Meeting in two joint sessions in one day, the Pierce County Council teamed up with officials from neighboring counties to appoint Jesse Young and Graham Hunt to vacant positions in the Washington State House of Representatives on Friday, Jan. 17.

“Filling legislative vacancies is an important responsibility for county leaders,” said Pierce County Council Chairman Dan Roach (District 1). “Jesse Young and Graham Hunt are outstanding individuals and will serve their communities and the state of Washington well. I look forward to working with them.”

During a meeting in Gig Harbor, Young was appointed by the seven Pierce County Councilmembers and three Kitsap County Commissioners to fill a seat representing the 26th legislative district. Young, a business technology consultant from Gig Harbor, was one of three nominees submitted by the Washington State Republican Party to succeed former Rep. Jan Angel, who was elected to the state Senate in November. The other nominees were Adam Berman and Doug Cloud, both of Gig Harbor.

“There were three qualified candidates who prepared well for today’s forum and we heard lots of testimony on behalf of them, and most were in favor of Jesse Young,” said Commissioner Charlotte Garrido, chair of the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners. “I look forward to working with him as a representative.”

After the meeting, the Pierce County Councilmembers traveled across the county to meet with their three Thurston County counterparts in DuPont. The group selected Hunt, an Orting City Councilman and owner of an insurance agency, for the 2nd legislative district seat formerly held by Rep. Gary Alexander. The other two GOP nominees were Matt Hamilton of Graham and Andrew Barkis of Olympia.

Young and Hunt will be sworn in during a special ceremony at the state Legislature, which just convened its 2014 session this week. Their appointments last through November, when the seats will be on the ballot again.