Stressing that he is a native of Utah County and understands the area, Kenneth Peay announced this week that he is running for the Utah State Senate in District 13.

Peay, who served in law enforcement for 31 years and ended his career as the commander of the Utah Highway Patrol in Utah County, will run against incumbent Mark Madsen.

In his announcement, Peay, a Democrat, noted that most of the parents in his district send their children to public schools and that he supports public education.

Peay pointed to the need to manage growth effectively in the county and to cut down on crime. "Our jails are overcrowded but we can't solve our crime problems by simply locking people up." We need crime prevention measures and to use alternative treatment centers for non-violent drug abusers.

Peay also noted that the people in Utah need adequate health insurance. "We need to find a way to make health insurance affordable and available to our citizens."

The candidate also promised to reach out to all his constituents as a state senator, "As a highway patrol commander, I learned to listen to people, to use their ideas, to compromise and to come up with winning solutions for the betterment of all."

Peay is a native of south Utah County. He was born in Payson, grew up in Benjamin and graduated from Spanish Fork High School. He served three years in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War era and was an LDS missionary in Canada for two years.

He has a bachelors degree in psychology from BYU.