Bob Hasegawa

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Bob Hasegawa
Member of the Washington Senate
from the 11th district
Assumed office
January 14, 2013 (2013-01-14)
Preceded byMargarita Prentice
Member of the Washington House of Representatives
from the 11th district
In office
January 10, 2005[1] – January 14, 2013
Preceded byVelma Veloria
Succeeded bySteve Bergquist
Personal details
Born
Robert Alan Hasegawa

(1952-09-22) September 22, 1952 (age 71)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationShoreline Community College (AA)
Antioch University Seattle (BA)
University of Washington (MPA)
WebsiteOfficial

Robert Alan Hasegawa (born September 22, 1952) is an American labor leader and politician serving as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 11th Legislative District since January 2013. Hasegawa is a lifelong resident of Seattle's Beacon Hill. He previously served in the Washington State House of Representatives, and is retired from the Teamsters Union where he was a member and union leader for over 32 years.

Early life and education[edit]

Bob Hasegawa grew up in Seattle, and lives in the Beacon Hill residence he grew up in. The son of Japanese immigrants, his parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents were interned by the Federal government of the United States during the World War II.[2]

Graduating from Cleveland High School in 1970, Hasegawa studied physics at the University of Washington. He went on to graduate from Antioch University Seattle with dual concentrations in Labor Relations and Organizational and Social Change. Hasegawa also received a Master of Public Administration from the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington.[3] He holds an Associate degree in Labor Studies from Shoreline Community College and studied information technology at Seattle Central Community College.

His daughter, Toshiko Grace Hasegawa, has served as an elected Commissioner on the Seattle Port Commission since 2022.[4]

Career[edit]

Hasegawa worked as a commercial truck driver, is a certified transport operator, and is a journey-level heavy construction equipment operator. He holds a Class A-Commercial Drivers License, with endorsements for hazardous material, doubles and triple trailer, tank cargo, non-air brake, and pilot car driving. He is also DHS and FAA certified for Seattle–Tacoma International Airport and Boeing Field.

Activism[edit]

Hasegawa is a longtime labor and social justice activist from Seattle. He was elected head of the largest Teamsters trucking local workers union in the Pacific Northwest (Teamsters Local 174) for three terms (nine years), and was also a leader in the national Teamsters pro-union democracy reform movement, TDU (Teamsters for a Democratic Union). He was an executive board member of the King County Labor Council, AFL-CIO representing the transportation trades. He was the first Asian American to run for International Vice President of the Teamsters Union, in 2001. On June 30, 2001, "Bob Hasegawa Day" was proclaimed in honor of his labor activism by Seattle Mayor Paul Schell and King County Executive Ron Sims. He received an award that was created in honor of the memory of Silme Domingo and Gene Viernes, labor activists who were killed opposing the regime of Ferdinand Marcos.[5]

Hasegawa serves on the national executive board of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) as well as on the APALA Seattle Chapter Executive Board, and has served on numerous other boards of community-based organizations.

Politics[edit]

Hasegawa ran to succeed Representative Velma Veloria in the Washington State House of Representatives in 2004.[6] He defeated a crowded field of Democrats in the primary election, and went on to win the general election with almost two-thirds of the vote.[7]

In early 2012, Hasegawa announced that he was running to succeed Margarita Prentice in the Washington State Senate. Hasegawa eventually won the November 6 election, and took office in January 2013.[8]

Hasegawa announced in 2017 that he would run for mayor of Seattle.[9] He received 8.4% of the vote in the primary election.

Political positions[edit]

Healthcare[edit]

Hasegawa has advocated for universal public healthcare since running in his first election in 2004.[10] In 2019 he introduced a legislative version of The Washington Health Trust, a statewide universal healthcare proposal originally introduced to the public by Whole Washington as a ballot initiative, into the Washington State Senate as SB.5222.[11] In 2022 Hasegawa was the primary sponsor of SJM 8006 requesting a federal-state partnership towards the establishment of a universal single-payer healthcare both statewide in Washington and federally.[12]

Housing[edit]

Homelessness and housing affordability are big issues in Seattle.[13] Hasegawa has publicly stated his focus on increasing housing, investing in more public housing, and protecting renters.[14] In the Senate, he has supported legislation designed to increase the amount of affordable rental housing.[15] He co-sponsored legislation to increase funding for local homeless housing and assistance programs.[16]

Taxes[edit]

Hasegawa has long criticized Washington's tax structure.[17] As a mayoral candidate, he has publicized his opposition to the sweet-beverage tax voted on by the Seattle City Council, calling the tax "regressive." While he voted for the Sound Transit 3 package, Hasegawa has criticized Sound Transit.[14] He has publicly expressed concerns about the effect the increased taxation of ST3 has on low-income residents.[18]

