Clark County

Incumbent Don Orange is running for re-election to the Port of Vancouver, District 1. He owns a mechanic shop and has lived in Clark County for over 30 years. Orange also serves on the Battle Ground School District Auto Advisory Council and is a past president of the Columbia Pastoral Counseling Center.

Prior to his election in 2017, Orange was a dedicated opponent of the dirty and dangerous Tesoro-Savage project, which would have been the largest oil-by-rail terminal in the country. This race was particularly notable since oil companies paid around half a million dollars in an attempt to defeat Orange's greener campaign against his opponent. Orange voted alongside his fellow council members in 2018 to unanimously end Vancouver Energy's lease on the oil-by-rail terminal. Now, he serves to make the port more environmentally friendly and attract more family-wage jobs.

Orange's opponent is former restaurant owner and manager Russell Brent. A former board member of the Washington Hospitality Association, Brent has served in many roles in the community, including as a past board chair of the Battle Ground Chamber of Commerce and Clark County YMCA. Brent has faced criticism recently for using a fake union label on his campaign materials. Brent hasn't make a solid case for why voters should elect him over incumbent Orange, who has spent years fighting for Clark County families and is committed to preserving the environment for generations to come.

Orange has earned strong support in this campaign from local and state leaders because of his proven record at the port. We recommend re-electing Don Orange for Port of Vancouver from District 1. 

Incumbent council member Daniel Dingman is running for another term in Battle Ground City Council, Position 3. He was first appointed to the position in June of this year. Dingman works in systems engineering and facilities management. He volunteers on the city’s planning commission and is an active singer in a number of community roles and choirs.

Dingman is campaigning on a moderate platform for re-election. His top priorities are responsible budgeting and growth management, compassionate and proactive housing strategies, and leadership that seeks out all Battle Ground voices.

Dingman is facing conservative challenger Victoria Ferrer in this race. Ferrer is an army veteran who has worked as a PCO for the local Republicans who have endorsed her reactive platform in this race. She will not bring progress and community leadership to the council.

Though he’s not a progressive, we believe Daniel Dingman in this race for Battle Ground City Council, Position 3 based on endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders.

Steve Hogan is running for re-election for mayor of Camas. Hogan worked as a plant manager in the recycled paper industry and has been active in the community. He served four terms on the Camas City Council and is a past president of the Camas Washougal Rotary Club, the Downtown Camas Association, and the Camas Educational Foundation. 

Hogan is running to ensure Camas "remains safe, beautiful, and welcoming." He touts his work during the first two years as mayor to finalize the city's plan for the North Shore, create a long-term strategy for lake cleanup and protecting green spaces, and fill important roles in city government that had been vacant. 

Hogan faces a challenge from land use planner Randal Friedman. He has also been active in the Rotary and served on the Camas Mill Cleanup Community Advisory Group. Friedman is running to focus on preserving the lakes and forests of Camas and keeping the community safe. He wants to prioritize the mill cleanup and give citizens a seat at the table for these planning discussions. Unfortunately, some of Friedman's opposition to growth and development would worsen the city's affordability crisis.

Hogan's experience and endorsements from local leaders make him the best choice for mayor of Camas. 
 

Jon Svilarich is running for the Camas City Council, At-Large seat being vacated by longtime councilmember Don Chaney. He works as an e-commerce consultant, serves as the head of the Deer Creek Homeowners Association, and is active with the Camas School District. 

He is running to push Camas to confront and solve some of its longstanding challenges. For example, Svilarich believes the city has procrastinated on providing essential funding to clean up Lacamas Lake, repair two fire stations that aren't up to safety codes, and address pollution at the mill. He wants to tackle all of these issues by improving the council's decision-making processes and increasing transparency with the community. He points to the failed pool measure as an example of what happens when voters don't have a voice in developing local policies. 

Svilarich is running against conservative Stephen R. Dabasinskas, the founder and CEO of Innovative Business Resources. He unsuccessfully sought the appointment to the Ward 3 seat last year that was filled by Jennifer Senescu. In 2018, Dabasinskas moved to Camas from Southern California, where he had previously worked as a police officer and a special agent focusing on narcotics with the California Department of Justice. His platform is focused on limiting growth and improving engagement with residents. It's unclear how Dabasinskas would fund important projects like cleaning up Lacamas Lake and updating infrastructure given his focus on budget cuts. 

Svilarich's thoughtful approach and support from local progressives make him the best choice for the Camas City Council, At-Large seat. 
 

