Redmond City Councilman and transportation expert Hank Myers announced Friday he is a candidate for Washington’s 48th Legislative District seat left vacant by Rep. Deb Eddy, D-Kirkland.

A small business owner and volunteer for local human service and conservation organizations, Myers said he is running to put Washington’s state budget, economy and education back on the path to success.

“I’m running because we can’t hand another vote in Olympia to the status quo and expect change,” said Myers, a Republican from Redmond. “The Eastside has been a great place for us to live and raise our family, and we need to ensure everyone has an opportunity to prosper and enjoy what our area has to offer.”

Currently serving in his second term on the Redmond City Council, Myers has lived on the Eastside since 1976. A small business owner, his company previously managed the Microsoft Commute Trip Reduction program under contract for four years, during which time the program won its first awards for excellence including the coveted Commuter Challenge Diamond Award.

His expertise earned him appointments to three Metro Transit citizen sounding boards where he examined Eastside transit service and served as a board spokesperson to the King County Council for each.

“My work as a transportation consultant for Microsoft and other firms, running a small business and volunteering with local conservation and health organizations has given me first-hand experience with this wonderful place where we live. I also see the challenges – schools that need to do better at helping students grow and succeed, an economy that struggles to provide our children with opportunities and a dysfunctional budget process in Olympia that burdens them before they’ve even had a chance to get started.”

Myers noted there are areas where he and his opponent, Cyrus Habib, in the legislative race share the same position.

“To solve Washington’s problems, our public servants must move away from politics that create needless conflict, and there are some areas I’m happy to say I probably agree with my opponent,” said Myers of. “For example, I favor marriage equality and have been a longtime supporter of a woman’s right to choose. Working with others in the community and on the council, I’ve always worked to find common ground. That is what being a public servant should be about.”

Myers currently serves on the Executive Board of the Together Center in Redmond, a group supporting local human service agencies like Friends of Youth, HealthPoint and the National Alliance for Mental Illness. Myers is also a forest steward for the Green Redmond program.

Myers has also worked with education advocates, serving on Bellevue School District committees to determine middle school curriculum and gifted-child education. Hank also served on the Redmond Overlake Neighborhood Plan citizens working group.

Myers served as a rescue flight crewman in the U.S. Coast Guard and worked in the airline industry, including Alaska Airlines. In addition to his community work, Hank is an avid sailor and volunteers at the Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle.

Hank and his wife Chris have lived in Redmond, where they raised two children, since 1976.