Pat Whalen believes it's time to take his community roots and experience as a successful business owner to another level.

Whalen, a Republican from Post Falls, is challenging Bob Nonini for the District 3 Senate seat in the May 20 primary.

"It's time to take giving back to the next step," Whalen said.

Whalen, CEO and president of Resource Computing, has been a leader with the Rotary in Coeur d'Alene and the Boys and Girls Club of Kootenai County in Post Falls.

Economic development will be a top priority for Whalen. He said he believes we can do a better job of tapping into the high technology sector in North Idaho.

"I will work hard from the legislative level to connect the dots," he said. "(The Senate seat) is about networking people together. I'll make sure that we are business friendly."

Whalen said more collaboration between officials at all levels is needed to complement the efforts of Jobs Plus, the area's business recruitment agency.

Whalen said that at the legislative level, team builders are needed more than effort with the fractured Republican Party.

"I see real opportunities for us to get out in front of economic development," he said.

Whalen said a key to economic development is having a strong educational system as businesses look at schools to prepare their families and workers for jobs.

It's time to let school officials focus on the standards at hand with Idaho Core Standards rather than changing them yet again.

"We've seen the Legislature take away local control and change the standards for the third time," Whalen said. "We need to let the educators and students stay on one system. This would be the wrong time to tear it up. How we get to those standards is up to us. Common Core is a step in the right direction."

Whalen said he opposes raising the minimum wage.

"Anytime you raise the wage, it increases the jobless rate," Whalen said. "What we really have to focus on is economic development to create decent jobs."

Whalen said he opposes Medicaid expansion as it stands.

"I don't understand how we'll pay for it, other than borrow federal dollars," he said. "My concern is on the back end and how to make it financially possible. This really needs to be worked through."

Regarding whether to add language to discrimination laws to protect lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgendered people, Whalen said he doesn't believe that's necessary, but actions to curb bullying in schools are. Whalen said he recently attended a Coeur d'Alene School Board meeting and heard stories of how students were bullied.

"We do need to be a tolerant society," he said.

Profile:

Pat Whalen

Birth date: July 7, 1960

Profession: CEO and president of Resource Computing Inc.

Educational background: several certificates, including from Cisco, Microsoft, Certified Information Systems Security Professional

Public service: no previous elected service

Community service/nonprofits: Rotary, past president of the Coeur d'Alene club; Boys and Girls Club of Kootenai County, current president

How many years as a resident of your district: 23

Marital status: married to Lora, 24 years

Family: daughter Angie, son Nate, five brothers, two sisters

Hobbies: reading