Helen Sommers: An Oral History

pg. 4 Foreword
‘About Helen Sommers’
Helen Sommers has been an institution in the
Washington State House of Representatives for
nearly four decades! She was first elected to the
House in the 1972 election and she served in the
House from 1973 to 2009. As you will read in this
Oral History, Helen was one of the early women
at a time when the Legislature was considered the
“good-old-boy’s club!” When Helen came to the
House in 1973, there were just 12 women in the
House; and no women in the Senate! So the 1973
Legislature was composed of 135 men and 12 women!
With her Masters Degree in Economics, Helen’s
focus throughout her career was on the state Budget.
Through most of her 36-year career she was a
member of the House Appropriations Committee,
and for the final 15 years in the House, she served as
either ‘ranking Democrat’ when her caucus was in
the minority; co-chair during the three-year 49-49
tie in the House and then Appropriations Committee
Chair through the remainder of her career!
Throughout her career, Helen Sommers was known
to be tough, she was bright, she was focused and she
was a dedicated legislator. That is the side of Helen
Sommers that most people saw, and which brought
a lot of new legislators and lobbyists to tremble!
We picked just a few excerpts of the interviews
from others who worked with and admired Helen
Sommers; and those who know her best. The full
text of interviews with 24 individuals who know her
best are included in this book, but it is important to
highlight here the other aspect of Helen Sommers!
David Ammons, a political reporter during all of
Helen’s 36 years legislative career, knew her very
well on the job. But, as a professional reporter,
Dave didn’t socialize with her, so his perspective
of Helen was her ‘business side.’
Dave had this observation about Helen: “She
was all business, I would say. I think she scared
people with her sort of gruff demeanor and sort
of looking down at the floor and not engaging
them as they walked by her. I think part of it was
a sense of pride. I don’t know if shy is the right
word, but she definitely was not a ‘glad hander.’
It was on the rare occasion when she did crack a
smile or she did ‘B.S.’ about the weather or sports
teams or something, we always thought that was
a good moment.”
But, Helen also had a warm, friendly, fun and
funny side that people who dealt with her in the
‘legislative arena’ perhaps did not see!
“Helen has an absolutely fabulous sense of humor.
I think most legislators, most staff and even
most lobbyists don’t know that. When she was
working in the Legislature, she was all business!
But, when you’d be with her off-campus at a dinner
or a party, she was always a lot of fun,” said
her longtime friend and 36 th District seatmate,
Sen . Jeanne Kohl-Welles. “She has a great sense
of humor and at social events would let down her
hair, crack jokes and laugh constantly.”
“On the job Helen was so focused on the business
end and wouldn’t seem to get distracted easily. She
had that ‘Laser-point Focus’ that was constant, and
that’s what most people probably saw in her. It was
all business, getting the job done and sticking to the
agenda.” Don’t talk fun; don’t talk anything; let’s
just do Legislative business! But when she was out
to dinner with us, she’d say, Let’s not talk anything
about the Legislature! I want to talk about anything
but the Legislature!” said House Majority Leader
Lynn Kessler.
Rep . Mary Lou Dickerson also commented on
Helen’s other side: “Before I came to Olympia as a
legislator, I felt intimidated by Helen when I first met
her. I soon found her to be very warm and delightful
and that she had a very good sense of humor. A
lot of people didn’t know that about Helen. And I
can also say that when she’s away from the office,
has dinner and a glass of good wine, she does let
her guard down. She’s a wonderful person and a
great friend.”