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Cyrus Habib

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Cyrus Habib
SJ
Official portrait, 2015
16th Lieutenant Governor of Washington
In office
January 11, 2017 – January 13, 2021
GovernorJay Inslee
Preceded byBrad Owen
Succeeded byDenny Heck
Member of the Washington Senate
from the 48th district
In office
January 12, 2015 – January 4, 2017
Preceded byRodney Tom
Succeeded byPatty Kuderer
Member of the Washington House of Representatives
from the 48th district
In office
January 14, 2013 – January 12, 2015
Preceded byDeborah Eddy
Succeeded byJoan McBride
Personal details
Born
Kamyar Cyrus Habib

(1981-08-22) August 22, 1981 (age 43)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Parents
EducationColumbia University (BA)
St John's College, Oxford (MLitt)
Yale University (JD)
WebsiteOfficial website

Kamyar Cyrus Habib SJ (born August 22, 1981) is an American Jesuit, lawyer, and politician who served as both a state legislator from 2013 to 2017 and then as the 16th lieutenant governor of Washington from 2017 to 2021. He also served as the state's acting governor for over six months, primarily in 2019 during the presidential campaign of Governor Jay Inslee.[1] He is the first Iranian American to hold statewide elected office in the United States.[2]

He has been fully blind since he lost his eyesight to cancer at age eight.[3] In March 2020, he announced plans to retire from politics at the end of his term and become a Jesuit priest within the Catholic Church.[4]

Early life and education

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Habib was born in Baltimore, Maryland to parents who had previously immigrated to the U.S. from Iran.[5][6][7] He is the son of Superior Court Judge Susan Amini and engineer and investor Mo Habib.[8] A three-time cancer survivor, he lost his eyesight and became fully blind at age eight.[9] Shortly afterwards, his family moved to Bellevue, Washington. Habib graduated from the Bellevue International School in 1999.[10]

In 2003 he received his B.A. from Columbia University summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, having double majored in English and Comparative Literature and Middle Eastern Studies as a student of Edward Said and Jacques Derrida.[11] While an undergraduate, Habib had a collection of his photography published by Princeton Architectural Press, and also worked in the New York City office of Senator Hillary Clinton.[12] He was named a Truman Scholar in 2002.[13]

As a Rhodes Scholar, Habib obtained a Master of Letters in postcolonial English literature from St. John's College at the University of Oxford,[14] where he was an active member of the Oxford Union, and wrote his masters thesis on Ralph Ellison and Salman Rushdie.[15] He was named a Soros Fellow in 2007.[11][14]

Habib then earned a Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 2009,[11] where he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal. He was a member of the university's Grand Strategy program, led by John Lewis Gaddis, Charles Hill, and Paul Kennedy, and also advocated for the redesign of U.S. currency to allow the blind to distinguish denominations.[16] His roommate at Yale was Ronan Farrow,[17] and the two of them were also close friends with Elizabeth Wurtzel.[18]

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.[19]

Political career

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State legislature

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In 2012, Habib won a seat in the Washington House of Representatives, defeating two-term Redmond City Councilman Hank Myers and gaining 61% of the vote. He was elected to represent Washington's 48th Legislative District, which includes Bellevue, Clyde Hill, Hunts Point, Kirkland, Medina, Redmond, and Yarrow Point.[20] Habib set a record for the most money ever raised in a State House race in Washington.[21] 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.[22]

In 2014, Habib was elected to the Washington State Senate with 65% of the vote to succeed controversial Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom as State Senator from the 48th Legislative District.[23] Immediately after his election to the State Senate, Habib was elected Senate Democratic Whip by his fellow Democrats, placing him in one of the top leadership positions in the State Senate.[24]

Lieutenant governor

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Habib addressing Defend DACA rally, Seattle, September 5, 2017

Shortly before the 2016 legislative session, Habib announced his campaign for the independently elected office of Lieutenant Governor of Washington, challenging embattled twenty-year incumbent Brad 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 Senators Karen Fraser and Steve Hobbs. Another senior legislator, Speaker pro tem of the Washington House of Representatives Jim Moeller was also a candidate but ultimately discontinued his campaign. Habib defeated Republican Marty McClendon by 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 President Barack Obama, who endorsed him and recorded robocalls encouraging voters to cast their ballots for him.[25]


