Helen Sommers: An Oral History

Cindy Zehnder
Cindy Zehnder
Former House Chief Clerk and
Gov. Gregoire’s Chief of Staff on
Rep. Helen Sommers’ Oral History
Cynthia “Cindy” Zehnder recently was named
Vice President of the Government
Affairs division of Gordon,
Thomas and Honeywell.
Cindy had a 30-year career
in government in Washington
Sate. She served as Chief of
Staff for Governor Chris
Gregoire from 2007-2010;
President of TVW - Washington’s
Public Affairs TV
Cindy Zehnder
network (2003-2007); and was
Chief Clerk of the Washington
State House of Representatives from 1999 - 2003.
However, in the first three years of her position
in the House (1999-2001), there was a tie, with 49
Democrats and 49 Republicans. So she started her
career as co-chief clerk of the House, elected by the
House Democratic Caucus and Rep. Frank Chopp
(D-43 rd District) was elected Co-Speaker by his
caucus. The Republican Caucus elected Co-Speaker
Clyde Ballard (R-12 th District). Speaker Ballard had
a majority from 1995-1999, Cindy’s co-chief clerk
during the three year tie was Tim Martin, elected
by the Republican Caucus.
Dan Monahan: Your career with the House was
probably a fascinating, and certainly a very difficult
time, as you came on at the beginning of the
state’s second historic 49-49 tie in the House of
Representatives.
In your caucus was Rep. Helen Sommers (D-36 th
District), who was the second longest serving Representative
in state history. Helen was first elected
in 1972, so she had been in the House 27 years when
the second tie occurred. Helen had served in the
pg. 173
1979-80 tie in the House, and she was preparing for
her second 49-49 tie as the 1999 session began. As
the session began, Helen was co-chair of the House
Appropriations Committee.
We’d like to talk to you about your thoughts
and recollections of Rep. Helen Sommers’ career.
Cindy Zehnder: Yes, Helen Sommers had been a
member of the House for nearly four decades. I
remember she had chaired a number of committees
before moving to the House Appropriations
Committee. But, of course, the 49-49 tie created a
very difficult situation for both parties and all 98
members.
As regards with the tie, Helen became the
Democratic Caucus co-chair of Appropriations
and Rep. Tom Huff was the Republican Caucus’s
co-chair. I think Helen had a cordial relationship
with Tom Huff. I believe the agreements they
reached were agreements that she and Tom were
both comfortable with. Helen, who was a longtime
liberal on social, health and education issues, was
far more conservative in terms of the financing –
and I think anyone who had ever worked with her
would say that.
Where the disputes generally came in with the
tie – and we can say the same for Rep. Barry Sehlin
(Helen’s Appropriations co-chair in the third
and final year of the tie) was with the Democratic
Caucus or the caucus leadership, particularly Frank
(Chopp) having concerns with the agreements that
Helen struck.
Something that was notable about Helen all the
way through was, once she struck an agreement,
she really lived up to it and would advocate for it.
So I believe she had a cordial working relationship
with Tom Huff, and certainly with Barry Sehlin
she was a strong advocate and I think she had some
genuine affection toward Barry.
Monahan: In the first tie (1979-80), Helen served as
Co-Chair of the State Government Committee. So
she had the experience going into the second tie,
surviving it not once, but twice. I wonder if people
maybe looked to her for her unique experience.
Cindy Zehnder: I didn’t think about it – and of
course you mention her long tenure – that would