Challenger Huster eager to get into politics
October 15, 2008
By Jon Savelle
Phyllis Huster is a newcomer to state politics, but the Snoqualmie Democrat is eager to get into the action.
“My dad was a big Democrat,” she said in a recent interview. “All my friends were surprised that it took me 42 years to get into politics.”
Huster is challenging incumbent Sen. Cheryl Pflug, R-Maple Valley, for the 5th District seat. She has been actively going out into the district to meet people, ring doorbells and make herself known.
“What I’m hearing loud and clear from the 5th District is, they are not happy about what either the Democrats or the Republicans are doing,” Huster said. “They are asking, where’s the education funding, where are my transportation choices? I hear a lot about healthcare — their healthcare bill is really breaking the bank. And the economy. People are just generically upset.”
Born in Chicago, Huster lived there until age 5, when her family moved to Decatur, Ga. That was her home until she reached her mid-30s and had established herself as a telecommunications executive. The work took her to New Jersey, Holland, Sweden and finally to T-Mobile in Bellevue.
But something was missing.
“Make money, come home — that’s boring,” Huster said. “I wanted to do something different.”
Besides taking the plunge into politics, Huster has signed up as a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound, through which she spends time with a child three or four times a month. Someday, she said, she would like to adopt.
In her leisure time, Huster enjoys photography and outdoor recreation, particularly hiking, cycling and kayaking. She has published a book about e-mail and the Internet.
Huster’s campaign stresses what she calls three E’s and a T — education, environment, economy and transportation. For education, Huster said she wants to see higher graduation rates, higher academic standards, higher pay for teachers and a redistribution of school funding to put more money in growth areas.
Her environmental priorities are to establish incentives to reduce the state’s carbon footprint (its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming); encourage nonautomotive transportation; prevent urban sprawl; and protect natural areas.
Similarly, her approach to the economy stresses energy independence and the creation of environmentally sustainable jobs; fiscal accountability; attracting new businesses to the state; and providing citizens choices in transportation and healthcare.
Huster counts economic development as one of her top priorities. She said she wants to attract clean industries to the district’s cities, creating well-paying jobs close to housing.
“If you don’t generate that income, it’s just a matter of which programs do you cut every year,” Huster said.
She cites her expertise in the telecom industry as an asset in working with business. According to her campaign Web site, she has managed $500 million programs for AT&T, T-Mobile and Microsoft, and has been a member of boards of directors for Fortune 500 companies. She said she believes the Democrats can do more to control state spending while also funding education, transportation and environmental protection.
“When you are spending $67 billion, that’s more than enough,” Huster said. “We need to subsidize what we want more of, and tax what we want less of.”
One idea Huster favors is to increase revenues from tourism, but she doesn’t advocate an income tax.
“I’m a little shocked that Washington state hasn’t already gone there,” she said. “But I’m not going to be the one who waves that flag.”
On the transportation front, Huster said she would like to see the state Department of Transportation consider road improvements to alleviate congestion on county roads. She suggested that state Route 900, which connects Issaquah to Renton, could be extended to Maple Valley, too — thereby taking a huge volume of traffic off of Issaquah-Hobart Road.
So far, no one else has advocated for this idea, but Huster said she intends to propose it to the Department of Transportation.
Huster is supported by the 5th District Democrats, the Stonewall Democrats (a network of gay and lesbian Democratic clubs and individuals), NARAL Pro-Choice America, the American Federation of Teachers, the Young Democrats of Washington, Eastside Fire & Rescue Local 2878 Firefighters Union; and the National Women’s Political Caucus.
The Municipal League of King County, a nonpartisan association that conducts the equivalent of job interviews with candidates in King County and rates them on their capacity to serve effectively, gave Huster a rating of “very good.”
Huster said her primary motivation in running is to make representative democracy work. She noted that all of her campaign literature bears her telephone number and e-mail address, and said she would continue to be accessible if elected.
“I will work 100 percent to represent my district,” Huster said.
Phyllis Huster
- Position: State senator, 5th District
- Age: 42
- Occupation: Telecommunications executive
- Education: Studied toward a Bachelor of Arts in information and computer science at Georgia Institute of Technology; one quarter shy of graduation
- Family: Single, no children
- Web site: www.phyllisforsenate.com
Fun facts:
- Favorite movie: ‘What Dreams May Come,’ with Robin Williams
- Favorite book: ‘The Power of Now,’ by Eckhart Tolle
- Favorite cuisine: Italian
- Favorite beverage: Chardonnay
- Favorite ice cream: Rocky road
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