Other affiliations

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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 the Seattle University School of Law, teaching upper-level courses.[26]

A member of the Council on Foreign Relations, he has also served on the boards of a number of nonprofit organizations, including the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Children's Hospital Foundation, and the 5th Avenue Theatre.[27]

On February 22, 2020, Habib endorsed South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg for president in anticipation of primary balloting on March 10. He co-chaired the Western states effort for Buttigieg.[28]

Religious vocation

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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 a Catholic priest. He had converted to Catholicism while studying at Oxford, and throughout his years in politics attended Mass at Seattle's St. James Cathedral. He began considering the priesthood in 2018 and was accepted by the Jesuits in 2019, with his entry deferred until the end of his term as lieutenant governor.[29] Of the decision, he wrote in the Jesuits' America magazine that:

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.[30]

At the time, New York Times columnist Frank Bruni wrote that there was good reason to believe that, were he to stay in politics, Habib would be elected Governor by the age of 40.[31]

He entered the Jesuit novitiate in Culver City, California in the fall of 2020.[32] On August 13, 2022, Habib professed vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as a Jesuit.[33]

Political priorities

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As Lieutenant Governor, Habib also served as President of the Washington State Senate. He made expanding equitable access to higher education and promoting job growth through international trade his office priorities.[34]

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.[35] The same year, he initiated Complete Washington, a program focused on creating new high-demand degree pathways tailored to the needs of working adults.[36]

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 summited Mount Kilimanjaro in the summer of 2019 to help raise money for the program.[17][37]

In 2019, Habib led a delegation to Dharamshala to meet with the Dalai 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.[38]

In Washington, the Lieutenant Governor traditionally acts as a trade ambassador for the state.[39][40] 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

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Higher education

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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."[41] 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.[42][43]

Economic development

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Habib introduced a number of laws related to technology and the innovation economy. He authored the Washington Jobs Act of 2014, which allowed investor crowdfunding for the first time in Washington, so that entrepreneurs and small businesses could more easily obtain access to capital.[44]

He authored legislation that created a statewide framework for vehicle for hire companies such as Uber and Lyft, and provided insurance minimums for drivers, passengers, and the public.[45]

In the face of diminishing federal funding for cancer research, Habib introduced legislation to create a dedicated cancer research fund in Washington State.[46]

Open government

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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.[47] Habib's bill gained national recognition when included in a PBS report as one of the "Five Times the Daily Show Actually Influenced Policy". Habib said that he was inspired by John Oliver's success in engaging the public on the topic of net neutrality, and the subsequent use of remote testimony submitted online to the Federal Communications Commission by his viewers.[48]

Habib was also the first Democratic state legislator to seek the impeachment of State Auditor Troy Kelley, who was facing more than a dozen federal criminal charges for tax evasion and fraud.[49][50]

Social justice

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Habib was the prime sponsor of legislation in the State Senate to guarantee paid sick leave for nearly all Washington workers.[51]

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.[52]

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.[53] Habib's 2015 bill to provide standard-issue ID cards to help exiting prison inmates with reentry into society gained widespread and bipartisan support.[54]

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.[55]

Habib also sponsored the Truth in Evictions Reporting Act to ensure that wrongfully evicted tenants will be able to have their rental history corrected.[56]

Environment and transportation

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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.[57]

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.[58]

Awards and recognition

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Habib has been recognized as the first Iranian-American elected to state office in the United States, and as the first to serve in a statewide office.[3]

Habib has been named a Rhodes Scholar, a Truman Scholar, a Soros Fellow, and a Rodel Fellow at the Aspen Institute. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.[59]

In 2020, the John F. Kennedy Library and The Harvard Institute of Politics presented Habib with the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award for outstanding public service.[60]

In 2019, he was awarded the Helen Keller Achievement Award by the American Foundation for the Blind.[61]

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

In 2016, Habib was chosen by the leadership of the Democratic National Committee to serve as one of 25 appointed members of the party's Platform Committee.[62]

