Linda Kochmar is the first person out of the gate vying for 30th District State Representative Position 1 with her campaign kick-off at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Best Western Plus Evergreen Inn and Suites.

Soon we will see candidates jockeying for position on street corners with their election signs and explanations as to why they should be spotlighted with their visions of a journey that will impact all of us in the 30th District.

Running a campaign takes extraordinary dedication and drive to fulfill the anticipations of constituents. I have been a friend of Linda’s for 12 years and have seen her concern for the small business owners who struggle to survive, her desire to treat our schools as the first and highest priority of government, and her frustration over so many regulations imposed by the state.

I have seen how hard Linda works to respond to the people who contact her. She is known to be a good listener who works energetically to provide a positive response to the people who contact her. As a member of the Federal Way City Council, where she has served as mayor and deputy mayor, Linda has proven that she is a good steward of the public finances and a person who cares about the families in her community.

Linda is perceived and respected as a recognized leader with integrity who works collaboratively with other local and regional jurisdictions. This is evident with her early endorsements from the Washington Trucking Association, King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert; Don Davidson, mayor of Bellevue; John Marchione, mayor of Redmond; Pete Lewis, mayor of Auburn; Bob Sheckler, mayor of Des Moines, Jim Haggerton, mayor of Tukwila; Suzette Cooke, mayor of Kent; Dennis Law, mayor of Renton; and David Hutchinson, former mayor of Lakewood Park. Others on the list are Bill Block, project director of the Committee to End Homelessness in King County; multiple council members from other cities in King County, and many prominent citizens of Federal Way.

Linda is a person of vision who brings a great deal of experience in her campaign for the 30th District State Representative Position 1. I hope you will join me in helping Linda Kochmar reach the finish line to become our State Representative.

Maureen Hathaway, Federal Way