Kenmore Mayor David Baker announced he is joining the race for State Senate in the 32nd District. Incumbent senator Darlene Fairley said last month that she will not seek another term. The 66-year-old businessman, who has served on the Kenmore City Council since 2004, will file as a Republican for the seat.

“I’m proud of the work I’ve done in Kenmore to move the city forward in positive ways without raising any taxes. I believe in fiscal prudence, and we’ve been able to make significant investments in our city’s future without hitting up the taxpayers for more money,” said Baker.

He continued, “I know our leaders in the state capitol can do better. I’m ready to take my experience in budgeting and priority setting to Olympia. State government seems stuck in the same old boom-and-bust cycle, always spending too much when times are good and making severe cuts later. It doesn’t have to be that way.”

Baker and his wife, Sheri, have lived in Kenmore since 1995 and have three children. He is the owner Vision Systems Engineering, which specializes in machine vision and robotic systems. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Nebraska and a Ph.D. in neuroanatomy from Iowa State University.

Said Baker, “I’m excited to get out into the neighborhoods and meet as many voters as I can. My message is simple: state government has enough money to fund the programs, like our K-12 system, that are most important to us. We just need legislative leaders willing to write a sustainable state budget that doesn’t raise taxes.”