Bob Hasegawa

Bob Hasegawa is the Washington State Representative for the 11th Legislative District, Position 2, since 2005. Hasegawa is a lifelong resident of Seattle's Beacon Hill. He is retired from the Teamsters Union where he was a member and union leader for over 32 years. His District includes Renton, Tukwila, Burien, and parts of Beacon Hill.

Hasegawa is a longtime labor and social justice activist from Seattle. He was elected head of the largest Teamsters trucking local workers union in the Pacific Northwest (Teamsters Local 174) for three terms (9 years), and was also a leader in the national Teamsters pro-union democracy reform movement, TDU (Teamsters for a Democratic Union). He was the first Asian American to run for International Vice President of the Teamsters Union, in 2001.

Hasegawa has long sought to build bridges between social justice organizations, particularly those serving the labor, environmental and Asian Pacific Islander communities. He serves on the national executive board of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO (APALA) as well as on the APALA Seattle Chapter Executive Board, and has served on numerous other boards of community based organizations.

After earlier studying physics at the University of Washington, Hasewaga graduated from Antioch University with areas of concentration in Labor Relations and Organizational and Social Change. He also holds an AA degree in Labor Studies from Shoreline Community College. He was an Executive Board Member of the King County Labor Council, AFL-CIO representing the transportation trades. He is an Advisory Board Member of the Community Alliance for Global Justice (CAGJ) (2001–present). June 30, 2001 was proclaimed "Bob Hasegawa Day" by Seattle Mayor Paul Schell and King County Executive Ron Sims.

In addition to his political and social justice activities, Hasegawa is an advanced construction equipment operator. He holds a Class A-Commercial Drivers License, with certificates for Hazardous materials, Doubles/triples, Tanker, and M/C endorsements, air brake restriction removed, pilot car certified, DHS and FAA certified for SEA, BFI, EVT and RTN airfield movement area access.

In early 2012, Hasegawa announced that he was running to succeed Margarita Prentice in the Washington State Senate. Hasegawa eventually won the November 6 election, and will take office in January 2013.