GARDEN CITY — Garden City Mayor Randy Walker announced he is running for the 11th district seat in the Michigan House of Representatives, which comprises Garden city, Inkster and portions of Westland, Livonia and Dearborn Heights.

Walker served four two-year terms as mayor before being elected to a four-year term in November.

While serving as mayor, Walker, 59, also worked a full-time job at Ford Motor Company. Recently Ford offered Walker an offer he couldn’t refuse— a retirement package.

He said he hadn’t expected to retire at 59 and that he wants to do more than a part-time job as mayor not that he is retired.

A life-long Garden City resident, Walker joined the Air Force after graduation from Garden City West High School and served as a military police officer. His tour of duty included three years stationed in England.

He was employed by Ford for 30 years, starting as a UAW skilled trades worker. His subsequent duties included being a general foreman and a superintendent. Later, he worked at the research and engineering facility as a manager.

“I served as Garden City mayor coming through the roughest times in our history,” Walker told the Hometown Life newspapers. “We lost $12 million in state-shared revenue since 2008. Now I feel I can do more for the district and have a voice in Lansing.

“I have real experience as mayor and as manager at Ford, where we used the team concept,” he added. “Everyone has talent to bring to the table.”