John Nohr is running to retain his seat on the Camas City Council representing Ward 1 after he was appointed last year. Nohr has worked as a firefighter and emergency medical services provider since 1985 and has been the chief of Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue since 2016. 

Nohr is running to continue using his experience in public safety and organizational management on the city council. He wants the city to be more creative when it comes to identifying funding to upgrade infrastructure during this period of rapid growth. 

Nohr faces a challenge from Gary Perman, the owner of PermanTech, who wants to bring a business perspective to the council. Perman co-founded the political blog Camas Washougal Watch, which was known for attacking elected local officials and was criticized for its errors and strident political stands. He has run for office multiple times before and unsuccessfully sought the appointment to this seat last year. Perman is running again this year on a platform that is heavily critical of taxes and the city budget. However, his austerity plans ignore the city's needs when it comes to improving local infrastructure and preserving our parks and green space. 

Nohr is the clear choice for Camas City Council from Ward 1. 
 

Bonnie Carter is running for re-election to the Camas City Council in Ward 2. She has worked as an administrative assistant in the Camas School district for nearly ten years and serves on the board of the Camas Educational Foundation.

During her eight years on the council, she has worked to improve the water quality of Lacamas Lake, increase funding for emergency services, and pushed to address the high costs of housing. She was the liaison to the committee that developed the city's first urban tree policy and she wants to expand partnerships with the Department of Natural Resources to preserve open spaces and trees.

Carter is running against Ry Luikens, a principal of creative strategy at Mach 49. He founded the Camas Coffee Club to maintain community connections during the pandemic. His campaign platform is focused on "your lake, your pool, and your voice." He wants to build on his experience with the Camas Coffee Club to improve communications and more consistently engage the community. If elected, he wants the council to move faster and look for more innovative solutions to address pollution in Lacamas Lake. He also wants to build a new pool for 1/8th of the cost of the last levy but doesn't provide many details on how he'd achieve this.

We recommend Bonnie Carter for Camas City Council from Ward 2 because of her track record on the council and impressive list of endorsements.
 

Mayor Pro Tem Ty Stober is running unopposed for re-election to Vancouver City Council, Position 5. He is the former board chair of Equal Rights Washington and volunteers as a Hough & Fruit Valley Lunch Buddy. Stober is a progressive who believes in investing in all forms of transportation, ensuring first responders have the funding and equipment they need, and a “housing first” approach to solving homelessness. 

He's running for re-election to continue his work supporting small businesses, making housing more affordable, improving transportation options, and keeping our community safe for all residents. 

Stober has once again earned a strong set of progressive endorsements, which reflects his values and track record on the council. Ty Stober has earned your vote for Vancouver City Council, Position 5. 
 

Vancouver native Leah Perkel is running to help Vancouver stay affordable and safe. She has been involved in community organizations like Stone Soup, the Northwest Neighborhood Association, and the Clark County Food Bank.

Perkel is a progressive candidate who is looking to improve life for all in Vancouver, from creating family-wage jobs to improving infrastructure. She wants to use her position on the council to increase the city's transportation capacity as well as housing options for all income levels. 

She believes one way the city could improve housing is to do more outreach to community organizations. In addition, Perkel supports the extension of the moratorium on warehouses, which use large amounts of land while producing fewer jobs than other industrial uses. She also approves of the city's climate action plan and states that if elected she wants to help expand solar power and incentives to bring green employers to Vancouver. 
 

Incumbent Victoria Bradford is running for another term on Evergreen School Board, Director District 3. Bradford has served on the school board since 1999. She runs her own small business and has also worked as a bank officer. Bradford is an active community member, serving on the Vancouver Strong executive board and the Vancouver Downtown Association. Additionally, Bradford was a co-founder of the county’s Quality Education Coalition, and has worked with a number of local education-focused groups.

Bradford has led a number of initiatives on the board. She is particularly proud of the recent addition of the skilled trades center and the district’s strategic plan to recover from the pandemic. In this campaign, Bradford wants to make sure that teachers and education staff are supported as well as safe, and that classrooms are sustainable. She will fight at the legislative level to ensure that our schools are funded and our students can access the resources they need.

Gary Wilson is the extremely conservative challenger in this race. Wilson has a background in accounting and budget analysis, and he now believes that he can fix the district’s academic performance statistics by cutting funding and shrinking student resources. He has been endorsed by the county Republicans as well as one of the most conservative school board political groups in the state.

Our school district only improves when students have the classroom spaces, teaching staff, health services, and educational resources to thrive. Bradford is the better choice in this race for Evergreen School Board, Director District 3.
 

