King County Council member Dow Constantine officially kicked off his campaign for King County Executive Thursday, June 4.

Constantine is running in a crowded race against fellow King County Council member Larry Phillips, state Rep. Ross Hunter, state Sen. Fred Jarrett, former KIRO-TV news anchor Susan Hutchison, and Snoqualmie Project Manager Alan Lobdell.

More than 200 supporters including friends and family attended Constantine's kick-off at Daniel's Recital Hall, the former First United Methodist Church downtown. The Seattle landmark was slated for demolition until he intervened, enlisting political and community support to preserve the sanctuary.

Kevin Daniels of Daniels Davelopment helped introduce Constantine. Daniels spearheaded the purchase of both the downtown property and some land in Belltown where First United Methodist could relocate and rebuild.

Constantine emphasized King County's historic accomplishments and discussed how he would move the county forward.

"King County will continue to be a leader of the nation and the world," he said. "This county (is) where we invented commercial aviation, where we revolutionized personal computing, where today we are creating the cures for cancer. This county deserves a government as innovative as its people.

"I will do everything in my power to provide infrastructure to evangelize, incentivize, and leverage federal and state funding (...) to facilitate growth, blue collar, white collar, and green collar."

Constantine spoke of being the first public official to lay out detailed plans for light rail on the fall ballot and is ready to push on with Phase 2.

"As King County Executive I will reform and rebuild Metro and stop the fossilized, artificial divisions that justify running empty buses in outskirts while people wait for service in Burien, Bellevue, and Ballard."

The Total Experience Gospel Choir, which generally gathers at Kenyon Hall in West Seattle, sang before and after Constantine's speech with the choir's spirited gospel singing icon, Pastor Patrinell “Pat” Wright leading the charge as Mark Andersen tickled the ivories that connected to the hall's 4,000-pipe Austin organ.

The primary election is August 18.