF police and firefighters.)

4. Please list or describe your current and past activities in the community in which you have acquired skills that relate to the office you seek.  Include your role in the activity and the year(s) in which you were involved.  Involvement consists of many areas such as family, neighborhood, community, employment, or public life.

The Alaskan Way Viaduct is a major issue in the district.  I wrote in my newsletter that the most feasible alternative would be the rebuild or new aerial.  A constituent collected over 500 signatures  favoring this position.  Dave Horsey, Seattle P I, reported that "25 to 1"  poll respondents voted to retain the Viaduct and against a tunnel.   Working with residents and impacted industry has forcefully reminded me that political and business leadership must maintain contact  with the broader public view.  2003-04

Member of the Bio 21 Steering Committee.  The committee's mission is  . . "to advance Washington's position as a leader in the application of information technology to the biological sciences and health care .. through strategic investment in research.  2003-04.

National Organization for Women, Seattle-King County.  Elected presdient of NOW in 1971 and played active role in changing the legal status of women in our state.  As President, mentored and encouraged women to enter and achieve in all fields. This work was a stepping stone to running   for the Legislature in 1972.  Received the Women's Network 1981 Mentor's Award, 1970-72.

5. Please describe the duties of the office you seek.  Which are the most important duties and why?

Ability (credibility and knowledge required) to lead on difficult and controversial issues (probably among the most important).  Tolerance for strong differences of opinion.  Ability to forge alliances and compromise.  Ability to handle heavy criticism and stay cool under fire.  Ability to communicate complex information and to direct staff in techniques to communicate complex information.

EDUCATION BACKGROUND SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report is distributed to voters in print and/or on our website.  It includes a summary of the candidate’s education.  Please summarize your education in 120 characters (letters, punctuation, and space all combined).  The League will delete material that exceeds the space limit by beginning with the last entry.  Suggested order is (degree) (subject) (school) (year, if desired). 

Note: If this question is left blank the League will not include education information in your candidate profile.

B.A. and M.A. in Economics, University of Washington

CIVIC INVOLVEMENT SUMMARY

FOR PUBLICATION IN CANDIDATE EVALUATION REPORT

The Municipal League’s Candidate Evaluation Report also includes a summary of each candidate’s civic involvement.  Please summarize your civic involvement in the space below.  We will make every attempt to include the information in the Candidate Evaluation Report as submitted.  Due to space restrictions in the Report, your response is limited to 500 characters (letters, punctuation, and spaces all combined).  It is important that you list your involvement beginning with the most important and ending with the least important.  If you exceed the length of response permitted, or if the League should find it necessary to shorten responses for publication purposes, deletions will be made beginning with the last item listed. 

Note: This information will appear verbatim on the League’s Candidate Evaluation Report.  If this question is left blank, the Municipal League will not include information on your civic involvement in the Report.

Check here if you would like the Municipal League to copy the first 500 characters from Question 4 to paste into this section.

Finished!

If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (rebecca@munileague.org).  Mail and fax numbers are listed below.  If the League has not contacted you to schedule an interview, please call the League office at your earliest convenience.

Don’t forget to send the following to the Municipal League:  a resume, a photo, campaign literature, and, if you are an incumbent, constituent newsletters and other materials.  Please use the check-off list on the cover sheet of this packet to indicate which items you have sent.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION AND GOOD LUCK IN YOUR CAMPAIGN!

THE MUNICIPAL LEAGUE OF KING COUNTY

Candidate Evaluation Coordinator:  Rebecca Cooper

810 Third Avenue, Suite 224                  Phone: 206-622-8333                Email: rebecca@munileague.org

Seattle, WA 98104-1614                        Fax: 425-671-0506                        Website: www.munileague.org