Summary

The King County and Snohomish County councils have selected Derek Stanford to serve as the new State Senator in Legislative District 1. Because Stanford was serving in the State House of Representatives, he resigned that post, creating an immediate vacancy in that body. The councils then chose Davina Duerr to fill the open House seat.

Story

The King County and Snohomish County councils have selected Derek Stanford to serve as the new State Senator in Legislative District 1. Because Stanford was serving in the State House of Representatives, he resigned that post, creating an immediate vacancy in that body. The councils then chose Davina Duerr to fill the open House seat.

The councils took joint action as the legislative bodies for this multi-county district, which includes parts of Bothell, Kirkland, and Mountlake Terrace. Both Stanford and Duerr were sworn into office at the Bothell City Council Chambers earlier today, and the appointments are effective immediately.

Derek Stanford has served as State Representative for Washington’s 1^st Legislative District since 2011, is Chair of the Commerce and Gaming Committee, and a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Consumer Protection and Business Committee, among others. He runs a local data science consulting business and is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Stanford is a resident of Bothell.

Davina Duerr has served as Councilmember and Deputy Mayor of Bothell since 2016 and sits on the Human Services and Capital Facilities Plan Committees, with accomplishments in preserving open space and planning for affordable housing. She is a member of the Sound Cities Association Board of Directors, the Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation Policy Board, and the WSDOT Executive Advisory Group. She is a former Chair of the Bothell Landmark Preservation Board, a former vice president of the Northshore Schools Foundation, and is a senior architect at a local architecture and design firm. Duerr is a resident of Bothell.

Pursuant to the appointment process required by the state constitution, for each vacancy, the councils chose from a slate of three candidates submitted by Democratic precinct committee officers in the district and approved by the Washington State Democratic Party. The other nominees for the Senate seat were Hillary Moralez and Linda Tosti-Lane. Hillary Moralez and Darshan Rauniyar were the other nominees for the House seat. All six nominees were interviewed by the members of the councils before Stanford and Duerr were selected. 

The Senate vacancy was created when former Sen. Guy Palumbo resigned in late May to take a job in the private sector. Stanford will serve out the remainder of Palumbo’s term, which ends in 2020. Duerr will serve the remainder of Stanford’s term in the House, which ends in 2021.

QUOTES:

"I appreciate the unanimous vote of the Councils in appointing me to the Senate, and I am ready to work for the people of the 1st District." –Sen. Derek Stanford

“The King and Snohomish County Councils had a difficult choice to make with strong candidates to consider. It is an honor to have been chosen for the State House appointment, and it will be a privilege to serve the people of the 1st Legislative District. I am thrilled to expand my public service to the state level. I can't wait to get to work.” –Rep. Davina Duerr 

“We had great candidates to choose from. Congratulations to Derek Stanford for his appointment as our new State Senator and to Davina Duerr for her appointment as our new State Representative in the 1^st Legislative District. We look forward to working with them!” – Snohomish County Council Chair Terry Ryan 

“Congratulations to Senator Stanford and Representative Duerr on their respective appointments today. I was proud to bring the joint County Council meeting to the First District to make these appointments in the community, and look forward to continuing to work with Derek and Davina in their new capacities to serve our shared constituents.” – King County Council Chair Rod Dembowski 

“I want to extend my thanks to the 1^st Legislative District Democrats for conducting a fair and open process, and for sending an outstanding set of candidates for these legislative appointments. Congratulations to Senator Stanford and Representative Duerr for standing out in such a competitive field. Both are proven, effective leaders with a history of accomplishment within the district already. We are very fortunate to have their leadership representing King and Snohomish counties in the state legislature.” – King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci 

“I am thrilled that the people of the 1st Legislative District are going to be represented by these two wonderful public servants. Senator Stanford has been a great colleague and he has deep roots in the community. I’m sure he will continue to serve us well, as he has since 2010. Representative Duerr has been a critical regional partner for me over my term, and she was instrumental in our recent success to obtain $640 million in funding for I-405 in Bothell. Their appointment was a great choice by the PCOs and the County Councils.” – Former Sen. Guy Palumbo