Cyrus Habib

Cyrus Habib SJ
Official portrait, 2015
16thLieutenant Governor of Washington
In office January 11, 2017 – January 13, 2021
Governor	Jay Inslee
Preceded by	Brad Owen
Succeeded by	Denny Heck
Member of theWashington Senate from the48thdistrict
In office January 12, 2015 – January 4, 2017
Preceded by	Rodney Tom
Succeeded by	Patty Kuderer
Member of theWashington House of Representatives from the48thdistrict
In office January 14, 2013 – January 12, 2015
Preceded by	Deborah Eddy
Succeeded by	Joan McBride
Personal details
Born	Kamyar Cyrus Habib (1981-08-22)August 22, 1981 Baltimore,Maryland, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Parents	Mo Habib (father) Susan Amini(mother)
Education	Columbia University(BA) St John's College, Oxford(MLitt) Yale University(JD)
Website	Official website

Kamyar Cyrus HabibSJ(born August 22, 1981) is an AmericanJesuit,lawyer, and politician who served as both a state legislator from 2013 to 2017 and then as the 16thLieutenant Governor of Washingtonfrom 2017 to 2021. He also served as the state's Acting Governor for over six months, primarily in 2019 during the presidential campaign of GovernorJay Inslee.He is the first, and as yet only,Iranian Americanto hold statewide elected office in the United States.

He has been fullyblindsince he lost his eyesight to cancer at age eight.In March 2020, he announced plans to retire from politics at the end of his term and become aJesuitpriest within theCatholic Church.

Early life and education

Habib was born inBaltimore, Marylandto parents who had previously immigrated to the U.S. fromIran.He is the son of Superior Court JudgeSusan Aminiand engineer and investor Mo Habib.A three-time cancer survivor, he lost his eyesight and became fully blind at age eight.Shortly afterwards, his family moved toBellevue, Washington.Habib graduated from theBellevue International Schoolin 1999.

In 2003 he received his B.A. fromColumbia Universitysumma cum laudeandPhi Beta Kappa,having double majored in English and Comparative Literature and Middle Eastern Studies as a student ofEdward SaidandJacques Derrida.While an undergraduate, Habib had a collection of his photography published byPrinceton Architectural Press,and also worked in the New York City office of SenatorHillary Clinton.He was named aTruman Scholarin 2002.

As aRhodes Scholar,Habib obtained aMaster of Lettersin postcolonial English literature fromSt. John's Collegeat theUniversity of Oxford,where he was an active member of theOxford Union,and wrote his masters thesis onRalph EllisonandSalman Rushdie.He was named aSoros Fellowin 2007.

Habib then earned aJuris DoctorfromYale Law Schoolin 2009,where he served as an editor of theYale Law Journal.He was a member of the university'sGrand Strategyprogram, led byJohn Lewis Gaddis,Charles Hill,andPaul Kennedy,and also advocated for the redesign of U.S. currency to allow the blind to distinguish denominations.His roommate at Yale wasRonan Farrow,and the two of them were also close friends withElizabeth Wurtzel.

After graduating from Yale, Habib practiced law at Washington State's largest law firm,Perkins Coie,where from 2009 to 2017 he advised technology startups, and led the firm's civic and community initiatives.

Political career

State legislature

In 2012, Habib won a seat in theWashington House of Representatives,defeating two-term Redmond City Councilman Hank Myers and gaining 61% of the vote. He was elected to representWashington's 48th Legislative District,which includesBellevue,Clyde Hill,Hunts Point,Kirkland,Medina,Redmond,andYarrow Point.Habib set a record for the most money ever raised in a State House race in Washington.In the House of Representatives, Habib was selected by his peers to serve as Vice Chair of the House Committee on Technology and Economic Development.

In 2014, Habib was elected to theWashington State Senatewith 65% of the vote to succeed controversial Senate Majority LeaderRodney Tomas State Senator from the 48th Legislative District.Immediately after his election to the State Senate, Habib was electedSenate Democratic Whipby his fellow Democrats, placing him in one of the top leadership positions in the State Senate.

