Rep. Ross Hunter joins race for King County executive

State Rep. Ross Hunter, D-Medina, made it official today: He's in the race for King County executive.

"It's time for King County 2.0," Hunter, a former Microsoft manager, said in a written announcement that emphasized his management experience.

"Make no mistake, this is a management job," he said in a telephone interview. "The county is trying to hire an executive. We call it an executive, not a head councilmember, because you're managing thousands of people."

Hunter, 47, joins four other prominent candidates seeking the office being vacated by Ron Sims, whose nomination for a top job in the Obama administration — as deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development was endorsed Tuesday by the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

Metropolitan King County Councilmembers Dow Constantine and Larry Phillips, former KIRO-TV news anchor Susan Hutchison and state Sen. Fred Jarrett, D-Mercer Island, also are running in the nonpartisan election.

Also running is former consultant and project manager Alan Lobdell, who, like Hutchison, has never held public office.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com