Mark Mays, a Spokane psychologist and attorney, is running as a Democrat for Congress in Eastern Washington’s 5th District.

Mays informally announced his candidacy Thursday, in an e-mail and at a lunch with about a dozen potential supporters, including current and former Democratic Party officials and a previous candidate for the office.

After the luncheon, Mays described his candidacy as a chance “to bring new energy and new perspective to Eastern Washington” but declined to answer questions about any issues that may come up in the campaign. He plans to make a formal announcement of his candidacy in the coming weeks, he added.

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