Dana Ralph expects the race for Kent mayor next year to draw “a crowd” of candidates so she decided to be the first to make her campaign official.

Ralph, 44, in her fifth year on the City Council, announced on Monday she will seek to replace Mayor Suzette Cooke, who decided not to run again when her third, four-year term ends at the end of 2017.

“It will be an open seat and an open seat generally draws a crowd,” said Ralph in a phone interview. “That was part of the thought process was to be out there first.”

Voters reelected Ralph last year to a second, four-year term on the council when she ran unopposed.

“I’m running for mayor of Kent because I believe in the potential of Kent, our people, our residents and our businesses,” Ralph said in a press release. “I will lead with a customer service focus to ensure Kent residents get the results they deserve.”

Ralph said she’s been asked by many whether she planned to run for mayor.

“I’ve lived in Kent my entire life,” she said. “I met my husband here, we’ve raised our boys here and our small (medical billing) business is proud to call Kent home. Our city has remarkable potential and I want to harness that potential and make Kent an even better place for all of us.

“I believe if we work together we can bring good paying jobs to Kent, invest in infrastructure and ensure our neighborhoods are safe. I’m looking forward to meeting each and every voter in Kent to discuss your vision for our city.”

City Council members are paid a part-time salary of $14,448 per year. The full-time mayor position pays $138,000 per year.

Ralph will kick off her campaign at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 31 at Down Home Catering, 211 First Ave. S., in downtown Kent.

“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time,” Ralph said. “I’ve worked for the community for a lot of years and I think it’s a great opportunity to move us forward.”

Ralph served eight years on the city’s Land Use and Planning Board and eight years on the Kent Arts Commission prior to beating Michael Sealfon for a council seat in 2011. She lost a council race against Dennis Higgins in 2009.

Ralph’s endorsement list at danaformayor.com already includes fellow council members Les Thomas and Higgins; state Sen. Joe Fain, R-Auburn; former Kent Mayor Jim White; King County Council members Dave Upthegrove, Pete von Reichbauer, Rod Demobowski and Kathy Lambert; Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus; Pacific Mayor Leanne Guier; Covington Mayor Jeff Wagner and former Des Moines Mayor Dave Kaplan, now a Des Moines councilman.

“I’ve got a good start on my list of endorsements both at the regional and local level,” Ralph said. “I want to build on the regional relationships to help bring dollars into Kent.”