Web site: www.djsomers.com

DOB: 3/8/53
Occupation: Policy analyst
Education: B.S., fisheries; M.S., forestry, University of Washington

Family/personal: Wife, Elaine. Former tuba player, bass drum player, and drum major of the Husky Marching Band; marched in the 1978 Rose Bowl. Have worked professionally for 28 years on salmon protection and recovery.

Political offices held: Snohomish County Council, 1998-2001 and council chairman, 2001; Highland Water District Commissioner, 2002-present; former chairman of Puget Sound Clean Air Agency; former chairman of Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) Growth Management Committee; former board member of PSRC; former member of state Forest Practices Board; former member of Shoreline Hearings Board and Washington state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council; former member of National Association of Counties Sustainability Task Force.

Public service/volunteer experience: Former president, Husky Band Alumni Association; former board member, Monroe YWCA; church choir, 1973-2003; prison ministry, 1998-2000; Choir of the Sound, 1995-1999.

What two issues concern you most in the race? Traffic/growth. I believe we need to have a transportation plan and funding in place before we allow new development to choke existing congested roads. New development needs to pay its share of transportation costs so the taxpayers don't get stuck with the whole bill. We need to pick our top-priority projects, fully fund them, and finish them. We must stop the peanut butter approach, trying to make everyone happy but spreading the available funding too thin. Four years ago, my opponent totally misrepresented my record of accomplishment on regional transportation issues. Things have gotten worse, not better since then. Drugs/meth and public safety. We have a crisis in many parts of Snohomish County. I added 45 new deputies during my term on the County Council, more than my successor who promised to make public safety his top priority. He killed funding in 2003 for a new Drug Strike Team because it was proposed by Democrat County Executive Bob Drewel. I will work with Democrats and Republicans to make sure our Sheriff's department has the funding and tools it needs to address the growing drug problem.