Political newcomer Andrew Swansen will challenge two Kent City Council members in the race for mayor.
Swansen, who has lived in Kent for 17 years and raised three children here, decided it was time to run for his first elected office.
“As your mayor, I will work to make our city safe and a better place for all our residents,” Swansen said in a Tuesday media release. “I will engage you, business and community leaders, to discuss opportunities and ways to grow our city with solutions that work for all.
“We will make our city government more transparent and fiscally responsible, creating a vibrant, inclusive community for all our residents. Together we can make our city the best it can be.”
Swansen works as a chief information officer for Seattle Colleges, which includes Seattle Central, North Seattle and South Seattle colleges and Seattle Vocational Institute. He has worked two years for Seattle Colleges.
“We love the city, people, culture and all it has to offer,” Swansen said about Kent.
Swansen becomes the third candidate to announce a run for mayor to succeed Suzette Cooke, who decided not to seek a fourth four-year term. Council members Jim Berrios and Dana Ralph each announced last year they would run for mayor.
“As an executive for over 10 years I’ve worked with diverse small and large businesses to expand programs for growth while promoting employee equality and fairness,” said Swansen, who was born and raised in Seattle. “I’ve worked to implement programs to enhance our traffic notifications of road hazards, damages and stranded motorists, using mobile phones, improving our traffic flow and safety.”
Swansen has volunteered for Kent soccer leagues, flag football and a water skiing club. He also belongs to a block watch group in his Madrona Meadows neighborhood on the East Hill.
After years of watching other people in politics, Swansen chose to enter the mayor’s race. He worked from 2012 to 2015 as a chief technology officer for the city of Seattle.
”I want to make a difference in my community,” he said. “I’ve always had an interest in politics, and seeing government in action at the city of Seattle, I knew this was something I wanted to do.”
Kent’s mayor is a full-time position and pays $144,996 per year. Council members are part-time positions and pay $14,808 per year.
Candidates for mayor and council must file by May 15-19 with King County Elections. If more than two candidates file for a position, they will be on the Aug. 1 primary ballot, with the top two vote-getters advancing to the Nov. 7 general election.
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