A Woodinville Republican and former Pierce County deputy prosecutor will run to be Washington state’s next attorney general.

Matt Larkin, a business development manager and chief legal counsel for Bothell’s Romac Industries, announced his 2020 campaign on Thursday.

“I have decided to run because we’re running out of time,” Larkin said in a press release. “We need an attorney general who actually wants the job and isn’t just lining his resume for another position. I want to find real solutions to the problems facing our community. Problems like homelessness, out-of-control crime and spiraling drug addiction. These are tough issues, but right now we have an attorney general who’s been in office for seven years and the problem has only gotten worse. We need a new approach.”

State Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, announced in August that he will seek a third term. Ferguson announced after Gov. Jay Inslee dropped out of the presidential race and said he will seek another term as governor. Ferguson is considered a potential candidate for governor after Inslee decides not to seek re-election.

Born and raised in Seattle, Larkin graduated in 2000 from King’s Schools, a private Christian school in north Seattle. He graduated from Gonzaga Law School in Spokane and earned a master’s of law in litigation at George Washington School of Law in Washington, D.C. Larkin then worked one year in the White House under President George W. Bush as the associate director of presidential speech writing. He returned to Washington state to work one year as a Pierce County deputy prosecutor in Tacoma.

“I am grateful for my experience working in the White House and in Pierce County,” he said. “They were both invaluable positions that taught me to prioritize justice and fairness under the law, regardless of political affiliation. Serving the people of Pierce County also opened my eyes to the issues facing our community and what the law can do to help.”

Since 210, Larkin has worked at Romac, a family business founded by his grandparents 50 years ago. He works alongside his father and brother. The company manufactures water pipeline products and employs more than 550. He is married with four young children.

“The Attorney General’s Office should be a non-partisan place people can count on to study our issues and find real solutions,” Larkin said. “I will put our community needs first and seek out the heart of the problem. I will support our men and women on the front lines of our community and listen to community advocates who bring unique perspectives and valuable insight as we work together to find solutions.”

Ferguson defeated Libertarian Joshua Trumbull with 67 percent of the vote in 2016. In 2012, Ferguson beat Republican Reagan Dunn with 53 percent of the vote. Ferguson was a King County Council member since 2004 before running for attorney general.