Pellicciotti challenges Kochmar for state House

The Federal Way area could be a campaign battleground for control of the Legislature for the second year in a row.

Republicans control all three seats in the 30th District after Teri Hickel won a special election in 2015.

Mike Pellicciotti, a Democrat and assistant attorney general, announced this week he is challenging second-term GOP Rep. Linda Kochmar in the 2016 election.

Pellicciotti said he has most recently worked on cases of health care fraud, managing state investigators and prosecutors. He previously served as a King County deputy prosecuting attorney and has chaired the Equal Justice Coalition that advocates for public funding for civil legal aid.

At the coalition, “Mike has shown a commitment to ensuring the legal rights of veterans, homeowners, and the most vulnerable in our community,” U.S. Rep. Denny Heck, D-Olympia, wrote in Pellicciotti’s announcement.

Both Kochmar and Pellicciotti are Federal Way residents. Kochmar served on the city council for 15 years, including as the city’s last appointed mayor before the job became an elected position.

The GOP could take over the state House by gaining two seats this year, a task that becomes more difficult if any incumbent Republicans are defeated.

This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Pellicciotti challenges Kochmar for state House."