State Rep. Brad Hawkins (R-East Wenatchee), whose 12th District constituency includes the Methow Valley, has announced that he will run for the state senate seat currently held by Sen. Linda Evans Parlette.
Parlette announced last week that she will not seek re-election this year.
“The combination of my educational background, work experience and public service uniquely qualifies me to serve as our next senator, and I would be very honored if voters elect me to serve,” Hawkins said in a news release.
Jon Wyss of Brewster has also announced that he will seek to fill the seat that Parlette is vacating. Wyss works for Gebbers Farms as an analyst and government affairs director.
Hawkins, 40, was raised in the 12th District. He has a master’s degree in public administration from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and a bachelor’s degree in English education from Central Washington University.
Hawkins’ 14 years of elected experience include the last four years as a state representative and the previous 10 years on the Eastmont School Board and the North Central Educational Service District Board.
“This is a very special public service opportunity that does not open often,” Hawkins said in the news release. “The position itself will never define who I am because I will always be a husband and father first, but professionally speaking, it’s my dream job.”
Hawkins has also worked for 15 years for the Douglas County Public Utility District. He and his wife, Shawna, live in East Wenatchee and have two sons, ages 6 and 8.
Parlette, R-Wenatchee, was elected to the House of Representatives in 1996 and served a pair of two-year terms. She won election to the Senate in 2000.