State bank[edit]

Hasegawa has long been an advocate for public banking. He has repeatedly introduced legislation to create a state bank in Washington (the "Washington Investment Trust") that would be modeled after the Bank of North Dakota, which is the only current public bank in the United States.[19][20] Proponents of public banking argue that such banks help stabilize economies, aid long-term growth, and help balance government budgets.[21] He has publicly stated that it would reduce debt servicing costs, generate revenue, and increase the options the state and local jurisdictions have to finance infrastructure projects.[22] A proposal for a municipal bank in Seattle is a component of Hasegawa's mayoral platform.[14]

Affirmative action[edit]

Hasegawa supported Initiative-1000, a measure to re-legalize affirmative action in Washington, in the State Senate.[23]

Electoral history[edit]

2020[edit]

Washington's 11th legislative district State Senate Election, 2020[24]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Hasegawa (incumbent) 29,869 100.0
Total votes 29,869 100.0
General election
Democratic Bob Hasegawa (incumbent) 54,606 100.0
Total votes 54,606 100.0
Democratic hold

2016[edit]

2016 Washington Senate Election, District 11[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Hasegawa 38,785 76.36
Libertarian Dennis Price 12,010 23.64
Total votes 50,795 100

2012[edit]

2012 Washington Senate Election, District 11[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Hasegawa 34,301 69.34
Republican Kristin Thompson 15,170 30.66
Total votes 49,471 100

2010[edit]

2010 Washington House of Representatives Election, District 11 Pos.2[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Hasegawa 22,105 70.07
Republican John Potter 9,442 29.93
Total votes 31,547 100

2008[edit]

2008 Washington House of Representatives Election, District 11 Pos.2[28]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Hasegawa 29,289 73.92
Republican John Potter 10,335 26.08
Total votes 39,624 100

2006[edit]

2006 Washington House of Representatives Election, District 11 Pos.2[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Hasegawa 18,589 72.30
Republican John Potter 7,123 27.70
Total votes 25,712 100

2004[edit]

2004 Washington House of Representatives Election, District 11 Pos.2 [29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Hasegawa 25,714 66.32
Republican Ruth Gibbs 13,058 33.68
Total votes 38,772 100
2004 Washington House of Representatives Election, District 11 Pos.2 Democratic Primary[29]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Bob Hasegawa 5,454 43.00
Democratic Rosemary Quesenberry 5,235 41.27
Democratic Ed Prince 1,359 10.71
Democratic Marvin Rosete 636 5.01
Total votes 12,684 100

References[edit]

  1. ^ ""New beginning" as lawmakers ring in new session". seattletimes.com. 2005-01-10. Retrieved 2013-02-12.
  2. ^ "State Senate Members of Color Caucus Press Release". 15 February 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  3. ^ "Biography of Senator Hasegawa". Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  4. ^ Pasricha, Akash (November 5, 2021). "Hamdi Mohamed, Toshiko Grace Hasegawa and Ryan Calkins win Port of Seattle Commission elections". The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  5. ^ "Fact of the Day". Seattle Times. 29 June 2001. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  6. ^ "Primary hopefuls stake out issues". 26 August 2004. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  7. ^ "2004 election results". Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  8. ^ "Pro-education victories on Nov. 6!". ourvicewashingtonea.org. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
  9. ^ Kroman, David (May 8, 2017). "Bob Hasegawa is running for Seattle mayor". Crosscut.com. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  10. ^ "Endorsements".
  11. ^ "Senate Bill Page". Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  12. ^ "Why SJM 8006 Must Pass This Session". 26 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Seattle Housing Market". April 25, 2016.
  14. ^ a b c "Mayoral Platform". Archived from the original on 2017-08-08.
  15. ^ "Affordable Housing". February 24, 2016.
  16. ^ "Bill Sponsorship". Archived from the original on September 22, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  17. ^ "Hasegawa Interview". June 7, 2017.
  18. ^ "Hasegawa Emerald Interview". May 10, 2017.
  19. ^ "State Bank Bill". February 28, 2017.
  20. ^ "Bank Press Release". 25 January 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  21. ^ "Public Banking Institute". Archived from the original on May 19, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  22. ^ "State Bank Proposal". February 21, 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  23. ^ O'Sullivan, Joeseph (2019-04-28). "Not so fast: Washington lawmakers tossed out affirmative-action ban, but voters may get another say". The Seattle Times. Archived from the original on 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2019-05-23.
  24. ^ "Washington State Legislative November 3, 2020 General Election Results".
  25. ^ "Historical Election Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  26. ^ "Historical Election Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  27. ^ "Historical Election Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  28. ^ "Historical Election Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  29. ^ a b c "Historical Election Results". Secretary of State of Washington. Retrieved 6 June 2017.

External links[edit]

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