Former State Rep. Mark Miloscia announced today that he is running for State Senate in the 30th Legislative District, as a Republican, against Democratic Sen. Tracey Eide.

“The hard-working people in the 30th District deserve a Senator who will work to make government efficient and accountable, from local classrooms to big government agencies,” said Miloscia, 55, in a press release. “I voted against unnecessary tax increases and bloated budgets when I was in the Legislature and will continue to ensure taxpayer money is not wasted.”

Miloscia served seven terms in the State House, including chair of the Housing Committee and chair of the Audit Review and Government Oversight Committee, where he led efforts to improve government efficiency and accountability.

He also worked as a substitute teacher for both the Federal Way Public Schools and the Seattle Catholic Archdiocese when the Legislature was not in session.

The Federal Way resident said he wanted to continue to help the local community through service in the Legislature.

“In the Legislature, I helped the homeless, protected taxpayers, initiated performance audits, and worked to address the unfair funding gap Federal Way schools face.”

“Senator Eide and I have very different voting records,” Miloscia said. “I opposed reckless spending and tax increases while Senator Eide supported them. I supported innovative approaches to improving our schools, while Senator Eide opposed them and cut funding.”

“I’ve spent my entire career making government more accountable and improving education. In the Air Force, I audited billion dollar contracts to prevent waste and abuse. I took the same approach to taxpayer dollars while in the Legislature. I will not vote to see taxpayer dollars wasted or ineffective programs continued. I worked as a teacher and pushed in the Legislature to improve schools.”

Miloscia will focus his campaign on talking directly one-to-one with voters.

“I plan to knock on 20,000 doors and meet as many people as I can. It’s amazing what you learn when you take the time to listen. Schools, jobs, and public safety are certainly the most important issues for most folks. I will listen, work exceptionally hard in Olympia, and fight to have a state government that shares our values and goals,” Miloscia said.

Miloscia, who received more than 59 percent of the vote in 2006, 2008, and 2010, said he switched parties only after months of careful consideration.

“The most important thing is to independently represent your district and not to follow orders from the party bosses or special interests,” Miloscia said. “I would not vote to make it easier to raise taxes when the district voted repeatedly for a two-thirds majority requirement.”

“Today, it’s the Republican Party that offers a big tent, welcoming different views, from moderates like Secretary of State Kim Wyman and Senator Steve Litzow, to conservatives in Eastern Washington,” Miloscia said. “Washington State Republicans don’t insist that everyone believe and vote exactly the same way to run for office.”

Miloscia also noted that other Federal Way elected officials have switched parties.

“Our area votes for the best person, not the party,” Miloscia said. “They want someone who will stand up for jobs, for schools, for working people, and for the least among us, regardless of party.”

He is endorsed by 30th District State Rep. Linda Kochmar, former state Sen. Dino Rossi, state Sen. Bruce Dammeier, State Republican Party chair Susan Hutchison, and King County Republican chair Lori Sotelo.

“Mark has the experience and deep understanding of our community to make an outstanding state Senator.  He has a sterling record helping low-income families get ahead and protecting the most needy,” Kochmar said in the press release.

Bruce Dammeier said, “I’ve worked with Mark and know he will be an exceptional addition to the Majority Caucus in the state Senate. Everyone in Olympia has seen Mark’s concern for our public schools and dedication to making the government run more efficiently. He is a person of proven character who works hard for his community. I have no doubt he will be able to bring people together working for practical solutions to the problems faced by our communities in the years ahead.”

Miloscia was first elected in 1995 as a commissioner to Lakehaven Utility District, Washington state’s largest public water and sewer district, and then as a state representative in 1998.

His model legislation to reduce homelessness in Washington state earned him numerous awards from state housing organizations in addition to the national “Home for Every American” Award from the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Other significant accomplishments include graduating from the John F. Kennedy School of Government State and Local Government’s Leadership Program at Harvard University and becoming the first elected official in the nation to be accepted as a National Examiner for the U.S. Dept of Commerce’s Baldrige Performance Excellence Program, whose mission is to improve the competitiveness and performance of U.S. organizations.

Miloscia is an Air Force Academy graduate with a degree in engineering, a former B-52 pilot, and received an MBA from the University of North Dakota. His children attended public schools in Federal Way.

Miloscia and his wife, Meschell, live in Federal Way. They have three children, Elizabeth, Scott, and Brian, son-in-law John, daughter-in-law Minyoung Lee and six grandsons, Austin, Jackson, Carson, Lincoln, Jefferson and Trenton.

Miloscia represented the 30th Legislative District from 1999 to 2012.