Dr. Bobby Virk, 40, of Renton will run for the state Senate seat now held by retiring Sen. Margarita Prentice, who has endorsed Virk’s candidacy.

Prentice announced Wednesday that she would not seek a sixth term in the Senate. Her decision follows the redrawing of the 11th Legislative District boundaries that put her West Hill home in the 37th District.

Prentice’s term ends in early January 2013; the election to replace her is this fall. Prentice, 80, was appointed to the state House of Representatives in 1988, then elected to two terms. Her Senate career began in 1992.

Virk practices orthodontics and consults in the field of dentistry in the Puget Sound region. He and his wife, Dr. Helena Skountrianos, have two sons, Aris and Karan.

Only in America could his life story play out, says Virk, who was born in the Punjab region of India to a family of farmers and a military officer.

“I’m running for the state Senate because our state and our country have given me so much.  With my business and healthcare background and my passion for education, I will work every day in Olympia to ensure that the promise of economic opportunity is within the reach of every man, woman, and child,” he said in a news release.

Virk praise the Prentice’s long career, saying “her commitment to the community she loves so deeply is unparalleled.”

In the news release Virk said he “intends to work tirelessly on behalf of the residents of the 11th District, each and every day. We face numerous challenges, from building an economy for middle class families to providing sound health care coverage to all.”