Rep. Jackie Thrasher, the band/orchestra leader for Washington Elementary School District since 1980, is upbeat about her new job representing District 10 in the West Valley.
Thrasher, a Democrat, says her biggest surprise is how much she enjoys being in the Legislature.
“I really like the energy, the excitement of doing something good. It’s a good feeling. I’m a teacher, and I have the same feeling I get when helping a student get a concept. A light bulb goes on and here you watch the transformation from some notes on paper to becoming a bill.”
Thrasher also enjoys meeting new people, including fellow legislators, lobbyists and her constituents “who stop by, come to you with their concerns and interests and hope you can help them.”
The most difficult part of her job, she says, is: “Learning the protocol, the rules, what to say and when to say it. It’s definitely something to be learned and I’m still working on it.”
She had to think about any disappointments, and alludes to some discord in the Democratic caucus. “Getting to know each other in the caucus was a bump in the road,” she says.
As a teacher, Thrasher quite naturally considers caring for children her main issue. “By investing in education, all else stems from that,” she says. “Then there is clean air and water, transportation, infrastructure and doing the right thing about immigration.”
Yet she has no specific legislative goals, except working with her colleagues. “Everything I do is about building relationships, not only in my own caucus but with staff, pages, Republicans, Democrats and lobbyists,” Thrasher says. “Getting to know people and getting them to know me and fostering relations for the good of Arizona — and without a lot of partisanship.”
To other women considering a political career, she says: “Never give up. What we’ve learned along the way is that many times women don’t run unless they’re asked to run. Don’t wait for that. Work outside your comfort level. If you don’t win, women take it too personally. You need to do it again if it is important to you. Either run again or find other ways to serve.”