2006 Candidate Questionnaire
SECTION I
BASIC CANDIDATE INFORMATION
1. Name as it will appear on the ballot
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First Name |
Middle Initial or Nick Name |
Last Name |
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Luke |
Esser |
2. Office sought (include office, jurisdiction, position/district number):
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State Senate, 48th District |
3. Are you the incumbent? x Yes No
4. How long have you resided in this district/city?
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For 42 years. |
5. How long have you resided in King County?
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All of my life (I turn 45 in late August). |
6. Is the office sought partisan or nonpartisan? x Partisan Nonpartisan
7. If partisan, please indicate party: Republican
CAMPAIGN CONTACTS
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Campaign Name: |
Esser For Senate |
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Address: |
PO Box 6401 |
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City/State/Zip: |
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Campaign Phone: |
(425) 747-8405 |
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Campaign Fax: |
(425) 373-5488 |
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Campaign E-mail: |
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Campaign Website: |
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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) |
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State Senator
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Elective
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Jan., 2003-today
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Senate GOP Floor Leader, former Chair of Technology & Communications Committee
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State Representative
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Elective
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1999-2003
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Co-Vice Chair, House Capital Budget Committee
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Precinct Committee Officer
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Elective
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2. If you ran for public office but were not elected, please list those races below:
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Office Title |
Year of Run |
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U.S. Congress, 8th District
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2004
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Sammamish Community Council
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1981
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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.)
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I am running for re-election to the State Senate because much work remains to be done on the priority issues of most concern to me and the constituents of my district, and I am fortunate to have achieved a position of leadership as Republican Floor Leader in the Senate that provides me with the ability to have significant input in the development of policies and programs at the very highest level of state government. When I first ran for the Senate four years ago I stated that a top priority of mine was working to ensure that the Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID) legislation was not weakened or repealed, and I have been very successful in that effort so far. In each of the last four years efforts were made to dilute the effectiveness of the RTID, which was designed to help complete the large transportation projects of our region, especially the replacement of the aging SR 520 bridge. Working with others, I have been able to use my position as a member of the Senate Transportation Committee to help safeguard the RTID from harmful changes. Maintaining the effectiveness of the RTID is more important than ever, because legislation was enacted this year requiring that a joint RTID/Sound Transit ballot measure be placed on the November, 2007 ballot. Next year will be remembered as the defining moment for regional transportation in the Puget Sound area, and it will remain one of my top priorities to make sure that nothing happens in the 2007 session of the Legislature to harm the RTID or to diminish the likelihood that the joint ballot measure will pass in the fall of next year. I am very excited about the large amount of good that can come from a small little item called the “Hope Card,” and implementing the Hope Card statewide will be a priority of mine in the next session of the Legislature. The Hope Card will be a wallet-sized card given to the victims of domestic violence which contains all the information needed to enforce a court protection order (a picture and physical description of the abuser, details of the court order, and contact information for housing and other services, and for law enforcement protection). I was the prime sponsor of the bill from earlier this year which created a study committee to determine the best way to implement a statewide Hope Card. I’m a member of the committee, and we’ve already started to work out the technical, administrative, jurisdictional and budgetary issues that have be resolved before we can successfully implement the Hope Card program. I am eager to move forward next year with the implementation phase of this most exciting project, which should provide another tool in the battle against domestic violence. Maintaining our high quality of life while encouraging economic growth is a critical balance for our state to maintain. I am proud to have a played a prominent role in the effort to ensure the Boeing 7E7/787 was assembled here in our state, and in the re-enactment of tax incentives for high-tech research-and-development that have helped many of our local biotechnology and computer software firms to create good-paying jobs. We need to do even more to provide further opportunities for those just entering the work force today. But economic prosperity does not have to come at the expense of our environment. I am also proud to have helped promote clean air through the adoption of California’s tougher emissions standards and through the increased utilization of biodiesel fuel. It will be a personal priority of mine in the coming years to promote E85 fuel in our state (this is the ethanol-based fuel that has made Brazil energy independent and dramatically reduces harmful emissions). Continuing to make progress in WASL scores, especially in math, is another priority of mine. We need to help all children pass the WASL while at the same time challenging every student to achieve to their highest potential. We must maintain our commitment to high standards lest we risk returning to the days when the only thing measured in school was how many hours a day a child spent sitting in a chair. That would be a terrible disservice to today’s students, all of whom must be prepared for an increasingly competitive world. I am also concerned about the condition of our state budget. During the last two years a budget was approved that left hundreds of millions of dollars of pension obligations unfunded and created a nearly billion-dollar deficit. If we don’t budget state resources more responsibly next year then we will have committed an inexcusable act: passing on an unsustainable burden to future lawmakers and taxpayers. A budget defines our sense of priorities, and I will do everything I can to help pass a responsible and sustainable budget.
