Bud Sizemore, a Kent firefighter and former Covington city council member, has announced that he will run for 47th Legislative District.
The state House seat, Position No. 1, is currently held by Rep. Mark Hargrove, R-Covington, who was elected to the position in 2010. Sizemore listed a number of reasons why he chose to run against Hargrove. The main one he emphasized, though, was the hyper-partisanship which he blamed for the repeated special sessions.
“I’ve been serving people for my 18-plus years at the fire department,” the 46-year-old said in a telephone interview. “And at this time I believe that we need help. We need help at the state legislature, somebody that can improve the lives of middle class, working families. I don’t believe that is happening with my opponent.”
In addition to the Kent Fire Department, Sizemore also served on the Covington City Council, which included a stint as Mayor Pro Tempore or deputy mayor as selected by his fellow council members.
“I loved it,” he said. “It was an opportunity to work with some talented folks and in city government and with city staff that were very passionate and committed to serving the citizens, as well as city council members that were committed as well. And (I loved) to have that interaction with the public, with the citizens that I just enjoyed being able to listen, evaluate, listen to multiple sides of the argument, what they want their city to be like, and I believe I can bring that same thing to Olympia.”
These public roles, he said, have given him a unique insight into how cuts impact cities at a street level, which he says gets lost in Olympia.
“There are not enough folks that understand public safety and what it takes to provide the citizens with public safety that they want,” he said. “On the city council we found ways to increase patrol presence in the community. Olympia needs someone else who comes from the streets, who comes with experience of actually delivering those services, working closely with law enforcement folks delivering those services, to be able to take that experience to Olympia and ensure that we’re able to accomplish that at a state level.”
At the moment, the state legislature is in special session in an attempt to work out a biennial budget. Sizemore said his main emphasis is to protect public safety programs and public education from being cut. He also stated that more cooperation is needed.
“I think people need to be trying to solve problems and work cooperatively rather than so much partisanship that is going on today…I think there should be less of that,” Sizemore said. “We can accomplish the services that our citizens want and not make it a partisan issue all the time.”
Sizemore stated that the state should not make cuts during a recession.
“I certainly think there are some tax loopholes, some tax preferences that are on the books from many years that may have never had the intended effect,” he said. “Each and every one of those needs to be evaluated. Some of them are great. A senior property tax exemption is a very smart policy. Big corporate banks getting a break, I don’t see that as being smart public policy.”
Although there are issues which the parties aren’t always going to agree on, Sizemore said, there are certain issues which shouldn’t be fought over.
“There are some entrenched positions,” he said. “The budgets are going to be partisan issues, and I understand that, but the values of Washington are not well served right now by not having a decision.”
Hargrove, he said, isn’t willing to compromise when it is needed.
“He’s a very nice man,” he said. “I just think his partisanship is kind of tied to issues that don’t serve the citizens of the 47th District well. If you look at his voting record, he’s not very likely to cross over in a bipartisan position.”
