Democratic State Rep. Marko Liias has started a campaign for the 21st District State Senate seat that fellow Democrat Paull Shin plans to give up after four terms.
Liias won appointment to the House of Representatives after former Rep. Brian Sullivan won a position on the Snohomish County Council in 2007. Liias then won election to two-year terms in 2008, 2010 and 2012.
Liias had been a Mukilteo city councilman before his appointment to the legislature.
He launched a bid to replace then-Congressman Jay Inslee in 2012 before redistricting left him out of the 1st Congressional District. Instead, he returned to the legislature, where he is vice chairman of the House transportation committee, and a member of the rules committee, the environment committee and the committee on local government.
Shin won election to the Senate in 1998, and won re-election in 2002, 2006 and 2010. He earlier had served one term in the House of Representatives. He is a retired Edmonds Community College faculty member.
Liias already has raise $16,179 and spent $3,470 toward his senate campaign. He has no announced opponent.
Liias has been traveling and unavailable for comment.
One candidate for the House position that Liias currently holds is Democrat Lillian Ortiz-Self, a school counselor in Everett, who serves on the governor’s committee on Hispanic Affairs. She has reported raising $5,370 and spending 11.
Another is Democrat Dick McManus, who reports no fundraising or spending.
Democrat Darrell Chapman, who planned to run in 2012 before Liias changed his plans, did not respond Wednesday. Nor did Republican Kevin Morrison, who challenged Liias in 2012.
Democratic 21st District State Rep. Mary Helen Roberts has raised $3,283 toward re-election. She has no announced opponent.
The 21st Legislative District includes most of Edmonds, unincorporated areas north of Edmonds and Lynnwood, all of Mukilteo, and part of south Everett.
Evan Smith can be reached at schsmith@frontier.com.
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