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Women, Gen Xers Prepare To Take Statewide Office In Olympia

NWNews | By Austin Jenkins,
Austin Jenkins
Published December 21, 2016 at 5:08 PM PST
Among the new statewide officeholders in Washington state are, clockwise from top left, Cyrus Habib, Hilary Franz, Chris Rekdahl and Pat McCarthy.
Washington Legislature/Campaign photos
Among the new statewide officeholders in Washington state are, clockwise from top left, Cyrus Habib, Hilary Franz, Chris Rekdahl and Pat McCarthy.

The face of Washington state government is about to get a makeover. Five new statewide elected officials will take office in January -- a record in modern times.

The new crop of officeholders are younger, more diverse, and more of them women. Three are Gen Xers: newly elected Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib, State Schools Superintendent Chris Rekdahl and Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz.

Habib is the youngest at just 35. He’s also blind and the first Middle Eastern-American to hold statewide office in the country.

Women will also now occupy three of Washington’s nine statewide elected offices. In addition to Franz, there’s State Auditor-elect Pat McCarthy and incumbent Secretary of State Kim Wyman.

Currently Wyman is the only Republican to hold statewide office. But not for long. She’ll soon be joined by Treasurer-elect Duane Davidson.

The new officeholders will be sworn in on Wednesday, January 11.

Copyright 2016 Northwest News Network
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Politics Washington State LegislatureWashington State Government
Austin Jenkins
Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy as well as the Washington State legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia." Prior to joining the Northwest News Network, Austin worked as a television reporter in Seattle, Portland and Boise. Austin is a graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle and Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut. Austin’s reporting has been recognized with awards from the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, Public Radio News Directors Incorporated and the Society of Professional Journalists.
See stories by Austin Jenkins
Austin Jenkins
Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy, as well as the Washington State Legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia."
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