Mary ‘Chey’ Austin

Personal: Age 56 … born in Wisconsin, but lived in Spokane area for past 50 years … works as an administrative coordinator in the blood bank at Sacred Heart Medical Center … married … six children, 15 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Education: Studied philosophy, religion and hotel-motel management at several colleges, including Gonzaga University, Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. and the University of Montana … no college degree.

Finances: Plans to spend about $5,000 in the primary. As of Sept. 5, she had raised $3,930, including donations of $500 each from the Washington state Labor Council, the Washington state Democratic Central Committee and the United Steelworkers Legislative Coordinating Fund.

Issues: .. Believes education is the key to curbing crime … .. wants vocational-technical high schools for children who don’t plan to go to college … thinks there’s a need for harsher penalties for juveniles caught breaking the law.

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