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The 42nd Legislative District has a new state senator: 22-year-old Simon Sefzik.

Whatcom County Council names Simon Sefzik as late Sen. Ericksen’s replacement

Sefzik considered himself to be an underdog as the Whatcom County Council for the late Senator Doug Ericksen, who died after a battle with COVID-19.

Sen. Sefzik is a community activist and recent graduate of Patrick Henry College, a Christian college in Virginia, and he previously interned at the White House in 2020 and 2021.

“I understand that I am younger than most people involved in politics. But I sincerely believe that one of the reasons, perhaps, that we get so little out of my current generation is because we expect so little,” he told KTTH’s Jason Rantz Show. “If we look at the history of our country, it’s filled with young people that had the audacity to try, to work hard, to achieve something better for their own lives and for the lives of their children and grandchildren.”

“I don’t view my age as a liability, I view it as an asset,” he added. “I think it’s important to include young people in the discussion because we’re going to be the ones that are the largest tax base, we’re going to be the ones that have to make the decisions about tomorrow’s future.”

As for what he’s looking forward to in the opening days of his new role, he says he hasn’t really had a chance to slow down yet.

“We’ve been so busy working away already for the people of the 42nd District,” he said. “But as I sit where I’ve been sitting and as I’ve walked through the Capitol, I am just humbled and honored to be here and to have this opportunity.”

“I know that Senator Ericksen’s loss was heartbreaking to so many, and I know I have a lot to learn,” he continued. “But I want everyone to know that I’m excited to learn and I want to learn, especially, from people with which I disagree. Despite the cynicism of our current age, I do believe that it’s possible for us to disagree without being disagreeable, and to work together to find common solutions.”

Listen to the full interview in the third hour of the Jason Rantz Show from Thursday:

Listen to the Jason Rantz Show weekday afternoons from 3 – 6 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (or HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here.