The seat currently is held by Fred Finn, a Democrat, although Finn has indicated that he will not seek re-election next year. Also seeking elected office for the same seat are Glenn H. Gaither, an independent, and Drew C. Macewen, a Republican, according to state Public Disclosure Commission data.
Davis formally announced his candidacy Tuesday and has two weeks from that date to register with the PDC, spokeswoman Lori Anderson said.
Davis, 43, who lives in rural Thurston County and works as a longshoreman at the Port of Longview and other Western Washington ports, said he will remain a Port of Olympia commissioner through his campaign.
He is a member of ILWU, Local 21.
“If I do get elected, I’ll look at the lay of the land at that time,” Davis said about his role as a port commissioner. He represents the 3rd district for the Port of Olympia and has served on the commission for nearly two years.
The 35th district serves Mason County and parts of west Thurston, Grays Harbor and Kitsap counties.
Davis said he has been thinking of running for the seat since about May. As part of that decision-making process, he first inquired about whether other potential candidates were running and when none expressed interest, Davis finally decided he was in the race.
“I thought I could do a good job in representing the interests of the 35th district,” he said.
A key issue for Davis is the economy and how to entice businesses to grow and develop here. He said port districts have done a good job at economic development, but thinks the state Legislature could do more.
“We have to get back to finding ways to bring jobs into the state, and I think we can do it on a local level successfully,” Davis said.
In addition to being a longshoreman, Davis also has owned a property management company and has served as a credit union trustee, a school board member and a county planning commissioner.
So far Davis has received more than $11,000 in campaign pledges, according to a news release. Gaither has yet to raise any funds for his campaign and Macewen has raised about $1,200, PDC data show.
Rolf Boone: 360-754-5403 rboone@theolympian.com www.theolympian.com/bizblog
