A Republican candidate from Gig Harbor will be kicking off her campaign on March 1 for a seat in the Washington State House of Representatives.

Marlyn Jensen, longtime Gig Harbor resident and business owner, announced this week she plans to run for the Position 2 representative seat in the 26th District currently held by Rep. Larry Seaquist, (D-Gig Harbor).

Jensen describes herself as both a “community and a Republican activist” who is known as “Mrs. Republican” to the guests that have attended events over the years at the home of she and her husband, Jim.

She said her history of activism has given her a “love of all things politics,” and spurred her to “get on the campaign trail and win back a House seat for the Republicans.”

Jensen has also spent years growing a property management business in Pierce County, and said that wearing dual hats as both a political activist and business owner will give her “the ability to help build a better business and economic atmosphere in the state.”

Jensen originally hails from Montana and attended Montana State University. She worked for 13 years as a flight attendant for what was then known as Northwest Orient, and which became Northwest Airlines.

After marrying Tacoma resident Jim Jensen in 1969, Marlyn Jensen went on to build her property management business, beginning with one house and expanding to numerous apartment buildings and single-family residences.

She has four children and one grandson.

Jensen reports being elected to state party positions for the Republicans, but said she now feels “serving constituents … as a legislator in Olympia is more important in today’s world.”

Her campaign officially kicks off March 1, and her Web site is currently active at www.unitedformarlyn.com.

The 26th District is bordered to the north by Rich Passage and the city of Bremerton and includes most South Kitsap neighborhoods, including Olalla, South Colby, East Port Orchard and Burley. The district also extends south to include most of Pierce County (with the exception of Tacoma and McNeil Island), including: Purdy, the Key Peninsula, Gig Harbor, and Fox Island.

Seaquist was elected to the seat vacated by now Sen. Derek Kilmer, (D-Gig Harbor), in 2006.