Washington State Sen. Mark Mullet announces bid for governor

Washington State Sen. Mark Mullet, a Democrat from Issaquah, announced Thursday he is running for governor.

“I’m running for governor because I know our state can stay true to its progressive values and make it easier for the middle class to thrive,” Mullet said in a news release. “I’ll stay focused on the challenges and opportunities of everyday Washingtonians, not the extremes. I’m excited to visit every part of this state, to listen, and to lead as your next governor for the State of Washington.”

Mullet also released a video for his campaign Thursday.

The moderate Democrat, who currently is vice chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, has been in office since 2013. He spent over a decade working for Bank of America as an executive prior to his time in the Legislature. He currently owns a pizza restaurant and three ice cream shops, according to the news release.

Mullet has six children attending public school and his wife teaches elementary school, so he said in his news release that his focus will be on “education issues, including working toward retaining teachers and expanding access to preschool.”

Additional priorities will be affordable housing, “a commitment to safer streets and neighborhoods,” and combating climate change, according to his announcement.

“There is no candidate for governor at this point focused on the biggest challenges facing our state, including affordable housing, reducing homelessness, creating jobs and making neighborhoods safe,” Mullet said. “Too many families can’t afford, even on good salaries, the rising cost of living. Too many families are worried about the direction of public safety in our state, which is why we need different leadership in Olympia.”

The news comes weeks after Gov. Jay Inslee, who has been in office since 2013, announced that he would not seek re-election.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson and Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz are among the Democrats who already have announced their run for the governor’s seat. Republicans Semi Bird from Tri-Cities and Dr. Raul Garcia from Yakima also are running for the governorship.

In a news release sent out Thursday, Ferguson’s campaign criticized Mullet for his opposition to abortion-related protections that were heavily touted by state Democrats this year, his attempt to limit the state minimum wage in 2016, and his campaign contributors from large corporations.