Helen Sommers: An Oral History

Vito Chiechi
new legislator I remember was Maria Cantwell. She
was elected to the House in 1987. Maria was very
bright, but she was kind of conservative and she was
often voting with the Republicans. Helen talked to
her and counseled her in the first few years. When
you can, you stay with your leadership, and you
pick your battles when you can’t.
(editor’s note: Maria Cantwell served three terms
in the state House -1987-93; U.S. House 1993-95;
and the U.S. Senate in 2001, where she’s now in her
second six-year term).
The second tie (1999-2001) was very different
from the first. There wasn’t the camaraderie in the
Legislature like there was 20 years earlier. Clyde
Ballard and Frank Chopp were the Co-Speakers, but
they weren’t friends like Bagnariol and Berentson.
Where “Baggy” and Duane would meet together
almost daily, Clyde and Frank would rarely meet
together.
Helen was co-chair of the Appropriations Committee
in the tie with the Republican’s co-chair
Rep. Tom Huff. Huff was a Sears executive who
had come to the House in 1995 and he wanted to
run the Legislature like he did at Sears! Huff tried
to push Helen around. But Helen had 22 years of
experience as a legislator, and she was as smart as
they come.
In the 2000 election, Huff didn’t run for reelection,
so Helen’s co-chair in the third year of the tie
was Rep. Barry Sehlin, a retired Base Commander
at Whidbey Island. Barry and Helen worked very
well together; they were very good friends. When
the Democrats regained the House majority in 2002,
Barry was the ranking Republican on Appropriations.
Barry retired from the House in 2005 and Rep.
Gary Alexander was Helen’s ranking Republican
member of Appropriations when Helen retired in
2009. Gary and Helen also had great respect for
each other.
After I left the Legislature, I had formed a lobbying
firm, so I was involved with the Legislature
during all of Helen’s career. So I still had a good
relationship with her, and I knew her well. I had
gambling as a client in my lobby work for a long
time, but Helen wasn’t interested in the issue of
gambling. But, I also had the Pacific Science Center
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as a client, which is in her district. So I could always
go talk to Helen about the Science Center which
she strongly supported, but not gambling – “We’re
not going there!”
Helen was always very frank with everyone!
If she was against it, she’d tell you ‘flat out.’ She
wouldn’t waste her time talking about issues she
didn’t support. That’s why she had a reputation
of being such a “hard nut” because she told you
straight out what she thought. Most politicians
don’t do that.
Because of my friendship with Helen, often I
would invite members and staff of the Appropriations
Committee to my house for pasta and meatballs
for dinner. Helen loved that because she had
an opportunity to take her staff and the committee
members for a casual, enjoyable night out where
members and staff could meet together off campus
and trade ideas and information. Again, for Helen
this was an opportunity to be friends and get to
know each other on a personal basis.
Helen always enjoyed a good, congenial evening
with her staff. She was always thoughtful of her
staff, and these casual dinners would give her the
opportunity to share time with them. Helen really
worked her staff, but her Legislative Assistants and
Committee staff really idolized her. She always
tried to get the best people.
Helen really had an impact on the state of Washington.
She focused on health care, higher education,
women’s issues and children issues throughout her
career. And she was always fiscally responsible!