Clark County freeholder candidates increase to at least 52

The number of Clark County freeholder candidates had expanded to at least 52 by Tuesday evening, as several more Clark County residents expressed interest in helping draft a county charter.

On Monday, more than 30 candidates had filed to run for the unpaid positions, and election officials anticipated many more to follow suit.

Fifteen freeholder candidates will be elected on Nov. 5. The home-rule charter they create would allow the county to be governed by its own set of rules, as long as those rules don’t conflict with the U.S. or Washington state constitutions, or state laws. The new charter must be approved by voters.

New freeholder filings as of 5:30 p.m. Tuesday included:

• District 1, Position 1: Vancouver resident Keith Bellisle and Ridgefield Mayor Ron Onslow.

• District 1, Position 2: Vancouver residents Donald Leonard and Chris Lockwood.

• District 1, Position 3: Amboy resident David Darby and Vancouver resident Michael Goodrich.

• District 1, Position 4: Vancouver residents Ben Meyer and Steve McGillis, and Brush Prairie resident Ken Poyneer.

• District 1, Position 5: Vancouver resident Patricia Reyes.

• District 2, Position 2: Vancouver resident Tracy Wilson.

• District 2, Position 3: Vancouver resident Jim Martin.

• District 2, Position 5: Former county commissioner Marc Boldt, and Vancouver residents Jamie Hurly and Jake Smith.

• District 3, Position 2: Vancouver resident Craig Riley.

• District 3, Position 3: Vancouver residents Debbie Peterson and Lowell Miller.

To see a complete list of freeholder candidates, visit the Clark County Election Department’s website at http://www.clarkvotes.org. Clark County is divided into three voting districts, and voters will each select five freeholders, depending on which district they live in.

Candidates filing for a freeholder position must be registered to vote, have a valid email address, and they have to have been residents of Clark County for at least five years. The filing period for Clark County freeholder candidates ends at 5 p.m. Friday if filing in person at the election office. If filing online, however, candidates have until 4 p.m. Friday.

There is no filing fee to run for freeholder. Freeholder positions are nonpartisan. The positions are unpaid.

For more information, visit the election department’s website, call 360-397-2345, email elections@clark.wa.gov, or visit the department at 1408 Franklin St. in Vancouver.

Stevie Mathieu: 360-735-4523 or www.facebook.com/reportermathieu or www.twitter.com/col_politics or stevie.mathieu@columbian.com