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2. Describe your most important personal characteristics or traits as they relate to the office you seek.
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I have enjoyed debating issues since I had the opportunity to join the debate team at Interlake High when I was in 11th grade. To this day I consider myself a very analytical person who enjoys a thorough debate of the issues. My bachelor’s degree in accounting has been of great assistance in helping me to understand the intricacies of the state budget, and to ask some hard questions when I see financial proposals that are not sustainable over the long term. My training as an attorney has definitely helped me to analyze proposed legislation for ambiguities, contradictions and issues of constitutional law. I take my work in Olympia seriously and always try to be professional and to be prepared to take on new responsibilities. I am honored to have earned the confidence of so many of my colleagues so early in my Senate career. In my first year in the Senate I was appointed the Chair of the Technology & Communications Committee, and less than a year after that was elected the GOP Floor Leader (which is considered the No. 3 leadership position in the entire caucus). But I have also been able to work across the aisle. In 2003, in just my first year in the Senate, I was appointed as one of only eight legislators on the bipartisan Boeing 7E7 Five Corners Alliance, the group tasked with finding the solutions needed to ensure the 7E7/787 was assembled here in our state. We faced difficult odds, but we worked hard to find the common ground necessary to accomplish our goal. Our success as a group was one of my proudest moments as a legislator. It has been noted (in a Dec. 31, 2003 Seattle Weekly article) that I am someone who “prefers rational argument to passionate oratory.” I do my best to limit my debates and discussions to legislation and ideas, and never cross over into personal attacks on those who propose legislation or ideas that I consider flawed. I was proud that in a March 28, 2004, King County Journal article my Democratic Floor Leader counterpart had the following to say about me: “Esser wins praise from state Sen. Betti Sheldon who, until the Democrats lost control of the Senate, held the job of majority floor leader. ‘I have to tell you, I truly have enjoyed working with Luke,’ said Sheldon, who represents much of Kitsap County.” On April 24, 2005, Lieutenant Governor Brad Owen (a Democrat) issued his “President’s 2005 Session Member’s Awards” to the senators. I’m proud that he said the following regarding my decorum in the Senate: “In the ‘I will never say a bad thing about anyone – at least not on purpose’ award would be: Senators Esser and Fraser.” I confirmed later that Lt. Gov. Owen offered his comments in an entirely positive way (there was no irony intended). I first won election to the legislature in 1998 after a close and very competitive primary election victory over then-Kirkland City Councilmember Sants Contreras. In the years since we have worked together on many different issues, and I was proud to have his endorsement when I first ran for the State Senate in 2002. I have always sought to close the door on campaign season as quickly as possible after an election, and move forward with the effort to work together to solve common problems. My volunteer activities have taught me that there are many areas where the non-profit sector is best situated to address some of society’s most important needs, especially in the field of human services. I know that remaining active in both the volunteer and government sectors gives me a more rounded perspective about how partnerships between the two can create results that neither alone could accomplish. I see our part-time Legislature as yet another opportunity for public service. I have deep affection for my home community, and it is such an honor to represent the area where I grew up in the State Senate. The most rewarding aspect of service in the Legislature is the opportunity to work on issues that are tremendously important to my community, and through that work to meet some of the most talented and dedicated people in the entire state.
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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.
