Cyrus Habib

Cyrus Habib
Washington Senate Democratic Whip
Deputy	Mark Mullet
Leader	Sharon Nelson
Preceded by	Andy Billig
Member of the Washington State Senate from the 48th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 12, 2015
Preceded by	Rodney Tom
Member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 48th district
In office January 14, 2013 – January 12, 2015
Preceded by	Deborah Eddy
Succeeded by	Joan McBride
Personal details
Born	(1981-08-22) August 22, 1981 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Residence	Bellevue
Alma mater	Columbia University Oxford University Yale Law School
Profession	Attorney, Law Professor
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Website	http://www.cyrushabib.com

Cyrus Habib (born August 22, 1981) is a politician, lawyer, and professor from the U.S. state of Washington, who is currently a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Washington. He is one of the 49 members of the Washington State Senate, and, as Senate Democratic Whip, he is one of the top ranking Democrats in the Washington State Legislature. Blind since age 8, he is also the first and only Iranian-American elected to a state office in the United States.

Early life and education

Habib was born in Baltimore, Maryland, to parents who emigrated from Iran. A three-time cancer survivor, he lost his eyesight and became fully blind at age eight. Shortly afterwards, his family moved to Bellevue, Washington, where Habib graduated from the Bellevue International School in 1999.

Habib is a Rhodes Scholar, a Truman Scholar, and a Soros Fellow. He received his B.A. from Columbia University, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. While an undergraduate, Habib worked in the New York City office of then Senator Hillary Clinton.

As a Rhodes Scholar, Habib obtained a Master of Letters in English Literature from St John's College at the University of Oxford, where he was an active member of the Oxford Union, and wrote his masters thesis on Ralph Ellison and Salman Rushdie.

Returning to the United States, Habib received his law degree from Yale Law School, where he served as an Editor of the school's flagship law review, the Yale Law Journal, and was mentored and influenced by Judge Guido Calabresi and Professors Akhil Amar and Harold Koh.

Career

After graduating from Yale, Habib returned to Washington, and began practicing law at the region's largest law firm, Perkins Coie, where he advised technology startups, and continues to lead the firm's civic and community initiatives.

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. Habib set a record for the most money ever raised (over $340,000) 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 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. 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.

Legislative Focus

Economic Development

Habib is the author of a number of laws related to technology and the innovation economy. He authored the Washington Jobs Act of 2014, which allows investor crowdfunding for the first time in Washington, so that entrepreneurs and small businesses can more easily obtain access to capital.

He is also the author of legislation that created a statewide framework for rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft to operate in Washington State, and for drivers, passengers, and the public to be covered by appropriate and comprehensive insurance.

In the face of diminishing federal funding for cancer research, and the success of immunotherapy treatments in curing difficult cancer subtypes, Habib introduced legislation to create a dedicated cancer research fund in Washington State.

Open Government

Habib has been a strong voice for using technology and other reforms to make the legislative process more accessible to the public. For example, Habib introduced Senate Bill 5267, which would allow citizens to provide pre-recorded video testimony filmed on their smart phones – the first such bill in the nation. Habib’s bill gained national pop culture recognition as one of the “Five Times the Daily Show Actually Influenced Policy” in PBS’ NewsHour. Habib has stated 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.

Habib was also the first Democratic State Legislator to seek the impeachment of State Auditor Troy Kelley, who is facing over a dozen federal criminal charges for tax evasion and fraud.

Social Justice

Habib has taken the lead on a number of progressive priorities. He is the prime sponsor of legislation in the State Senate to guarantee paid sick leave for nearly all Washington workers.

He is the Senate prime sponsor of the Washington Voting Rights Act, which aims to prevent cities and counties from using racially polarized voting systems.

Habib’s 2015 bill to provide standard-issue ID cards to help exiting prison inmates with reentry into society has gained wide-spread support.

Civil legal aid is a priority Habib has fought to keep funded in the state budget. He has 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 has consistently championed environmental causes, from combatting climate change to expanding transit service. Habib angered some Republicans when he proposed the introduction of 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 completes the SR 520 bridge replacement and the North Spokane Corridor, funds extensions of SR 167 and 509, adds new lanes to I-405, and authorizes the next generation of light rail and bus rapid transit in the central Puget Sound region. This was the first investment in transportation infrastructure in a decade.

Habib has also authored legislation protecting bridge toll payers from wrongful and excessive toll fees.

Awards and recognition

Habib is the first and only Iranian-American elected to a state office in the United States, and to date the highest ranking Iranian-American in public office.

In 2014, Habib was named one of the "40 Under 40 Political Rising Stars" by the Washington Post. he was also named one of "12 State Legislators to Watch" by Governing Magazine. Seattle Magazine has named him one of the "most influential" people in the greater Seattle area.

Other affiliations

Since 2013, Habib has been Professor and Distinguished Lawmaker in Residence at the Seattle University School of Law, where he teaches upper-level courses and conducts research on issues at the convergence of technology and public policy.

He serves on the boards of a number of nonprofit organizations, including the historic 5th Avenue Theatre.