Kenmore resident Ken Smith has announced that he will not enter the race for the 45th District State Senate seat in this year’s special election.
Smith had served on the board of directors (Pos. 2) for the Northshore School District but stepped down when he announced he would be running for the senate seat — which is currently held by Sen. Dino Rossi (R-Sammamish), who was chosen to fill the position after the death of Sen. Andy Hill last fall.
As previously reported, Smith said he had purchased a travel trailer and planned to move locations in the 45th Legislative District, which includes Kirkland, Duvall, Redmond, Sammamish and Woodinville.
“After significant interactions and much reflection, I have chosen to return to my residence in Kenmore,” Smith said in a press release he issued.
In the release, he continued, saying that he changed his voter registration online on May 9.
“I wish to thank all of the people who shared their time and insights with me, especially my family and the King County GOP leaders,” he said in the release.
Smith said in the release that his interest in the senate seat “is to ensure thoughtful and responsive representation for the children and taxpayers of the Northshore School District.” The Woodinville portion of the district is in the 45th District.
“I remain convinced that the extreme partisanship in Olympia is harmful to the Northshore community as well as the entire state,” he said in the release. “Less partisanship is better for Northshore — we know that working together makes things better.”
According to the King County elections page, two people have filed to run for the 45th District senate seat so far: Jinyoung Lee Englund and Manka Dhingra.
In the release, Smith said he will not file to run for the final two years of his previous NSD board position again, which runs through 2019, as there are volunteers in the community willing to step forward for the role.
“I wish all candidates the best and thank them for engaging in public service,” he said in the release.
In addition, Smith said now that he has moved back to Kenmore, he is in NSD’s zone for Pos. 2 and is eligible to serve the remaining interim portion of his original term, through November.
“This decision is for the board to make, and I will be available if they would like for me to return,” he said.
Smith also apologized in the release for the disruptions his efforts caused.
“We live in dynamic times and all of us are seeking the best paths to support our kids and communities,” he said. “My hope is that every resident and voter in our great state will continue to stay involved in the electoral process as we seek to learn from each other and find better ways to govern.”