Shannon Cluphf is challenging incumbent Amanda Miller for La Center School Board, Director District 2. Cluphf is a Navy veteran and care coordinator for local hospitals and mental health facilities. She volunteers with the Veterans Hospital, Clark Pride, and advocacy to call attention to the high rates of violence that Indigenous women face. Cluphf is running on a vague platform to bring her community leadership to the board and advocate for a welcoming, multicultural school district that can improve on the challenges it faces.

Incumbent Amanda Miller is also in this race. Mliller works in a local escrow department for a national company, and joined the school board this year. She is also running on a vague platform to help every student reach their full potential.

We recommend Shannon Cluphf for La Center School Board, Director District 2 because of her community leadership and support from our trusted partners.

Amber Baker is a first-time candidate running for Ridgefield School Board, Director District 2. Baker owns and manages her own farm, and works in the community in consulting and agriculture education. She is a working mother of two future students of the district. Baker also serves the community as a youth soccer coach, Ridgefield Multicultural Festival volunteer, and donor of freshly grown food to the local food bank.

If elected, Baker wants to engage all community voices to create a welcoming school district where students of all backgrounds feel a sense of belonging. Though she lacks a detailed platform, Baker has been endorsed by a strong progressive leaders and our trusted partners.

Also in this race is Rob Peterson, who works for a health care company in data management. Peterson is involved in youth coaching and Junior Achievement volunteering. Like Baker, he is running on a vague platform that emphasizes transparent leadership and listening to all stakeholders.

We recommend Amber Baker for Ridgefield School Board, Director District 2 because of her community leadership work and her support in this race.

Kyle Sproul is running unopposed for re-election to the Vancouver Public Schools Board Director, Position 1. She is the mother of three Vancouver Public Schools students and has served on the board since 2019, including as board chair in 2021. She is proud of her work in hiring a new superintendent and passing an equity policy for the district.

Kyle Sproul has earned your vote based on her track record in office and endorsements from our partners and trusted community leaders.

Educator and incumbent director Kathy Decker is running for another term on the Vancouver School Board in the Position 4 seat. Decker joined the school board in 2019 and boasts more than 25 years of experience directly in teaching. She also has community leadership experience as a youth soccer coach, Girl Scouts leader, and classroom volunteer.

Decker is running to continue bringing opportunity and improvement to the school district. If re-elected, she wants to continue empowering student voices, increase board transparency, and invest in career and technical education programs. Decker believes in a research-based approach to strategically use district resources while closing the opportunity gap. In this race, she has been endorsed by local unions, Democratic groups, and education associations.

Challenging Decker in this race is Nick Wells, who works for a payroll technology company. Wells is running on a more Republican platform to limit funding to our schools and block progress in the school district.

We recommend Kathy Decker for Vancouver School Board, Position 4.

Tracie Barrows is running for re-election to Vancouver School Board, Position 5. She was first elected to to the board in 2019 and has served as the board president. She works as a school psychologist, and has worked in student behavioral health, special education, and nonviolent crisis intervention training.

Barrows believes that in order for students to find success in school, they need their basic needs met and access to social-emotional mental health resources. She is proud of the school district’s investments in the Family Community Resource Centers, career and technical education courses, and dual language programs. If re-elected, Barrows wants to continue working on equity, transparency, and engagement on the school board. She has earned strong endorsements in this race, including the local Democrats, community organizations, education unions, and elected leaders.

Larry Roe is challenging Barrows in this race. Roe has worked in scientific consulting and research as well as census enumeration. Now, he is running on a vague platform to increase student success and continue helping the district to recover from the effects of the pandemic on learning. He does not offer concrete platform ideas nor identify the top challenges students, teachers, and district staff are facing.

We recommend Tracie Barrows for another term in Vancouver School Board, Position 5.

Brigid Taylor is running for Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue Commissioner Position 2. She describes herself as a teacher, a mom of three, and a fire spouse. She has taught for 23 years in Clark County schools and serves on the Citizens for Ridgefield Schools Board.  

Taylor's campaign priorities are preparation, protection, and prevention. She will work to ensure that all first responders have the equipment and training they need to respond to emergencies across the district. She also wants to use her position to improve communication with the community and other elected officials.  

Taylor is running against Jade Bourke, who has served on the Fire Commission for one year. He has experience as a volunteer firefighter and wants to continue focusing on balancing the district's financial priorities during a time of rapid growth.  

Taylor has earned strong support from the firefighter community, including endorsements from both the Clark County and Vancouver fighters. This speaks to her vision for the district and her deep understanding of what our first responders need to keep us safe. Taylor is the best choice for Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue Commissioner Position 2.