PORT ANGELES — Mark Hodgson has announced his candidacy for Position 3 on the Port Angeles City Council.
Council member Lindsey Schromen-Wawrin, who currently holds that seat, will not be running for re-election this fall and has endorsed Hodgson.
Hodson was raised in Port Angeles, according to a press release, and is raising his two children on the Olympic Peninsula. His background includes the U.S. Navy, and he has worked as a law enforcement officer for the past 20 years.
“I will bring my knowledge and experience to our city council to ensure public safety is supported, affordable housing policies are prioritized and economic development is at the forefront of strategic planning,” Hodgson said.
Service to the nation is a tradition in Hodgson’s family, according to the press release. His grandfather served in the Army Air Corps, his parents served in the Marine Corps, and his son recently completed his enlistment in the U.S. Air Force.
“’Service before self’ is a motto I have lived by and taught to my children as a guiding principle,” he said in the press release.
Schromen-Wawrin said Hodgson is “one of the most compassionate and thoughtful people I know.”
Hodgson has volunteered with community nonprofits such as Habitat for Humanity and the Peninsula Dispute Resolution Center, as well as local governmental advisory boards such as the city’s Parks Commission, according to the press release. Hodgson currently serves on the Charter Review Commission.
“Service was central to my decision to run for city council,” Hodgson said. “Our communities are facing uncertainty like never before. In times like these, we need people who care deeply about our community to stand up and make sure we have a safe place to live, good-paying jobs and opportunities to thrive.”
“As your next city council member, I will apply that motto to show up for our community as difficult decisions are made, keeping our focus on issues of local importance and never backing down from doing what is right,” he said.
Schromen-Wawrin, who will be finishing his eighth year on city council, said he decided not to seek re-election for many reasons, chief among them being able to focus on his day job, where he works with people in rural western Washington to advocate for and create just economic policies that benefit all.
“Stop while it’s fun,” Schromen-Wawrin joked, noting in a newsletter that “our city will be lucky to have his (Hodgson’s) service on council.”
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
