Written by 
I am delighted to report that my good friend and council colleague Denis Law will be challenging the mayor in next year’s election.
Denis has a stunning record of community and business achievements, and he has been a joy to work with as a councilman. I proudly supported his candidacy four years ago when he first ran for council, and I have been encouraging him to go for the mayor role through much of the last year.
He has successfully managed many small businesses, and most Renton citizens are familiar with his work. He has founded and run several award winning newspapers, and has recently started a new Renton magazine that is getting rave reviews.
As a councilman, Denis has been a consistent source of wisdom and guidance. He has a steady devotion to keeping people of all backgrounds and perspectives working together, a quality which has been important during the last year and an inspiration to those of us who know him well.
Denis knew that I had seriously contemplated a possible rematch with the mayor myself, and he was completely gracious in the way he approached this possibility with me. Had I chosen to run, he would have aggressively supported me.
But Denis is the right candidate right now. He is expertly skilled for the job, he has the time to field a winning campaign, and he’s at an excellent career stage to serve as mayor.
I studied for years to become an airplane designer, and I have been having a great time making planes and proving them safe. By the election, I’ll have 23 years behind me at Boeing, with less than ten to go to early retirement. And I’ll still have two kids in college, and two in grade school; so I want to stay on this track for a while longer.
I’ll also achieve the rank of being the city’s most experienced council member when councilwoman Toni Nelson retires next year. This will allow me ample opportunity to influence the direction of our city and contribute my ideas to our shared future.
I want to thank the many people who have been encouraging me to run for mayor again; your support and confidence mean so much to me. It’s been heartwarming to hear from so many of you, especially during this last year.
I ask everyone to now join with me and my council colleagues Don Person and Marcie Palmer and past councilman King Parker, along with former Mayor Jesse Tanner, many Renton School District leaders, and countless dedicated and hardworking members of our community in supporting Renton’s beloved and respected Denis Law for Mayor of Renton 2007.
Sincerely,
Randy Corman
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 20th, 2006
For more information:
Barbara Chadwick
425.572.0854
chadwickCMS@comcast.net
Renton City Council Member Denis Law to Run for Mayor
Community Leaders form unified support for Denis Law for Mayor
City Council member Denis Law announced his bid for the Mayor’s seat this week, citing the need to move Renton in a different direction in his decision to challenge incumbent Kathy Keolker. He has early support from dozens of community leaders, including members of business and labor groups, and women leaders who were expected to support Keolker.
“Denis has proven himself to be a very effective member of the council, and his efforts to support local business and improve neighborhoods is very impressive”, said recently retired school superintendent, Dolores Gibbons. “It’s become evident that we need a change, and there is no doubt that Denis is the right person to do a better job leading Renton.”
“I’ve become more and more concerned over the direction we’re moving in, and too many people have approached me with the same concerns”, Law said. “Renton is at a point where we need to be very careful about the choices we make and the leadership we elect, and I think we need a change.”
Early endorsements include former mayor Jesse Tanner, city council President Randy Corman, council members Don Persson and Marcie Palmer, former school superintendent Dr. Dolores Gibbons, Renton Technical College President Don Bressler, school board members Marcie Maxwell, Al Talley, and Lynn Desmarais, and former city councilman King Parker.
“We need a change in leadership”, said former Mayor Jesse Tanner. “It takes real vision to lead this city, and if it was up to me, I would definitely pick Denis Law.”
“Renton is absolutely brimming with potential right now”, said Law. “Our focus needs to be on what we can do to move this city forward. We need to focus on retaining our neighborhoods in the face of enormous growth, and making Renton a place where families and businesses will thrive. That means putting public safety first, improving basic communication between our government and our citizens, and better management of our resources.”
Married to his wife Patty for 20 years, they live in Kennydale and have two grown daughters who live in south King County.
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Additional Information:
Business Sense and Commitment to Community
Elected to the City Council in 2003, Denis Law has a proven record of 30 years of successful business ownership and management, including launching the Renton Reporter, Kent Reporter and Auburn Reporter, and later served as a vice president for King County Journal Newspapers. Law started a new publishing company in Renton in 2004 and launched The Business Report, a monthly business newspaper mailed to all of the businesses in South King County. He recently launched a new community magazine in Renton titled “Renton Magazine.”
Law has received more than 250 state and national journalism awards for news photography, advertising, general excellence and community service, and received Business of the Year award in 1993 from the Redmond Chamber of Commerce before moving back to Renton.
Community Leadership and Service
Law served on the board for six chambers of commerce in King County, and chairman of three chamber boards including the Renton Chamber of Commerce during the years 2000-2001. He served as president of Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, a statewide organization representing more than 110 newspapers, and served on the board of Camp Fire Boys and Girls of East King County.
A past board member of the Renton Technical College Foundation, he continues on the board of the Renton Rotary Club (served as its president in 2004), and serves on the advisory board for Communities In Schools Of Renton.
Law served as chair of this year’s fundraising drive for King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (which raised a record $46,000 in October), chairs the Renton Blue Ribbon Committee, and serves as a board member of the Renton Community Foundation.
He is also a former board member of the Downtown Renton Association and founding member of the Piazza Renton Group.
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