The 30th Legislative District precinct officers voted Carol Gregory, Richard Champion and Shari Song as their top three candidates to replace late Rep. Roger Freeman on Monday night.

Freeman was elected during the general election just six days after passing away from colon cancer.

Approximately 29 of 36 District 30 precinct officers attended the meeting at the Washington Eduction Association building to vote for the candidates in a ranked order. Out of six nominees, Gregory was chosen as their top choice, Champion as second and Song  third.

“I’m very pleased,” Gregory said after learning she was ranked first. “It’s something I really believe I want and I think there are a lot of things I’d like to accomplish around education in Olympia and this is the year to do it, so I’m very pleased.”

Other nominees included Hope Elder, Roger Flygare and Sharry Edwards, also known as Rose O’Sharon Edwards.

Because the 30th District straddles King and Pierce counties, the King and Pierce County Councils will meet together to select an appointee at a later date.

Acknowledging both Councils still have to choose one among the top three, Gregory said if she’s appointed as District 30 Representative Pos. 2, her duties as a legislator will be to ensure children aren’t negatively affected by education policy during a legislative session focused on finding those funds and that issues of transportation and economic development aren’t ignored.

“I know the legislative process,” Gregory said. “I have worked, lobbying as a teacher in Olympia. I have worked at the governor’s office and I have worked with the Legislature, supporting bills. One of the key bills that I was the lead on was the legislation against malicious harassment.”

Gregory currently sits on the Federal Way Public Schools board of education as the president.

And while she isn’t exactly sure when she’ll step down, she is “not at all worried about” the board’s direction if she does so.

“I truly believe that when you’re a leader, your job is to make sure everybody on the school board has a leadership role,” she said. “Geoffery McAnalloy is the vice chair and he’s likely to become the chair. He’s running the superintendent search right now and doing an excellent job.”

Gregory ran against former Mayor Skip Priest in 2008 and lost by a slim margin against former Rep. Katrina Asay, also the former Milton mayor.

Champion said he’s also pleased to have been voted into the top three candidates.

“The Democratic Party believes in a strong social safety net to help those in need and when my mother and father divorced, my mom, two of my brothers and I had a tough time,” he recalled during his nomination speech, noting his mother worked two jobs and brought in $650 a month. “… So we received food stamps, free school lunches and my younger brother and I went to Head Start, which is a free preschool program funded by the government for low-income families.”

Champion said without that “vital early education” he doubts he would have been able to become an engineer with a PhD.

“We in the Democratic Party believe in the right of workers to band together and bargain for better wages,” he said, adding that it was his step father’s union job that catapulted his family to the middle class.

Although 30th District Democrats Chair Tim Burns requested a note be sent to the Councils, encouraging them to pick their top choice, Champion said he doesn’t know what the Councils will do.

“I don’t know what they’re looking for,” he said. “I mean it’s a majority of Republicans that are going to be voting for this so I’ve already heard … Are they going to vote for the best candidate or the person they think who might lose [next election]?”

The Pierce County Council currently seats five Republicans and two Democrats, while the King County Council has five Democrats and four Republicans.

The candidates appointed by the Councils will serve the remaining month of Freeman’s current term, and one full year of his next term.

Song said whoever is chosen will have a long road ahead of them in the next legislative session.

“There’s some very important issues going to be fought over quite contentiously — education and transportation, so it could go to an extra long session and they could get out in June maybe,” she said, adding that the candidate will then have limited time to campaign for the next election, as they are only locked in for one year. “They are going to have a delayed start, compared to the opponent.”

Song ran for the District 30 Senate position but lost to Republican Mark Miloscia last month.

Nevertheless, she’s honored to be chosen in the top three.

“Coming fresh off the campaign, you guys have seen, I am a hard worker,” Song said, noting she worked seven days a week and raised $340,000 this year.

Song’s family immigrated from post-war Korea in the 1960s to Federal Way so that they could have more opportunities.

Song went on to graduate from college on student loans and grants before meeting her husband, living in a small house on Military Road, along with their two sons. As she worked as a realtor, she also gave her time through volunteering on the city of Federal Way’s Diversity Commission, the Korean American Coalition and the Asian Counseling and Referral Service.

Each County Council has 60 days to appoint a member to Freeman’s position from the start of his vacancy, which means they’ll need to make a decision by the end of December — just in time for the 2015 legislative session, which convenes on Jan. 12, 2015.