Federal Way Councilman Martin Moore to run for state House as Republican | Update

Published 11:05 am Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Federal Way Councilman Martin Moore announced today that he will run as a Republican for the 30th Legislative District House of Representatives, Position 2, this November.

Gov. Jay Inslee recently appointed Rep. Carol Gregory to fulfill this position after Pierce and King county councils couldn’t agree on a candidate.

The position was vacated after late Rep. Roger Freeman passed away six days before winning the November 2014 election.

Moore, a former Democrat, served as Freeman’s legislative assistant and advisor during his time in office.

“I think the Democrats have become intolerant of ideas they may differ on,” Moore said in an interview. “Our district is a very unique district. It’s almost to the point that it’s independent.”

Moore said the 30th District needs bipartisan leaders and votes, which he plans on providing if elected.

“I became a Republican because they are a party of reforms, a party of putting people first and getting things done,” he said.

But what would Freeman, a former Democrat, think?

While 30th District Democrats Chair Tim Burns doesn’t think he would approve, Moore believes Freeman is “smiling” at Moore’s decision.

“Roger was a very unique, special type of leader,” Moore said. “Yes, he was Democrat, but at times he was bold enough and had the courage and spend time with our leaders in the Republican Caucus and he understood how we could all come together and respect one another and work together for the betterment of our youth and that’s what I’m going to do in Olympia.”

Moore said Freeman looked at people’s hearts.

“I bet you anything he’s smiling and I’m taking Roger along this journey with me,” he said. “I think he’s excited.”

Having worked with Freeman so closely, Moore said Freeman knew of his desire to run for the Legislature and expected Moore would be asking for advice or help in the future.

“You’re going to be hearing people calling me an opportunist,” Moore said. “But that’s OK because my plan was to have Roger here … but that’s not what God’s plan was.”

Some of Moore’s Republican-lined ideologies include restoring people’s trust in projects that have been mismanaged, such as the Big Bertha project, and decreasing college tuition.

“That’s an issue for me because I taught an AVID (Advancing Via Individual Determination) class and here I am teaching students who are low to middle income and I’m thinking they can’t afford college,” he said. “We owe it to them to tell them there’s an opportunity. I don’t want to make college only be for the rich.”

Sen. Mark Miloscia, also a former Democrat who was recently elected as a Republican, said he will work with Moore as he runs for office.

“I’ve known Martin since he was a 17-year-old civic-minded high school student,” Miloscia said in a news release. “He has had a passion for giving back to his community since the day we met. He is a unique leader that cares more about what gets done, not who gets credit for it. As a city Council member, he has led on building the Performing Arts and Conference Center, fought to end homelessness and has been a fierce advocate for small businesses. He will be a very valuable member in the State House of Representatives.”

However, Moore does side with legislators on Washington’s version of the DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act, a law that allows undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children to apply for state grants for college.

Moore, an immigrant himself, said he believes his story resonates with “the countless students and families who have come from another country” to Federal Way.

Moore was adopted at 8 years old after having grown up in orphanages in Sofia, Bulgaria.

He said it was much different living in a family of four as opposed to a “family of 30-40 children” in the orphanages.

After arriving in Federal Way, he learned English at Adelaide Elementary, graduated from Decatur High School in 2003 and earned a degree in political science from Saint Martin’s University. Moore then worked to prepare disadvantaged students for college as a member of AmeriCorps and served seven years on the Parks Commission before being elected to the Federal Way City Council in 2013 at the age of 29.

“I am humbled and grateful the people have entrusted me with that,” Moore said about his time on the Council.

Moore’s Council term expires in 2017, however, if elected, Moore will focus his time on the citizens of the 30th District and resign as a Councilman.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to have the chance to listen to people and create solutions out of those issues and stories that people have,” he said. “That’s the most exciting part of public service.”

Gregory said it is part of the Democratic process for people to run for office and “that’s fine,” in response to her reaction to Moore’s announcement.

“I came down here to do some specific things surrounding education an I intend to work as hard as I can but if I feel it hasn’t been finalized, I may decide to run again, too,” she said. “If we can get everything done this session, I might not.”

Gregory said when Moore was a Democrat, the two were friends and went door belling together.

“I don’t think this should get in the way of friendship,” she said. “This is fine. I clearly knew there would be an opponent, I just didn’t know who.”