Lieutenant governor

Habib addressing DefendDACArally, Seattle, September 5, 2017

Shortly before the 2016 legislative session, Habib announced his campaign for the independently elected office ofLieutenant Governor of Washington,challenging embattled twenty-year incumbentBrad Owen.Several months later, Owen, who had previously filed campaign paperwork, announced that he would in fact not seek reelection. Habib went on to win the primary election against ten other candidates, including long-time State SenatorsKaren FraserandSteve Hobbs.Another senior legislator, Speaker pro tem of theWashington House of RepresentativesJim Moellerwas also a candidate but ultimately discontinued his campaign. Habib defeated RepublicanMarty McClendonby a nine-point margin in the November 2016 general election. He set another record by raising $1.1 million, and was supported in his campaign by PresidentBarack Obama,who endorsed him and recordedrobocallsencouraging voters to cast their ballots for him.

Other affiliations

During his career in state politics, Habib maintained a number of other affiliations. Beginning in 2013, he was Professor and Distinguished Lawmaker in Residence at theSeattle University School of Law,teaching upper-level courses.

A member of theCouncil on Foreign Relations,he has also served on the boards of a number of nonprofit organizations, including theSeattle Symphony,Seattle Children's Hospital Foundation,and the5th Avenue Theatre.

On February 22, 2020, Habib endorsed South Bend MayorPete Buttigiegfor president in anticipation of primary balloting on March 10. He co-chaired the Western states effort for Buttigieg.

Religious vocation

On March 19, 2020, Habib announced he would not run for re-election, and that he had decided to end his political career and become aCatholicpriest. He hadconvertedto Catholicism while studying at Oxford, and throughout his years in politics attended Mass at Seattle'sSt. James Cathedral.He began considering the priesthood in 2018 and was accepted by theJesuitsin 2019, with his entry deferred until the end of his term as lieutenant governor.Of the decision, he wrote in the Jesuits'Americamagazinethat:

Over the past couple of years... I have felt a calling to dedicate my life in a more direct and personal way to serving the marginalized, empowering the vulnerable, healing those who suffer from spiritual wounds and accompanying those discerning their own futures.... I have come to believe that the best way to deepen my commitment to social justice is to reduce the complexity in my own life and dedicate it to serving others.

At the time,New York TimescolumnistFrank Bruniwrote that there was good reason to believe that, were he to stay in politics, Habib would be elected Governor by the age of 40.

He entered the JesuitnovitiateinCulver City, Californiain the fall of 2020.On August 13, 2022, Habib professed vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as a Jesuit.

Political priorities

As Lieutenant Governor, Habib also served as President of theWashington state Senate.He made expanding equitable access to higher education and promoting job growth through international trade his office priorities.

In his time in office, Habib established a number of college pathway programs for underserved and non-traditional student populations. In 2018, he founded Washington World Fellows, a global leadership program for high school students that includes a study abroad experience and two years of college preparation programming aimed at supporting first-generation college students.The same year, he initiated Complete Washington, a program focused on creating new high-demand degree pathways tailored to the needs of working adults.

In addition to his higher education programs, Habib created the leadership-oriented Boundless Washington program, which seeks to empower young people with disabilities through outdoor exploration and leadership training. He summitedMount Kilimanjaroin the summer of 2019 to help raise money for the program.

In 2019 Habib led a delegation toDharamshalato meet with theDalai Lama,where the two engaged in a televised dialogue as part of the establishment of Habib's Compassion Scholars program in Washington State, which he launched to promote more ethical leadership training in public high schools.

In Washington, the Lieutenant Governor traditionally acts as a trade ambassador for the state.Habib led a number of international trips on behalf of the state aimed at improving market access for Washington-based companies and encouraging foreign investment.

Legislative positions

Higher education

In 2018, he attacked the idea that "college isn't for everyone", calling it an "elitist" view, and said that "A failure to expand access to higher education will widen the gap between the fortunate few and the disenfranchised many."In 2020, his office introduced a legislative package focused on removing barriers in Washington state's higher education system. It required all school districts to share financial aid information with twelfth-grade students and their families, the creation of a single college application process for public four-year institutions, and legislation that prevented institutions of higher education from denying students access to their transcripts as a means of debt collection.

