New book provides a primer for aspiring state legislators

Senator Karen Keiser, a Democrat, has been in the Washington state Legislature for 25 years. She's the Senate President Pro Tem, the chair of the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, and the vice chair of the Rules Committee, the gatekeeper of whether or not a bill gets to the floor for a vote.

To cap that off, she's now the author of a new book, “Getting Elected Is the Easy Part: Working and Winning in the State Legislature.” Sen. Keiser and her Republican colleague Sen. Curtis King talked to KUOW’s Kim Malcolm about what it takes to become an effective state legislator.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

How did you come up with the idea for this book?

Sen. Keiser: It happened during the pandemic when we were in a lockdown and I actually had time to think. Our legislative lives are pretty hectic and busy, and you don't have a lot of time to reflect. I started thinking about all of the wonderful young, new members that had come into the Legislature in the last 10 years, many of them women and people of color who don't have a traditional history of being from the political world.

Many of them had become rather frustrated and upset really about the traditional kind of hidebound legislative processes and procedures. People run for election, and they are very excited to win, and they're coming to the Legislature with the wind at their back and thinking, we're going to change the world. They'd like to get it done overnight. But that doesn't happen. And I thought I do have information I can share. And I just started writing. I didn't know I was going to do a book.

Who helped you when you started out? And as you look back at that time, what would you have liked to have known earlier?

Sen. Keiser: When I first joined the Legislature, the Democrats had just lost a really bad election. They'd gone from having 60 votes to 38 votes in the House. And they were in total shell shock because they hadn't been in the minority in a very long time. There wasn't any mentoring to happen back then. I was, though, privileged to be in the minority because I was a backbencher. I could listen and learn by watching and asking questions. And I had to basically learn myself. I must be kind of a slow learner. I didn't get my first bill passed for three years. But it's been busy ever since.

Sen. King: Kind of like Senator Keiser, when I got there, there were 17 Republicans and 32 Democrats. And I knew that I was in the minority. And I knew that I didn't know much of anything about the Legislature and how it operated. I tried to be like Senator Keiser. I just kind of kept my mouth closed and I listened, and I watched. And as I became more comfortable, then I started to participate. I liked the experience that I had, in all honesty. You need to come in, and you need to let people know who you are, I would say within the caucus, but it's about introducing yourself to all of the members of the Legislature. There are things that I probably could have been taught or been told rather than just kind of watching and seeing how things go, but believe me, when you're trying to mind your P's and Q's and be prepared, I think sometimes it's better just to do that, as the good Senator said, sitting on the back row and listening.

Which is the tougher job, the rules or building relationships?

Sen. Keiser: I think relationships are the most important thing you can have in the Legislature. So much of what we do, the interaction we have, is built on trust and on good faith. So having those relationships where you do have good faith and trust means a whole lot in terms of making real progress on issues. So, I would say that's first and foremost.

Now, as President Pro Tem, I have to know the rules, because when you preside, you're going to have to enforce the rules. And the rules are important because democracies are fragile things. And when the rules break, so does democracy. And that's important to keep in mind.

Sen. King: I believe that relationships are the important thing. As I look back on my time in the Legislature, I think back to the people that I had the privilege of working with and still work with. We've all worked well together. And that's what I think the Legislature is based upon, those relationships, and being able to trust one another, whether you agree or disagree. It's a matter of respect and a matter of listening to the other side. And I think that's the biggest thing you can do to be successful as a legislator.

What do you say to people jaded about politicians and our politics in general right now who are considering if it's worth it to get involved in public service or to run for public office?

Sen. Keiser: It isn't easy, which is why the book says getting elected is the easy part.

Sen. King: I think you have to be prepared to listen. We've seen legislators that have come in, and all they do is vote no. Well, that's the easiest thing you can do as a legislator, but it accomplishes, in most cases, a lot of nothing. It's the art of compromise. It's the art of working together. It's the art of listening to each other and finding solutions that at best both of you can live with.

Sen. Keiser: I think that it is a craft you learn over time, to be able to enact good legislation that makes real change for people and their families. And it's not something you can do in a moment. It takes effort and time and it's hard work. But my oh my, it is worth it when it gets done.

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.