26 Facts About Bob Hasegawa

Robert Alan Hasegawa was born on September 22,1952 and is an American labor leader and politician serving as a member of the Washington State Senate, representing the 11th Legislative District since January 2013.

Bob Hasegawa previously served in the Washington State House of Representatives, and is retired from the Teamsters Union where he was a member and union leader for over 32 years.

Bob Hasegawa grew up in Seattle, and lives in the Beacon Hill residence he grew up in.

Bob Hasegawa went on to graduate from Antioch University Seattle with dual concentrations in Labor Relations and Organizational and Social Change.

Bob Hasegawa holds an associate degree in labor studies from Shoreline Community College and studied information technology at Seattle Central Community College.

Bob Hasegawa worked as a commercial truck driver, is a certified transport operator, and is a journey-level heavy construction equipment operator.

Bob Hasegawa holds a Class A-Commercial Drivers License, with endorsements for hazardous material, doubles and triple trailer, tank cargo, non-air brake, and pilot car driving.

Bob Hasegawa is a longtime labor and social justice activist from Seattle.

Bob Hasegawa was elected head of the largest Teamsters trucking local workers union in the Pacific Northwest for three terms, and was a leader in the national Teamsters pro-union democracy reform movement, TDU.

Bob Hasegawa was an executive board member of the King County Labor Council, AFL-CIO representing the transportation trades.

Bob Hasegawa was the first Asian American to run for International Vice President of the Teamsters Union, in 2001.

On June 30,2001, "Bob Hasegawa Day" was proclaimed in honor of his labor activism by Seattle Mayor Paul Schell and King County Executive Ron Sims.

Bob Hasegawa serves on the national executive board of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO as well as on the APALA Seattle Chapter Executive Board, and has served on numerous other boards of community-based organizations.

Bob Hasegawa ran to succeed Representative Velma Veloria in the Washington State House of Representatives in 2004.

Bob Hasegawa defeated a crowded field of Democrats in the primary election, and went on to win the general election with almost two-thirds of the vote.

In early 2012, Bob Hasegawa announced that he was running to succeed Margarita Prentice in the Washington State Senate.

Bob Hasegawa eventually won the November 6 election, and took office in January 2013.

Bob Hasegawa announced in 2017 that he would run for mayor of Seattle.

Bob Hasegawa has advocated for universal public healthcare since running in his first election in 2004.

In 2022 Bob Hasegawa was the primary sponsor of SJM 8006 requesting a federal-state partnership towards the establishment of a universal single-payer healthcare both statewide in Washington and federally.

Bob Hasegawa has publicly stated his focus on increasing housing, investing in more public housing, and protecting renters.

Bob Hasegawa co-sponsored legislation to increase funding for local homeless housing and assistance programs.

Bob Hasegawa has publicly expressed concerns about the effect the increased taxation of ST3 has on low-income residents.

Bob Hasegawa has repeatedly introduced legislation to create a state bank in Washington that would be modeled after the Bank of North Dakota, which is the only current public bank in the United States.

Bob Hasegawa has publicly stated that it would reduce debt servicing costs, generate revenue, and increase the options the state and local jurisdictions have to finance infrastructure projects.

Bob Hasegawa supported Initiative-1000, a measure to re-legalize affirmative action in Washington, in the State Senate.