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During my four years as a State Senator I am proud to have been successful in each of the three different ways that a legislator can achieve success: 1) as a “prime sponsor” or lead person seeking adoption of a new piece of legislation, 2) as a member of a leadership group promoting a series of legislative steps on a particular topic, and 3) as someone seeking to prevent the adoption of legislation that I considered unwise. First, I am proud to have been the prime sponsor of legislation this year creating a “Hope Card” study committee. Through my work as a prosecuting attorney in King County Juvenile Court I first became aware of how serious a problem domestic violence (DV) is in our community. Fortunately, I have been able to pass legislation important to DV victims in all three of the majority/minority scenarios I have operated under: majority, minority and tie. As a House member in 2001, when the House was in a 49-49 tie, I was the prime sponsor of a law that made it easier for victims of harassment and stalking to receive court protection orders by reducing the number of legal hoops they have to jump through. In 2004, when my party was in the majority in the Senate, I was the prime sponsor of a law that created an additional $100 assessment for those convicted of domestic violence crimes, with the funds generated going to DV treatment and prevention programs. This year, when my party was in the minority, I was the prime sponsor of a law that created the Hope Card study committee. This committee is tasked with developing a plan to implement the Hope Card, which will be a wallet-sized card that contains all the information a DV victim needs to enforce a court protection order. I’m confident that we will soon be able to implement this exciting program. Second, I am also proud of my efforts to help ensure that Boeing assembled the 7E7/787 in our region. The situation we faced was dire when I was appointed (as a mere freshman Senator) as one of only eight legislators on the Boeing 7E7 Five Corners Alliance. Most of those I spoke with at the time thought we had little chance of success, and that once Boeing had moved its corporate headquarters to Chicago it was only a matter of time before all their operations departed our state. Fortunately, we had a bipartisan group that was totally committed to working together and achieving success. Though we brought different perspectives, our unity was our defining characteristic, both in public and in private. I co-authored a guest editorial in the June 12, 2003, edition of the Seattle Times with three other members of the Five Corners Alliance (two Democrats, one Republican) in which we strongly made a united, bipartisan appeal for support. Afterwards, SPEEA (the union representing Boeing’s engineering and technical workers) awarded me and the other members of the Five Corners Alliance with a Certificate of Appreciation for “your help in landing the 7E7”. The following appeared in the King County Journal of March 28, 2004: “Esser was one of several key legislators who put together the successful package to convince The Boeing Co. to build the new 7E7 jetliner in the state, saving thousands of jobs.” Protecting good-paying jobs and improving our business climate has been tremendously gratifying, and is one of my greatest points of pride. Third, I am also proud of my efforts to protect the ability of the Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID) to help finish the large highway projects of our region (a replacement for the aging SR 520 bridge, a new Alaskan Way Viaduct or tunnel, and improvements to I-405). This is one area where I have been on the defensive as a Senator. The original RTID legislation was tightly focused on completing these large highway projects, where our transportation needs are the greatest and the costs involved are the most daunting. I have respectfully opposed legislation that would reduce the amount of funding available for these expensive highway corridor projects because I believe such legislation would make it far more difficult to achieve the goal of replacing the SR 520 bridge before it sinks – which is a high priority for my district, and for our entire region. When opposing legislation it is more important than ever to make clear that you are criticizing a particular bill or idea, and that you are not criticizing the motives of those who have offered the proposal in good faith. I’m proud that my efforts have helped to safeguard the RTID, and I’m also proud that I accomplished that goal in a professional and respectful manner.
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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.
