The following is a release from the Claudia Balducci campaign:

Bellevue Mayor Claudia Balducci, a Sound Transit Board member and former director of the King County Jails, officially filed for the King County Council to represent District 6. The seat is currently held by two-decade incumbent Jane Hague.

Balducci has raised over $65,000 and is building support from across the Eastside.  Her list of endorsers includes Bellevue Firefighters, King County Labor Council, and the King County Democrats. They join Eastside leaders who have already endorsed Balducci including Congressman Adam Smith, State Senator Cyrus Habib, State Rep. and former Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride, State Rep. and former Mercer Island Councilmember Tana Senn, State Rep. Judy Clibborn, and former State Rep. Marcie Maxwell, Bellevue Councilmembers Lynne Robinson and John Stokes, and former Bellevue Mayor Connie Marshall.

“I am honored to have such a great show of support for this campaign,” Balducci said.  “The Eastside has changed and grown tremendously in the past 20 years.  We need new leadership to focus on our shared opportunities and challenges.  As a Mayor and a mom, a transit leader and a former public safety official, I’ll put my experience to work at the County Council for all of us.”

Balducci led Bellevue through contentious land use and transportation planning efforts to bring light rail to the Eastside as a Bellevue Councilmember and now Mayor.  That work earned a major victory last month when the City of Bellevue approved the Sound Transit East Link Rail agreement, allowing light rail construction to officially begin.

Balducci has also been a leader in building regional relationships, serving as the Chair of the four-county Puget Sound Regional Council’s Transportation Policy Board, and helping to build closer relationships among the cities of the eastside.  Her leadership was instrumental in securing a major public commitment to fund the Tateuchi Center, which will help to fulfill a long-time vision to build a regional performing arts center on the eastside.

In addition to her accomplishments here at home, Balducci served previously as the Director of King County Jails. In that role she helped to preserve public safety and streamlined spending to address revenue shortfalls after the recession, maintaining needed staffing levels while improving safety and conditions for the mentally ill.

Balducci lives in the Lake Hills neighborhood with her husband and 9 year-old son, a student at Puesta Del Sol Elementary School.  In addition to the Bellevue City Council and Sound Transit, she has served on the boards of the Puget Sound Regional Council, Eastside Transportation Partnership, Bellevue’s Wraparound Services Program, and Youth Link.

For more information, please visit www.ClaudiaBalducci.com.