Senator Reveals Unwritten Rules of Working in State Legislature

Sen. Karen Keiser has spent more than 20 years in the Washington State Legislature, and her new book is the only resource of its kind.

DES MOINES, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES, December 6, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — In the only guidebook of its kind, Getting Elected is the Easy Part, author and Washington State Sen. Karen Keiser blends practical advice, documented research and her own personal experiences to provide no-nonsense guidance about how to succeed and achieve real change as an elected official.

“The political gridlock in D.C. has created a national culture of cynicism about our government. But the untold story is that in many states, positive change is happening,” Keiser said.

Perfect for candidates and elected state legislators, city councilmembers, school board members, citizen activists, advocates, political scientists and students of government, Getting Elected is the Easy Part offers an insider’s view of the ins and outs of achieving legislative landmarks.

“The book is especially helpful to women and people of color who are newly elected — to state legislatures, city councils or school boards — who are new to the often male dominated, hidebound, traditional institutions of government with its arcane procedures and unwritten rules,” Keiser added.

Getting Elected is the Easy Part focuses on the culture adjustments and challenges many newly elected lawmakers face and offers tips and advice to help them achieve legislative goals, including:

• Turning campaign promises into legislation
• Securing bipartisan support
• Building trust with other legislators
• Sex discrimination and DEI issues
• Understanding legislative positions, processes and procedures
• Balancing family needs and work demands
• The role of lobbyists
• And much more

“People run for election, and they’re coming to the Legislature with the wind at their back thinking, I’m going to change the world,” Keiser said. “They’d like to get it done overnight. But that doesn’t happen and they get discouraged. I wrote the book to encourage them to persist and achieve their goals.”

About Author and Sen. Karen Keiser
Sen. Karen Keiser is a veteran legislator who has successfully achieved real change, while serving in both the majority and minority and in both chambers of the Washington State Legislature. She represents Washington’s 33rd Legislative District, which contains a number of suburban cities south of Seattle. As Senate President Pro Tempore, and as current chair of the Senate Labor & Commerce Committee, she champions policies that help working families and improve women’s economic security.

She was a pivotal leader in reforming Washington’s health care system, fully implementing the Affordable Care Act, and passing Washington’s nation-leading Paid Family and Medical Leave program. She has focused on prescription drug costs, and passed a permanent cap on insulin out of-pocket costs last year. She also serves on the budget-writing Ways & Means Committee and as vice chair of the Rules Committee.

Born and raised in Merrill, Iowa, Keiser moved to Southern California for her senior year in high school. She attended the University of California, Berkeley, receiving a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in journalism. She worked as a broadcast journalist in Portland, Denver and Seattle before becoming the communications director for the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

She has three adult children. When she is not running for or serving in the legislature, she enjoys singing, dancing, traveling and gardening.

Follow her on social media at and https://twitter.com/KarenKeiser1.

Amazon link:

Getting Elected is the Easy Part: Working and Winning in the State Legislature
Publisher: Washington State University Press (Basalt Books imprint)
ISBN-10: ‎ 1638640114
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1638640110
Available on Amazon.com, BN.com and

Trish Stevens
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