Vandana Slatter, an Indian- American clinical pharmacist has announced her candidacy for a city council seat in the US state of Washington.
Announcing her decision to stand for Bellevue City Council, Slatter said in a statement on her website: "I chose to run in this race because I believe, at this time, I am uniquely qualified to bring leadership and a fresh perspective to Bellevue City Council."
"After careful consideration, I am pleased to announce I am running for City Council Position 06, currently held by incumbent Don Davidson," the statement added.
Having raised close to USD 55,000 in fundraising in the past three months, Slatter currently leads the pack among the three candidates in the fray, including the incumbent Don Davidson and another Lynne Robinson, according to the local weekly newspaper Northwest Asian Weekly.
Bellevue, the fifth largest city in the state of Washington, has a 41 per cent ethnic minority population, with a third of its citizens born in other countries.
Slatter has said her priority will be working towards building the city as a place where "where business, residents and beautiful neighbourhoods all have the opportunity to thrive."
Currently working as a clinical pharmacist at Amgen Inc., Slatter has served on the Washington State Board of Pharmacy, when she was appointed to the post by Governor Christine Gregoire in 2007.
A graduate of the University of British Columbia and the University of Washington, Slatter also has a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Evans School of Public Affairs, according to biographical information available on her website.
