Woodinville high school teacher Parker Harris recently announced his candidacy for the 45th District Senate seat.

Harris, 31, teaches math at Woodinville’s Attic Learning Community. He said he is running as an independent because of his concerns about “the deepening political divide in our country and our state.”

“When we hear about political issues, it always seems to be about which party is winning or losing some particular battle and what sort of response can be anticipated from the other party,” Harris said in a statement. “To me, it feels more like reality TV or an episode of Game of Thrones than any kind of constructive debate about an issue. Astonishingly, the well-being of the general public seems to have faded as the primary concern.”

Harris said while he loved seeing that so many young people are newly involved in politics in recent months, it was “unfortunate” that many of them appear to be motivated to get involved by fear of an opposing party.

“I know that lots of people want desperately to reduce the influence of the partisan divide, but unlike those who stand firmly on one side, it’s not so obvious how they should get involved,” he said. “My aim is to give those people a voice.

Harris began his career as a mechanical engineer, working for the state of New York to help implement incentive programs for energy-efficient buildings. He moved to Washington in 2011 and worked at a company in Mukilteo that supplies aircraft manufacturers with custom machines and tools. Harris has taught math and science since 2013, first at Bishop Blanchet High School in Seattle before coming to Woodinville.

He said his concerns for the future of all the children he’s worked with are what prompted him to consider running for office.

For more, visit www.parkerforsenate.org.