In 2014, Habib was named one of the "40 Under 40 Political Rising Stars" by The Washington Post.[63] That year he had also been named one of "12 State Legislators to Watch" nationally by Governing Magazine.[64]

In 2013, he was named a NewDEAL Leader.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Cyrus Habib from Legacy Washington" (PDF). Washington State Secretary of State Legacy Washington. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  2. ^ Greenberg, Kalie (January 7, 2020). "'I'm Iranian-American': Washington Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib reacts to reports of border detainment". King 5.
  3. ^ a b "Candidate makes history, becoming first Iranian American elected to a state legislature". Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans. November 6, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  4. ^ "Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib: Why I am giving up elected office and joining the Jesuits". America Magazine. March 19, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
  5. ^ "Cyrus Habib - Virtual Embassy of the United States Tehran, Iran". Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  6. ^ "Kamyar Cyrus Habib". Association of American Rhodes Scholars. Archived from the original on September 29, 2003.
  7. ^ "John F. Kennedy New Frontier Awards® Recipients: Cyrus Habib 2020". John F. Kennedy Library. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  8. ^ Foundation, Mo Habib Memorial. "Mo Habib Memorial Foundation". Mo Habib Memorial Foundation. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  9. ^ Nguyen, Stacy (October 27, 2016). "The Man Who Wants to Be Lieutenant Governor". Northwest Asian Weekly. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
  10. ^ Rodriguez, Carrie (March 15, 2012). "Diverse newcomers seek 48th District House seat". Kirkland Reporter. Archived from the original on January 12, 2015. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  11. ^ a b c "Five current and two incoming YLS students named 2007 Soros Fellows". Yale Law School. March 1, 2007. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  12. ^ Kareiva, Celina (November 21, 2012). "Habib draws on life experience to serve 48th district". Bellevue Reporter. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  13. ^ "Search Our Scholars". truman.gov. Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  14. ^ a b "Cyrus Habib, 2007". Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  15. ^ Georgescu, Peter (May 3, 2015). "Our Iranian American Senator". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 11, 2015.
  16. ^ Habib, Cyrus (January 18, 2007). "Cyrus Habib - Show Us The Money". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  17. ^ a b Bruni, Frank (February 12, 2020). "A Politician Takes a Sledgehammer to His Own Ego". The New York Times. Retrieved April 12, 2020.
  18. ^ "Elizabeth Wurtzel Gets Celebrity Tributes". People Magazine. February 12, 2020. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  19. ^ "Perkins Coie - Professionals - Cyrus Habib". Archived from the original on June 27, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  20. ^ Celina Kareiva (November 20, 2012). "Habib draws on life experience to serve 48th district". Bellevue Reporter. Sound Publishing, Inc. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  21. ^ "From Braille to Yale - This just in". Yale Alumni Magazine. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  22. ^ "House committees, chairs approved". December 10, 2012. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  23. ^ "2014 election results for Washington state". The Seattle Times. November 5, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  24. ^ "Senator-elect Cyrus Habib named Senate Democratic Whip". Kirkland Reporter. December 18, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
  25. ^ "Barack Obama and Leo DiCaprio back candidates, causes on Washington ballot". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  26. ^ "Cyrus Habib: Distinguished Lawmaker in Residence". Archived from the original on December 4, 2014. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  27. ^ "Meet Cyrus". Cyrus Habib. Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
  28. ^ "Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib endorses Pete Buttigieg for president". The Spokesman-Review. February 20, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  29. ^ Davis, Zac (March 19, 2020). "Washington Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib will not seek re-election in order to join the Jesuits". America. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  30. ^ Habib, Cyrus (March 19, 2020). "Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib: Why I am giving up elected office and joining the Jesuits". America. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  31. ^ Bruni, Frank (April 11, 2020). "A Politician Takes a Sledgehammer to His Own Ego". The New York Times. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  32. ^ "Jesuits West Welcomes Six New Novices". West Province. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  33. ^ "Two Jesuits West Novices Pronounce First Vows". West Province. August 17, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  34. ^ Mire, Bridget (September 28, 2019). "Lieutenant governor Habib talks about his 'road from Braille to Yale'". The Daily News (Longview, Wash.). Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  35. ^ "Background". Washington World Fellows. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  36. ^ "Announcing Request for Proposals Complete Washington Healthcare Pathway". Office of Lt. Governor. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  37. ^ Chan, Becky (October 10, 2019). "Pushing limits and possibilities Lt. Gov. Habib summited Kilimanjaro". NW Asian Weekly. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  38. ^ "Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib Meeting with The Dalai Lama". TVW. November 11, 2019. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  39. ^ Jenkins, Austin (September 9, 2016). "What Is The Proper Role Of Washington's Lt. Governor? Candidates Disagree". NW News Network. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  40. ^ Stang, John (May 18, 2016). "The most diverse race in state history is for... Lieutenant Governor?". Seattle Globalist. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  41. ^ Habib, Cyrus (October 1, 2018). "Stop saying 'college isn't for everyone'". America. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  42. ^ Furfaro, Hannah (January 16, 2020). "Last year, Washington lawmakers made college free for some. This year, they want to make it more accessible". Seattle Times. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  43. ^ Morton, Neal (January 9, 2020). "Inslee's budget priorities don't include K-12 education. Can anyone change that?". Seattle Times. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  44. ^ "Rep. Habib's bill to aid entrepreneurs, create jobs wins Senate approval". Washington State House Democrats. March 8, 2014. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  45. ^ "SB 5550 - 2015-16, Regulating providers of commercial transportation services". Washington State Legislature.
  46. ^ "Cancer research funding legislation introduced by Habib, Hunter" (Press release). Kirkland Reporter. March 23, 2015.
  47. ^ "'Legislative YouTube' testimony bill introduced by Habib". Washington State Senate Democrats. January 17, 2015. Archived from the original on February 16, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  48. ^ "5 times 'The Daily Show' actually influenced policy". PBS NewsHour. August 6, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  49. ^ Stang, John (May 12, 2015). "A move in Olympia to impeach Troy Kelley". Crosscut. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  50. ^ Carter, Mike (June 9, 2015). "State AG opens new probe into Auditor Troy Kelley". Seattle Times. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  51. ^ "Minimum wage, paid sick and safe leave bills introduced in Legislature". Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  52. ^ "Washington Voting Rights Act introduced in State House and Senate". February 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  53. ^ "Accommodating pregnant workers is key step toward gender equality". December 28, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  54. ^ "Free state ID cards proposed for newly released prisoners". February 20, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  55. ^ "Justice for all, not only for those who can afford it". April 18, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  56. ^ "The Week in Housing Advocacy - Week 1 | Washington Low Income Housing Alliance". www.wliha.org. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  57. ^ "State Senators Squabble Over Climate Change | Seattle Politics". www.seattlemet.com. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  58. ^ "Common-sense House bill seeks fairness for 520 bridge drivers". Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  59. ^ "Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib: Biography". Office of Lt. Governor. Archived from the original on February 20, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  60. ^ "Washington Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib, Freedom for Immigrants Founders to Receive John F. Kennedy New Frontier Awards" (Press release). JFK Library Foundation. January 28, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  61. ^ "Cyrus Habib (WA & St. John's '03) announced as a 2019 Helen Keller Achievement Award Winner by the American Foundation for the Blind". Association of American Rhodes Scholars (Press release). PR Newswire. October 23, 2018. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  62. ^ Keating, Christopher (January 28, 2016). "Malloy Will Co-Chair DNC Platform Committee". Hartford Courant. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  63. ^ Blake, Aaron (May 19, 2014). "40 under 40". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  64. ^ Louis Jacobson (January 2014). "12 state legislators to watch in 2014". Governing. Governing Institute. Retrieved June 27, 2014.

Additional sources

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[edit]
Washington House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the Washington House of Representatives
from the 48th district
2013–2015 		Succeeded by
Washington State Senate
Preceded by Member of the Washington Senate
from the 48th district
2015–2017 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Lieutenant Governor of Washington
2017–2021 		Succeeded by
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