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I have tried to focus my volunteer work on activities that will pay long-term benefits, and especially on programs involving children and the environment. That is because I believe it is so important for both government and the non-profit sector to not lose sight of long-range goals while doing the important work of meeting existing needs in the community. About six years ago I joined the Steering Committee for Reinvesting In Youth, a broad-based group that partners with private foundations and state and local governments to reduce juvenile crime through proven prevention and treatment programs focused on at-risk youth. The concept behind the name “Reinvesting In Youth” is that the savings achieved by state and local governments in our juvenile justice system over time will be reinvested in further prevention and treatment programs in the future. As a legislator I have worked to ensure that the savings are truly reinvested, and not simply spent elsewhere. It is an honor and a thrill to have served on the board of the Bellevue Family YMCA for the last five years because I participated in and benefited from youth sports activities at the Bellevue Y myself back in the 1970s. I feel an obligation to make sure that programs providing healthy exercise and good role models remain available for future generations of children in my community. We also have partnered with other non-profits to develop innovative new programs, including an emergency homeless shelter for young adults. I have been a member of the board of the Washington Wildlife & Recreation Coalition for the last four years. The WWRC advocates for the preservation of critical wildlife habitat and the creation of new parks throughout the state. State government’s role in this program is providing matching funds to ensure that the projects can be completed. Last year I was asked to join the board of The Nature Conservancy (Washington Chapter) by their executive director. Though I already was feeling somewhat swamped for time with my existing responsibilities, I was so impressed by their commitment to preserving biological diversity through collaborative means driven by the best available conservation science that I accepted the invitation, and I’m very glad that I did. The Nature Conservancy is thinking and planning several generations into the future, and that’s a perspective that we need to employ more in state government as well. During the 1980s I was a founding member of Forum Eastside, which later morphed into Advance Bellevue and then merged into the existing Leadership Eastside, a regional leadership development program. This experience taught me that you don’t need to wait for the perfect entity, or the perfect solution, to start working on a problem or a program. Sometimes one group lays the foundation for others to be more successful, but nothing will happen if no one takes the first step. Also during the 1980s I was a founding member of the St. Louise Catholic Parish Core Team (young adult ministry board). During my 17 years as an attorney most of my employment has been in the public sector, in jobs where I have received great personal satisfaction from the delivery of services that I believe have promoted the public good. I am currently the Outreach Director for the state Attorney General’s Office, working to ensure that all the different communities of our state take full advantage of the consumer protection and criminal justice resources that the Attorney General’s Office can provide. I have a particular focus on reaching out to the 29 federally-recognized Indian Tribes of our state, and to the rapidly-growing Latino community, along with labor groups, business groups, environmental groups, and many others. My first job out of law school was as a Special Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Juvenile Court, where I learned a lot of lessons about how critical our juvenile justice system is in shaping the lives of both offenders and victims of crime. I have never forgotten that our best opportunity to shape lives is by working with young people. That long-term perspective is something that has remained with me throughout my legislative career.
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- Please describe the duties of the office you seek. Which are the most important duties and why?
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A State Senator has an obligation to become educated on the issues of greatest concern in their district, and to work with the broadest possible spectrum of legislators, other elected officials, constituents and stakeholders to make progress in addressing those key issues. The State Senator has statewide obligations, obviously, but a particular obligation to the district they represent. The State Senator is the voice for the unique needs of the residents of their district, and must not be shy about standing up for their district. Every State Senator is a member of either the Democratic Caucus or the Republican Caucus, but they have an obligation to represent everyone in their district: Democrat and Republican, as well as independents and members of third parties. I have worked hard to be respectful and responsive to all my constituents. Working well with elected officials from other levels of government (federal, county, city, school board and other) is critical to the success of a State Senator. I have always sought to treat other elected officials with respect, even when I disagreed with them on an issue I considered very important. That sort of respectful relationship increases the chance that elected officials from different levels of government can work together to achieve more than they could ever accomplish separately. The State Senator is the natural leader of a district’s legislative delegation. There is only one member per district in the State Senate, and that person is solely responsible for developing and building support for a legislative agenda in that chamber. It is therefore particularly important for the State Senator to prioritize and focus in on the very most important issues in their district. Because the work load is larger for a State Senator than for a State Representative, it is critically important for the State Senator to effectively delegate work and carefully supervise the manner in which the work is accomplished. Another very important aspect of the job is constituent service – using the office of State Senator to help local residents as they interact with state agencies. Government at all levels can be bewildering to lay people, and the State Senator is often needed to point the constituent in the right direction, and make sure that state agencies are being responsive and fulfilling their obligations under the law.
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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.
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J.D., Univ. of Wash. Law School, ‘89; B.A.’s, Accounting & Editorial Journalism, Univ. of Wash., ’85; Interlake HS, ‘79. |
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.
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Bellevue Family YMCA, current Board member; Washington Wildlife & Recreation Coalition, current Board member; The Nature Conservancy (Washington Chapter), current Board member; Reinvesting In Youth, current Steering Committee member; Bellevue Rotary member; Forum Eastside, former & founding member; St. Louise Catholic Parish Core Team (young adult ministry board), former & founding member; Attorney General’s Office, current Outreach Director; former prosecutor, King County Juvenile Court. |
Finished!
If at all possible, send your response to the Municipal League electronically as an attachment, or insert it into an e-mail message (cec@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 newsletter 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: Jennifer DiGiacomo
Seattle, WA 98104-1614 Fax: 425-671-0506 Website: www.munileague.org