Meet Chad Magendanz: Candidate for 5th District Rep., Position 2

NAME: Chad Magendanz

OFFICE SOUGHT: State Representative, Position 2, 5th Legislative District

PARTY AFFILIATION: Republican

TOWN OF RESIDENCE: Issaquah

CURRENT OCCUPATION: Software Design Consultant, Issaquah School Board

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND: 12 years as a nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy, 10 years as a full-time manager at Microsoft shipping 16 products (including Office and Windows), 8 years as a software design consultant to Nike, Panasonic, Microsoft and other high tech companies in the Northwest, with over 20 patent awards

WEBSITE: www.Vote4Chad.com

WHAT IS THE MOST PRESSING ISSUE FACING VOTERS IN YOUR DISTRICT:  The Skills Gap. While many jobs are available in the Pacific Northwest, employers have been hard pressed to find workers with the skills they need in a rapidly changing economy.  Our traditional public schools have been underfunded and generally out of touch with the needs of a 21st century workforce.

IF ELECTED, WHAT WILL YOU DO IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS IN OFFICE TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE? As I’ve done as an education advocate for Washington State PTA, Stand for Children, the League of Education Voters, and the Issaquah School Board, I will put our students first.  This means prioritizing ample education funding per our constitutional paramount duty and complying with the court order from the State Supreme Court, but also embracing innovative methods to put our limited resources where they can have the maximum impact for kids. 

DO YOU SUPPORT/OPPOSE REFERENDUM 74: SHOULD GAY MARRIAGE BE LEGAL IN WASHINGTON? BRIEFLY, WHY? Support.  America is the land of freedom and opportunity, and that should apply without regard to race, creed, color, gender or sexual orientation.

DO YOU SUPPORT/OPPOSE, INITIATIVE 502 TO MAKE SMALL AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA LEGAL TO PEOPLE 21 AND OLDER? BRIEFLY, WHY? Support. We should take the marijuana business out of the hands of gangs and criminals, just like we did by legalizing alcohol in the 1930s.