You know you’ve made it when you hit the cover of Washington Law & Politics. The new fall edition of the magazine catches up with two Northwest additions to Team Obama former governor now Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and former King County executive now deputy HUD secretary Ron Sims.

“This year, for the first time in decades, we find ourselves with some major influence in that Other Washington; card carrying Northwesterners have been appointed to key jobs in the Obama administration,” writes contributing writer Ross Anderson.

Q&A highlights:

Locke: “We think of ourselves as living in the far corner of the nation, doing our own thing; but, quite frankly, the way we do things in the Pacific Northwest tends to be innovative and effective. And that is getting lots of attention.”

Sims: “So I called my wife and she said ‘Whatever he offers you, you say yes!’ He (Obama) asked if I would work for him, and I said, ‘Mr. President-elect, I cannot imagine anybody telling you no’.”