Rep. Keith Seaman reflects on first legislative session

As a lifelong educator, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say Rep. Keith Seaman felt like a fish out of water in his first days in the Arizona House of Representatives.

Seaman had spent time on the Coolidge Board of Education, an elected position, but it was impossible to compare that experience to working at the epicenter of Arizona state politics.

“As a freshman, it took me a while to get used to the protocol, what to do, what’s going on, that sort of thing,” he said.

The former educator turned Democratic representative for Legislative District 16, which includes Maricopa, spent many of those first weeks dipping his toes in the water and getting a feel for the formalities of working in the House.

“When you see Congress working, they do and say things that seem very old fashioned and you can’t just talk,” Seaman said. “There are rules. It’s if you rise for this, here’s what you say or if you rise for that, here’s what you say. That took some getting used to.”

With the first legislative session under his belt, Seaman sat down with InMaricopa to discuss his background, his path to politics and how he is helping constituents.

An educator through and through
In a previous life, Seaman dedicated 40 years to working in education.

“My first teaching job was high school English in Lake Havasu City,” Seaman said.

He later worked as a superintendent in Kingman, an administrator for a charter school in Lake Havasu City and a principal for a Bureau of Indian Affairs boarding school on the Tohono O’odham Nation. Seaman most recently served on the Coolidge Unified School District’s Governing Board from 2019 to 2022.

“He loved it,” said his wife, Donna Seaman. “He loved helping the kids and giving them a chance.”

Working as a teacher, administrator and board member over the decades, Seaman saw not only how education had the power to transform lives but also the challenges faced by school systems. That’s why education was a top priority for him when he opted to run for the House in 2022.

“I saw that we couldn’t hire or keep teachers because of the lack of funding, and I want to change that,” Seaman told InMaricopa prior to the November 2022 election.

That commitment still stands, though Seaman admits the job is easier said than done.

“Education is still behind the 8-ball,” he said. “We did get some increases and we hope to continue that … but there’s always more things we can do.”

Journey into politics
Legislating is a different world from Seaman’s previous career in education, but politics isn’t necessarily new for the representative.

“I was president of Young Democrats when I was in college at California State University Sacramento,” he said.

While he continued to be active in the party after college, including serving as chair of the Mohave County Democrats, Seaman was initially reluctant to delve further into politics.

“When the chair of the party first asked if I want to run for (the) Legislature, I thought, ‘I don’t want to do that,’” he said. “Eventually, I wanted the position, but I also knew I’m in a deep red county and we haven’t had a Democrat in this position for who knows how long.”

It was a realistic view that prepared him for some disappointments in that first legislative session.

“Being in the minority party, none of my bills saw the light of day,” Seaman said. “I was expecting it but not quite like that.”

Despite that letdown, Seaman said he appreciates collaborating with state Rep. Teresa Martinez and Sen. T.J. Shope, Republicans who also represent LD16.

“We talk a lot about things that affect our district,” he said. “We don’t agree on a lot of stuff because we have different philosophies. But on things that affect our district, we definitely do agree.”

A helping hand
Seaman said despite the disappointment in watching his bills die due to the fact he’s in the minority party, he has found purpose in serving as a voice for his constituents.

“(I’ve learned) there are things more important than the budget or creating laws,” he said.

That’s helping the people. I am here to help my constituents. It may not be a bill, but at least I’m solving a problem.”

His constituent work ranges from helping people find mental health resources to addressing issues with prescriptions to adding additional pressure on construction companies to address building quality.

“I’ve become a part of that action,” he said. “And that makes me feel better. It makes me feel good that I’ve been able to do something new and help make people’s lives better.”

Legislation
Rep. Keith Seaman introduced six bills and co-sponsored 104 pieces of legislation in his first session in the Arizona House. Of those co-sponsored bills, six were passed and signed into law by Gov. Katie Hobbs. Here are a few highlights of the bills he co-sponsored:

• HB 2062: The bill sought to establish five new special license plates, including for the Gila River and Ak-Chin Indian communities. It passed and was signed on May 1.
• HB 2568: A homeless bill of rights, which included the right to not face discrimination while seeking employment and the right to vote and register to vote. Action has yet to take place.
• HB 2288: Bill recognizes that a large truck cannot drive through a roundabout in a single lane, giving the operator of a vehicle that is at least 40 feet long or 10 feet wide the ability to use more than one lane to the extent necessary to drive through the roundabout.
• Seaman also co-sponsored resolutions honoring the death of Jack Jackson, the Assyrian New Year, the 20th anniversary of the death of U.S. Army Spec. Lori Ann Piestewa and the Piestewa Fallen Heroes Memorial, and the death of Joe Hart.

Editor’s note: Co-sponsoring a bill means a representative or senator vocalizes their support of a bill by adding their name to it. This can improve the bill’s chances of passing in the House and Senate.

This story was first published in the July edition of InMaricopa Magazine.