As a lifelong educator, it’s safe to say that Rep. Keith Seaman felt like a fish out of water during his first few days in the Arizona congressman.

Seaman held an elected office on the Coolidge Board of Education, but it was impossible to compare that experience to working in the political heart of Arizona.

“As a freshman, it took me some time to get used to the protocol, what to do, what was going on, things like that,” he said.

The former educator-turned-Democrat in the 16th legislative district, which includes Maricopa, spent much of his first few weeks in the water getting a feel for the process of working in the House.

“When you see Congress functioning, you’re doing things and saying things that look so outdated that you can’t just talk,” Seaman said. “There are rules. It’s if you stand up for this, you say this, or if you stand up for it, you say this. It took me a while to get used to it.”

At the first Congress, Seaman sat down with Immaricopa to discuss his background, his path to politics and how he helps voters.

thorough educator
Forty years in his previous life, Seaman devoted himself to activities in the field of education.

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

He later worked as superintendent of schools in Kingman, administrator of a charter school in Lake Havasu City, and principal of the Indian Bureau Boarding School in Tohono Odham Nation. Seaman most recently served on the Coolidge Unified School District board of directors from 2019-2022.

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

Having worked as a teacher, administrator and board member for decades, Seeman has seen not only how education has the power to transform lives, but also the challenges facing school systems. That’s why education was a top priority when he chose to run for the House of Representatives in 2022.

“We found that we couldn’t hire or keep teachers because of the lack of funding, and we want to change that,” Seaman told Inmaricopa before the November 2022 elections.

Seaman admits that the task is easier said than done, but the effort remains the same.

“Education is still behind the 8-ball,” he says. “We have actually gained some and we would like to continue that…but there is always something we can do.”

Journey into politics
Legislation is a world away from Seaman’s previous education career, but politics isn’t necessarily new to lawmakers.

“When I was attending California State University, Sacramento, I was president of the Young Democrats,” he said.

After graduating from college, Seaman continued to be active in the party, including serving as chairman of the Mojave County Democratic Party, but was initially reluctant to get into politics any further.

“When the leader first asked me if I wanted to run for parliament, I was like, ‘I don’t want to do that,'” he said. “After all, I wanted the job, but I knew I was in a red county, and I didn’t know how many Democrats were out of the office.”

It was a pragmatic view, so I prepared for some disappointment in the first Congress.

“Being in the minority party, none of my bills saw the light of day,” Seaman said. “I expected it, but it wasn’t like that at all.”

Despite that disappointment, Seaman said he appreciates the collaboration with Republican Rep. Teresa Martinez and Sen. TJ Shopp, who are also representatives of LD16.

“We often talk about things that affect the district,” he said. “We have different philosophies and disagree on many points.

help
Despite his disappointment at seeing the bill disappear due to the fact that he belongs to a minority party, Seaman finds purpose in serving as an advocate for voters. said.

“(I’ve) learned that there are more important things than budgets and legislation,” he said.

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

His main activities range from helping people find mental health resources, to addressing prescription issues, to putting more pressure on construction companies to address building quality.

“I ended up participating in that activity,” he said. “It makes me feel better. I’m so happy that I can do something new and make people’s lives better.”

law
Rep. Keith Seaman introduced six bills and co-sponsored 104 bills in the first session of the Arizona House of Representatives. Six of these co-sponsored bills were passed and signed by Governor Katie Hobbs. Here are some highlights of the bill he co-sponsored.

• HB 2062: This bill called for establishing five new special license plates, including one for the Gila River and Actin Indigenous communities. Passed and signed on May 1st.
• HB 2568: Homeless Bill of Rights. This includes the right to non-discrimination in seeking employment, the right to vote and to register to vote. No action has been taken yet.
• HB 2288: The bill recognizes that heavy trucks cannot travel in a single lane on roundabouts and requires drivers of vehicles over 40 feet long or over 10 feet wide to use multiple lanes to the extent necessary to drive. gives you the ability to through the roundabout.
• Seaman also co-sponsored resolutions commemorating the death of Jack Jackson, the Assyrian New Year, and the 20th anniversary of the death of U.S. Army Special Forces. Lori Ann Piestewa and Piestewa’s Fallen Heroes Memorial, and the death of Joe Hart.

Editor’s Note: Co-sponsoring a bill means that a member of the House or Senate adds their name to the bill to endorse it. That could increase the likelihood that the bill will pass the House and Senate.

This article first appeared in the July issue of InMaricopa Magazine.