The Kent Chamber of Commerce had a forum Oct. 6 for the region’s top political races this year at the Kent ShoWare Center.
The following candidates were present to make their case:
District 47
State Senate
Incumbent Claudia Kauffman vs. Joe Fain
Kauffman was elected to the Senate in 2006 and is seeking a second four-year term. Fain is chief of staff for King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer.
State Representative, Pos. 1
Incumbent Geoff Simpson vs. Mark Hargrove
Simpson is a Kent firefighter who has served 10 years in the Legislature. Hargrove is a Boeing flight instructor who previously ran against Simpson two years ago.
State Representative, Pos. 2
Incumbent Pat Sullivan vs. Rodrigo Yanez
Sullivan has served six years in the House. He was elected to two-year terms in 2004, 2006 and 2008. He is a former Covington mayor and Council member. Yanez, in his first race for elected office, has lived in the Panther Lake area of Kent for 19 years. He and his son run Yanez International, a home-based business that serves as agricultural export agent for companies.
District 33
State Senate
Incumbent Karen Keiser vs. Jack Michalek
Keiser has served 10 years in the Senate. She was appointed to the Senate in 2001 and won elections to four-year terms in 2002 and 2006.
Michalek has lived in District 33 for 40 years and worked for more than 40 years in the transportation industry. He currently runs an aviation-consulting business out of his home.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
