Renton resident Chris Franco announced Tuesday, Jan. 12 that he is challenging longtime incumbent Reagan Dunn for the King County Council District 9 seat.
Franco works for King County as a program manager for the Office of Equity & Social Justice and is a combat veteran.
Renton City Councilmember Kim-Khánh Van announced in December that she would challenge Dunn, who has been the District 9 representative for 15 years. The district encompasses parts of Kent, Renton, Bellevue, Newcastle, Covington, Maple Valley and Enumclaw.
“I am running for King County Council, District 9 because our community deserves a leader who will focus on meeting the most pressing needs of our district, not themselves,” Franco said in a news release. “For far too long both our urban and rural communities in the 9th have been left out of the decision making process while other areas of King County have seen tremendous growth and investment. It is time we have a council member who will ensure our communities get the investment we deserve.”
Franco served in the Army with distinction for eight years, exiting with the rank of captain where he led and developed a multitude of organizations across the nation, earning both recognition for his leadership and the respect of his fellow service members, according to the news release.
After leaving the Army in 2015, Franco took a job with King County. He serves on the Office of Equity & Social Justice’s leadership team in the King County Executive’s Office.
He also serves as the 3rd vice chair of the King County Democrats and as the Director of Military and Veterans Affairs for the Truman National Security Project’s Seattle Chapter.
Franco’s endorsements so far include State Sen. Joe Nguyen, D-White Center; State Reps. David Hackney, D-Tukwila; and Steve Bergquist, D-Renton; Burien Deputy Mayor Krystal Marx and Black Diamond City Councilmember Kristina de Leon.
“During my time in the Army I learned that the best leaders aren’t those who think they have all the answers, but rather are those who welcome ideas and suggestions even if they might not agree with them,” Franco said. “A saying we have in the Army is ‘if you’re going to complain about something you better have a solution.’ We are told the issues we face are too big to solve, it’s too expensive, or it’s someone else’s problem. More often than not, it is a lack of willpower to make changes to the status quo. I reject that dim view of our communities’ potential, and as the next King County Council member for District 9, I will be a relentless advocate for the policies my neighbors know we need to ensure no one is left behind as we rebuild from this pandemic.”
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