What’s old is new again. At least that’s the case for longtime legislative communications staffer John Sattgast, whose professional path has come full circle as he applies the skills he learned early in his career in radio to today’s digital era.
Sattgast
“Back when I started, I did everything reel to reel and now, it’s electronic and computer programs,” says Sattgast, the senior public information officer and broadcast coordinator for the Washington House Republican Caucus. “But it’s always exciting. Since I began in radio and now 30-plus years later here at the Statehouse, I don’t think any day has been the same.”
Despite changes in the methods and mechanisms that communications staffers use to get their messages out, the goal has remained the same: “We help members be the best they can be to represent their constituents,” he says. “That has never changed. We put them first so they can be as successful as possible.”
Sattgast has played a key role since 1991 in shaping how the party’s legislative information is conveyed to the public. Early on, that meant stuffing envelopes and faxing press releases; now, he sends voiced radio reports and interviews with legislators to Washington state radio stations from a Capitol campus broadcast studio in Olympia or from his in-home radio studio.
To keep constituents engaged and informed, he serves as a press liaison and writes newsletters, releases, talking points and speeches for three House Republicans, and he coordinates broadcasts for the entire GOP House. That includes managing all caucus radio broadcast communications such as feeds and podcasts, as well as a weekly legislative update program.
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“I was able to get back to my roots through sit-down interviews with legislators that I send to their home district radio stations, and I also do short- and long-form writing. I have the best of both worlds,” Sattgast says.
His knowledge of the Capitol, as well as his relationship with radio news directors throughout the state, is invaluable, colleagues say.
“He’s selfless. He cares deeply about our caucus and has a real reverence for the institution,” says John Handy, communications director of the House Republican Caucus who has worked with Sattgast since 2003 and as his supervisor since 2012. “He’s dedicated to our members and what our members are trying to accomplish with their agenda.”
For his part, Sattgast insists he is a “small part” of a larger operation and is content to be in the background.
“I don’t want to overshadow other folks. I’m just one person in an entire team, and I’m grateful and very blessed to work with amazing people with so many talents.”
Radio Background
Sattgast grew up in the farm town of New Plymouth, Idaho, about 50 miles northwest of the state capital, Boise. He became interested in CB radios as a high school student and got involved in radio broadcasting while attending Boise State University.
As a college student, he worked the overnight shift as a DJ, went to class with no sleep and then headed back to his room to grab a few hours of rest. He eventually migrated to the news side of radio operations, and for the next 12 years worked as a news director at radio stations in Oregon, Idaho and Washington.
A growing family (he and his wife of 43 years, Debbie, have three grown children) and long hours with low pay prompted him to look for a career change. In 1991, he jumped at the opportunity when he heard about a communications opening in the Washington Statehouse.
“It made sense. My background was a news director, and I knew how to do research, where to find sources and how to write stories. As a journalist and as a public information officer, you care about the same things—accuracy, paying attention to details, meeting deadlines. From A to Z, it has to be right.”
Storyteller With Connections
During nearly 35 years in Olympia, Sattgast has been active with the National Conference of State Legislatures, serving three terms as a board member of the Legislative Information and Communications Staff, and in 2023 he received NCSL’s Legislative Staff Achievement Award.
“I have been honored to be involved with LINCS since its inception, and I’ve gained so much working, sharing and collaborating with people from across the states. I’ve made friends over the years and learned so much from their expertise as we share information back and forth and learn each other’s stories.
“There’s so many dedicated and talented communication folks working in state legislatures throughout the country.”
A natural storyteller at heart, Sattgast is known for his warmth and ability to stay calm in high-pressure situations.
“I have interviewed so many people. Everybody has a story, and I love that. I’m curious about that story—that’s the reporter in me wanting to learn more about people.”
But more than his communication chops, legislators rely on his patience, kindness and genuine interest in others.
“He loves people, and I think that’s the driving force behind him,” says Rep. Mary Dye (R). “He has deep connections around the state and makes friends with everyone. He genuinely cares about people—that’s inherent in his nature.”
Respect in the workplace is important to Sattgast. He remembers the advice given to him early in his career by a radio station news director and mentor.
“He told me, ‘Remember every story you write affects someone … so whatever you write and how you write it, keep that in mind.’ I’ve had a lot of folks behind me, helping and mentoring me, and I am so very grateful for that, and for the honor of working in an institution like the state House of Representatives,” Sattgast says.
“I feel I have a front-row seat to Washington history—and as a newsperson, who wouldn’t want that?”
Mary Gay Broderick is a Denver-based freelance writer.