Jonathon Dunn, D-Lake Tapps, announced he will switch his campaign from the Senate to the House seat that will be vacated by Cathy Dahlquist, R-Enumclaw.
Dahlquist announced yesterday, April 1, she will run for the Senate seat currently occupied by Sen. Pam Roach, R-Auburn.
The following is a press release from the Dunn campaign:
Following the recent political shuffle, former State Senate candidate Jonathon Dunn (D—Lake Tapps) announced that he will switch positions to run for the open House seat in the 31st Legislative District.
Dunn, a father of two, served in the U.S. Army in a position of high-level leadership in operations at an army hospital. He served until the end of 2012 before beginning his current job working in the medical biotechnology industry offering consulting services to various hospitals and clinics across the Northwest.
“I’m running for the legislature because we need more independent voices who understand the struggles of hard working local families,” said Dunn. “The legislature has some big obligations in front of it and we need leaders who can work across the aisle to find real solutions to education, transportation and social service funding while making sure we can make government more accountable and efficient.”
Dunn, who grew up in the foster care system from the age of four, is running on a platform that includes increased funding for foster support services and a prioritization of school funding in budgeting decisions. Dunn recently gained permanent custody of his two teenage siblings and serves on the board of the nonprofits Quantum Leap Educational Foundation based in Kent.
“Growing up in foster care I know first hand the difference a good education and teachers can play in the development of a child,” said Dunn. “It’s time for the state to step up and meet its constitutional obligation to our schools which means finding dedicated funding, closing tax loopholes for big out-of-state corporations and broadening out tax base by incentivizing businesses to move to our region.”
Committed to community service, Dunn serves on the board of Exodus Housing assisting domestic violence victims, enjoys serving meals with his son at the Outdoor Meal Site with AOK Friends and volunteering at the Auburn Valley Humane Society.
Dunn earned a graduate certificate in Health Sciences from the Army through a partnership with George Washington University. He and his wife Kimberly live in the Lake Tapps area with their two children, his adopted siblings, and their dog, rabbit, and eight chickens.
The 31st Legislative District spans portions of unincorporated King and Pierce County including the cities of Auburn, Sumner, Lake Tapps, Prarie Ridge, Bonney Lake, Buckley and Enumclaw.
