Mirror staff reports:
The Federal Way Mirror and Federal Way Chamber will host a general election forum for District 30 candidates.
The forum runs 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, at the Federal Way High School Little Theater, located at Pacific Highway South and South 308th Street.
The evening will be divided between two races for the state Legislature.
The top two candidates in the August primary election advanced to the general election in November.
In the five-candidate primary race for state representative position 1, Linda Kochmar (26.41 percent) and Roger Flygare (25.78 percent) finished first and second. Their debate runs 5 to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 9.
In the three-candidate race for state representative position 2, Katrina Asay (48.54 percent) and Roger Freeman (32.74 percent) advanced to the November election. Their debate runs 6:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 9.
Debate rules
The audience may submit questions, which will be collected at the beginning of each debate. The moderator will ask as many questions as possible.
Each candidate will have a three-minute opening statement, three-minute closing statement, and one minute to answer each question.
About the candidates
• Linda Kochmar, a Republican: Kochmar has served on the Federal Way City Council since 1997, including stints as mayor, deputy mayor and chairwoman of multiple committees. Kochmar is a risk manager at Lakehaven Utility District, where she has worked 33 years. Kochmar said her regional connections are a strong asset.
• Roger Flygare, a Democrat: Flygare owns a small court reporting business. He has worked with state lawmakers to pass bills related to the court reporting profession, such as license requirements and protection of job performance. Flygare said his experience owning a small business sets him apart.
• Katrina Asay, a Republican: Asay is the incumbent and a former mayor of Milton. Asay was elected to the state representative seat vacated by Skip Priest, who became Federal Way’s first elected mayor in 2010. Asay has helped pass tougher legislation related to illegal cash for gold sales.
• Roger Freeman, a Democrat: Freeman, an attorney for 17 years who works with parents dealing with Child Protective Services, was elected to the Federal Way City Council in 2009. His most notable accomplishment since taking office is reviving the city’s annual Martin Luther King Celebration. Freeman said his top priorities are funding education and creating jobs.
Primary election FYI
For the Aug. 7 primary election, King County Elections reports that 21,212 ballots were returned out of a total of 60,559 ballots issued to registered voters in District 30. Note that District 30 contains portions of Milton and Pacific in Pierce County (see a map).
According to the Secretary of State’s office, Linda Kochmar finished first in Pierce County with 296 votes and Thom Macfarlane finished second with 257 votes.
General election ballots
King County Elections will mail ballots to voters approximately three weeks before the Nov. 6 general election.
This is an all-mail election. A drop-off box for ballots is located on 33325 8th Ave. S. near City Hall (no postage required). Ballots can also be returned via standard mail with a first-class stamp. Ballots must be postmarked by Nov. 6, or submitted to a dropbox by 8 p.m. Nov. 6.
Learn more at www.kingcounty.gov/elections.
Congressional debate canceled
A debate for Congressional District 9 between Adam Smith (D) and James Postma (R), originally scheduled for Oct. 10, has been canceled. Click here to learn more about the candidates in this race.