Economic development

Habib introduced a number of laws related to technology and the innovation economy. He authored the Washington Jobs Act of 2014, which allowed investorcrowdfundingfor the first time in Washington, so that entrepreneurs and small businesses could more easily obtain access to capital.

He authored legislation that created a statewide framework forvehicle for hirecompanies such as Uber and Lyft, and provided insurance minimums for drivers, passengers, and the public.

In the face of diminishing federal funding for cancer research, Habib introduced legislation to create a dedicated cancer research fund in Washington State.

Open government

Habib introduced legislation to allow the public to comment on legislative proposals by submitting video testimony filmed on a smart phone–the first such bill in the nation.Habib's bill gained national recognition when included in aPBSreport as one of the "Five Times the Daily Show Actually Influenced Policy". Habib said that he was inspired byJohn Oliver's success in engaging the public on the topic of net neutrality, and the subsequent use of remote testimony submitted online to theFederal Communications Commissionby his viewers.

Habib was also the first Democratic state legislator to seek the impeachment of State AuditorTroy Kelley,who was facing more than a dozen federal criminal charges for tax evasion and fraud.

Social justice

Habib was the prime sponsor of legislation in the State Senate to guarantee paid sick leave for nearly all Washington workers.

He was the Senate prime sponsor of the Washington Voting Rights Act, introduced and passed to prevent cities and counties from using racially polarized voting systems.

As a Senator, Habib pushed publicly for legislation to protect the rights of pregnant women in the workplace, framing it as a fundamental question of civil rights. Habib's 2015 bill to provide standard-issue ID cards to help exiting prison inmates with reentry into society gained widespread and bipartisan support.

Civil legal aid was a priority Habib fought to keep funded in the state budget. He argued that cuts in such funding will most severely impact families facing foreclosure, domestic violence, predatory lending, and those needing help accessing veteran and disability benefits.

Habib also sponsored the Truth in Evictions Reporting Act to ensure that wrongfully evicted tenants will be able to have their rental history corrected.

Environment and transportation

Habib angered some Republicans when he proposed legislative language acknowledging that climate change is real and that human activity is a significant factor in its acceleration.

As a member of the Senate Transportation Committee, Habib played a critical role in the passage of a landmark transportation investment package that completed the SR 520 bridge replacement and the North Spokane Corridor, funded extensions of SR 167 and 509, added new lanes to I-405, and authorized the next generation of light rail and bus rapid transit in the central Puget Sound region. He also authored legislation to give judges flexibility in reducing fines imposed for failure to pay bridge tolls.

Awards and recognition

Habib has been recognized as the firstIranian-Americanelected to state office in the United States, and as the first to serve in a statewide office.

Habib has been named aRhodes Scholar,aTruman Scholar,aSoros Fellow,and a Rodel Fellow at theAspen Institute.He was named aYoung Global Leaderby theWorld Economic Forum.

In 2020, theJohn F. Kennedy Libraryand TheHarvard Institute of Politicspresented Habib with the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award for outstanding public service.

In 2019, he was awarded the Helen Keller Achievement Award by theAmerican Foundation for the Blind.

Beginning in 2019, he served as co-chair of the Democratic Lt. Governor's Association and became a member of theDemocratic National Committee.

In 2016 Habib was chosen by the leadership of theDemocratic National Committeeto serve as one of 25 appointed members of the party's Platform Committee.

In 2014, Habib was named one of the "40 Under 40 Political Rising Stars" byThe Washington Post.That year he had also been named one of "12 State Legislators to Watch" nationally byGoverning Magazine.

In 2013 he was named aNewDEAL Leader.

See also

• List of minority governors and lieutenant governors in the United States

Additional sources

• Baker, Mike (March 10, 2013)."Life story drives blind lawmaker".Seattle Times.

External links

• AppearancesonC-SPAN