Sterk Seeking District 4 Seat

Mark Sterk liked his little taste of Olympia and wants more.

The city police sergeant who served temporarily this spring as the state representative from the 4th District announced Friday he will seek election to the seat this fall.

The 4th District encompasses nearly all the Spokane Valley and a portion of the Hillyard area.

County commissioners in April appointed Sterk, 43, to fill out the term of former Rep. Mike Padden, who resigned after 17 years to take a District Court judgeship in Spokane.

Sterk, a Republican, is a native of the Spokane area and 21-year veteran of the Spokane Police Department. He lives in the Spokane Valley.

Sterk is a fiscal conservative who touts cutting taxes and government regulations. He also advocates stiffer penalties for criminals, including juvenile offenders.

He ran unsuccessfully for sheriff in 1994.

Mary Chey Austin, 56, a Democrat from Newman Lake, also has announced her candidacy for the seat. , DataTimes