Foster-parent activist Daryl Daugs running for 35th district

• Published October 08, 2007

Foster-care activist Daryl Daugs of Bremerton said today he’s jumping into the race for state Rep. William “Ike” Eickmeyer’s seat in the 35th Legislative District.

Daugs is the second Democrat and third person overall to announce his run in 2008 for the seat Eickmeyer plans to leave after completing his present term. He described himself as a former businessman who works as lead organizer for the foster-parent division of the Washington Federation of State Employees.

Eickmeyer had focused on improving water quality in Hood Canal and on some business-development efforts. Daugs said voters won’t see much that is different from Eickmeyer’s record, except that he will focus more on the state Department of Social and Health Services handling of foster care and child safety.

“I think initially that is going to be a significant portion of what I talk about. Overall my focus really is on giving working families a louder voice. And a key element of that is going to be suggestions for reform in DSHS,’’ Daugs said in a telephone interview this morning.

He said his top three issues will be “support for concerns of working families, helping create a clean environment and working to protect children.’’

Daugs, 45, said he has a track record of helping families and noted that he and his wife, Leslie, have been foster parents.

Democrat Fred Finn of Thurston County announced in August he is running and he has Eickmeyer’s early endorsement. Finn, 61, served on the Griffin School Board and owns a small business.

Republican Herb Baze, a Shelton Republican and former Mason County commissioner, also is running. Baze, 57, is a Shelton-based realty agent with a background in several enterprises including building homes.

Daugs said the campaign won’t really get under way until after January. “But I have heard there are potentially eight Democrats looking at getting into the race,” he said.