Kirkland’s Cyrus Habib, voted last November as the first Iranian-American elected to state office in the United States, is finding his way around the state Capitol as a freshman representative -- but one without eyesight.
Habib was featured in a story on KOMO News this week, and said he believes he is also the first blind legislator in Washington in 100 years, since 1913.
Habib, a Democrat and an attorney was easily elected Nov. 6 as a representative in the 48th Legislative District, which covers portions of Redmond, Kirkland and Bellevue. Blind since the age of 8, Habib campaigned on a platform that focused on adequate funding of education and helping small businesses grow. His parents immigrated to the United States from Iran in the 1970s.
"My story is of a person who was given opportunity despite a very challenging set of life circumstances. I was given the opportunity to work hard. I did work hard. And I want every Washingtonian to get that same opportunity," he said.
See the full KOMO story here.
