Analysis: Chair vote in home districts may provide clues

This month’s primary election provided a wealth of information for those who like to speculate about politics and the fate of the incumbents on the Clark County council.

Though Republicans David Madore, Tom Mielke and Jeanne Stewart failed in their bids to become county chair, their recent performance in their home districts could point to their future, should they choose to run for re-election.

The primary election will be certified Tuesday. Although Marc Boldt, no party preference, and Mike Dalesandro, a Democrat, have declared victory in the county chair race, some results may change slightly when the final tally is made. After Friday’s count, Boldt led Dalesandro by only nine votes, but in Washington, the top two finishers advance to the general election, regardless of party.

Note: Council District 2 has no incumbent. Voters in November will choose between Republican Julie Olson and Democrat Chuck Green for the newly created seat.

District 1

Councilor Jeanne Stewart, Republican

The writing was on the wall for Stewart long before this month’s primary: it will be a steep climb for the Republican councilor to win her liberal district.

Dalesandro handily won the primary in the district with about 4,810 votes, or 33.26 percent, of about 14,460 votes cast. Boldt, a former GOP county commissioner, was a distant second with about 3,730 votes, or 25.8 percent.

Stewart, meanwhile, came in third, capturing about 2,410 votes, or 16.67 percent.

Before the adoption of the home-rule charter in November, councilors were elected by district in the primary election and countywide in the general election.

That change may hurt the most for Stewart in 2018. She was trounced in last year’s primary election for District 3 by Democrat Craig Pridemore, a former county commissioner and state senator, before beating him in the general election thanks to conservative voters living outside Vancouver.

While the old commissioner district isn’t identical to the new council district, they overlap significantly. Pridemore took 57.3 percent of the vote to Stewart’s 42.5 percent in last year’s primary.

The results may not be relevant, though. Stewart said she hasn’t decided whether to run in three years.

“I really think it’s premature to think about anything like that,” Stewart said. “What happens in 2018 is so far away.”

District 3

Councilor David Madore, Republican

Madore must decide whether to run next year for his second term. It’s unclear whether he’ll do it, and he hasn’t responded to multiple requests for comment since the primary results were released.

Madore does, however, appear to have an edge his fellow councilors don’t. He’s the only councilor who won his home district in the chair race, though by a slim margin. Madore took about 3,780 of about 13,750 votes in District 3, or about 27.5 percent.

Democrat Dalesandro was not far behind, with about 3,660 votes, or 26.61 percent.

Boldt and Dalesandro took a total of about 7,030 votes in that district, or 51.12 percent. The sitting councilors — Madore, Mielke and Stewart — took a combined 6,710, or 48.8 percent.

Whether that signals that District 3 voters are looking for a more moderate candidate, or perhaps just a new face to represent them on the county council, Madore might face an uphill battle against a moderate conservative or even a liberal candidate.

District 4

Councilor Tom Mielke, Republican

Conservative candidates in general succeeded in Mielke’s District 4, which covers northeast Clark County. Mielke, however, didn’t.

Madore, Mielke and Stewart split the Republican votes, capturing about 8,800, or 50.96 percent of 17,270 votes cast. Mielke, however, only took about 1,310 of those votes, or about 7.6 percent of the total cast.

Dalesandro and Boldt, meanwhile, received a combined 8,480, or 49.1 percent of the votes—and there’s no way of knowing how many conservatives voted for Boldt, who despite running with no party affiliation this year is well-known as a former GOP commissioner and legislator.

If Mielke runs for reelection in 2016 — and he did not respond to a request for comment, so that’s unclear — a qualified Republican may pose a threat to a third term. What’s more, the loser of this year’s county chair race could run in Mielke’s District 4 next year. Both Dalesandro and Boldt call the district home.