King County prosecuting attorney and Redmond resident Manka Dhingra is throwing her name in the mix for the November state legislature election.

Dhingra is running as a Democrat for the 45th District’s Senate seat.

Dhingra said she has extensive experience in the public sphere, including serving as a county prosecutor and overseeing the county’s mental health court and diversion program, among others.

She also has worked with the state Legislature in that role and helped found the domestic violence support group API Chaya. Dhingra is also the vice president of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Eastside after stepping down as president earlier this year.

Dhingra said if elected, she will focus on managing growth and transportation issues, funding education and representing a diverse Redmond community.

“We are a growing area that is getting more and more popular to live in and it really is,” she said. “We should make sure that every single member of our community has a voice in what that growth looks like.”

Affordability, especially in housing, is affecting many people in Redmond and she hopes to find a solution on the state level.

Funding education and helping children graduate from high school with a plan for their future are also important parts of her plan if elected.

Dhingra said she got involved in politics after she saw a surge of anxiety in the Muslim and Sikh communities following November’s national elections, especially after the vandalism of a Redmond mosque sign. She said she hopes to represent the diversity of the area in the state Legislature.

“I think it’s crucial that our Eastside families have someone who has experience,” she said.