by Joel Sams
As a seventh-grader, Washington state Sen. Sam Hunt placed yard signs for a candidate for governor. In college, he served as president of the residence hall council. He’s been a city commissioner, a mayor pro tem, a public educator and worked for the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee. Serving as CSG national chair for 2022, Hunt says these experiences share a common thread — the ability to make a difference.
“In the legislature, I call it being inside the door rather than outside the door,” Hunt said. “The lobbyists and the other folks who want to influence legislation are all outside the door trying to get their views known. But inside, you’ve got that unique ability — the honor — of being able to cast a vote.”
This year, Hunt is excited to lead CSG in conversations around civil discourse, strengthening democracy and building bipartisan, collaborative relationships among state leaders.
Hunt was introduced to CSG through former Washington state Rep. Jeff Morris, who was serving as chair of CSG West at the time. Morris talked to Hunt and other freshman legislators about the Western Legislative Academy — one of four regional leadership development opportunities offered by CSG. Morris encouraged Hunt to apply and offered to write a letter of recommendation.
“The rest is history,” Hunt said. “I liked the way CSG was organized — the regions, where you can concentrate on issues that affect or impact the Western region or the [Midwest] region or the Southern region. It’s a very effective group, and it allows us, as legislators and elected officials, to sit down and discuss issues.”
Hunt says the value of CSG for state leaders is the opportunity to learn from experts on a range of issues, as well as to meet leaders from other states and share ideas, discuss state issues and seek solutions.
“I’ve made some very good friends in CSG, especially CSG West,” Hunt said. “We socialize together. We work on issues together. I can pick up the phone and call Sen. Gary Stevens in Alaska and say, ‘What’s going on up there? What have you done on this?’”
Hunt deeply values collaboration, listening and learning from other perspectives. Given his professional background, that should be no surprise. His long career includes experience at the local, state and federal levels of government, but it may be another professional role — 10 years in public education — that best exemplifies his approach to leadership.
As a teacher, Hunt saw about 150 students in his classes on a given day, each of whom brought their own personalities, experiences and challenges. In the classroom and in government, Hunt says, it’s crucial to learn how to negotiate, conciliate and work together. That’s one reason he volunteers with the National Institute for Civil Discourse, and why civil discourse will be one of the areas he focuses on during his time as CSG national chair.
“It’s so important to have civil discussion and civil discourse in politics, and we continue to fight the opposite of that,” he said.
Hunt tells the story of a night on the floor of the U.S. Senate, when he served on the Appropriations Committee staff (Washington Sen. Warren Magnuson was the committee chair). At 2 a.m., a senator from Nebraska was “going on and on” in support of a bill that was already doomed. Exhausted, Hunt and another staffer asked Magnuson to move forward so everyone could go home.
“Two of us went to him and said, ‘We’re tired. Let’s just vote on this. We’ve got the votes,’” Hunt remembers. “He says, ‘Well, I’m tired too, but I can’t.’”
When the two staffers pressed Magnuson on why he wouldn’t just hold the vote, Magnuson gave a response that Hunt remembers to this day: “I might need his vote on something else tomorrow.”
“That has always summed it up for me,” Hunt said. “As you try to run over somebody, be careful of who’s going to try to run over you tomorrow.”
In the Washington legislature, Hunt says, most bills are bipartisan — a fact that should not be overlooked in the shadow of a handful of hot button issues.
“I point out that 95% of the bills that we vote on in the legislature probably have 90% in favor, or more, in the House and Senate,” Hunt said. “On the whole, we usually work pretty well together. You can have your differences, and, hopefully, go out and have a beer afterward, rather than just hating each other.”
Hunt reflects often on the fact that in Washington, a state of more than 7 million people, only 147 can vote in the legislature. Thinking about those numbers makes him feel honored — and determined to make a difference for the better.
“We may have vastly different views, sometimes, on issues, but I think 99% of the people who get elected to the legislature and other offices have the goal of doing what they think is the right thing. We may just differ on what that right thing is.
“Now we need to find that sweet spot where we can all work together and do what is best because we’re not here for us. We’re here for the state, and for the people of our state and the country. I often say
that what I do in the legislature is not going to impact me. It’s going to impact my 7-year-old grandson. That’s what I want to do — make this a better place for my 7-year-old grandson to grow up and raise a family.”
Asked & Answered
What’s a little-known fact about you?
I was named the 1959 Washington State Junior Poultry Man of the Year.
Please say more.
I grew up on a farm, and we had an orchard and I raised chickens. For my main 4-H project, I had a Saturday
morning route where I loaded my 1956 Ford convertible with dozens of eggs
and sold eggs to people who became regular customers.
What are your hobbies outside of work?
I like to garden, and I grow roses. I’ve got about 50 rose bushes, so I try to cultivate them and in the summer, I have fresh roses in my house and in my office sometimes.
What’s one of your hopes for the future?
Someday, the only team who has not been to the World Series will get there. And that’s the Seattle Mariners.