18th District rivals differ on most issues

Liz Pike

Age: 54.

City: Camas area.

Occupation: Operates a farm in Fern Prairie.

Party affiliation: Republican.

Notable endorsements: Brent Boger, former Clark County GOP chairman; Gun Owners Action League of Washington; Human Life Political Action Committee; Building Industry Association of Clark County; Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey.

Total funds raised: $88,585.

Campaign website: www.lizpike.us.

Maureen Winningham

Age: 48.

City: Vancouver.

Occupation: Head of global research and development and information technology for Intel Security.

Party affiliation: Democrat.

Notable endorsements: Washington Education Association; American Federation of Teachers (AFL-CIO); Washington State Labor Council; Betty Sue Morris, former lawmaker and Clark County commissioner; Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver.

Total funds raised: $41,186.

Campaign website: www.maureenwinningham.com.

In the race for an 18th Legislative District House seat, voters have a choice between two candidates with stark differences.

Democratic challenger Maureen Winningham, who is hoping to unseat Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, calls herself a “compassionate conservative” whose first vote was cast for U.S. President Ronald Reagan. But on many issues, she aligns ideologically with the left as much as Pike does the right.

Winningham is in favor of raising the minimum wage; Pike introduced a measure that would have created a “training wage” allowing some employers to pay less than minimum wage for up to 680 hours per worker.

Winningham is opposed to the proposed oil-by-rail terminal; Pike has accepted financial contributions from the companies behind the proposed terminal.

At a recent candidate forum at Camas High School, Winningham told the crowd that she was inspired by teachers, then she told them, “Google ‘Liz Pike’ ‘teacher’ ‘Facebook’ and see what (Pike) thinks about education.”

Pike came under scrutiny in 2013 for a Facebook post she wrote that encouraged teachers who had complaints with their pay and the lack of cost-of-living adjustments to pick another occupation. She also wrote “since the rise of teachers’ unions in this nation,” the U.S. public education system has gotten worse.

Pike later said she wished she had expressed her frustration differently.

Pike champions limited government and said she wants to inspire the “next generation of entrepreneurs.”

Pike said Washington has had two “great Bills in the state” — Gates and Boeing. But she claims that in today’s regulatory environment, they wouldn’t be able to succeed.

Pike owned Pike Advertising Agency and was one of 13 children raised on a Brush Prairie dairy farm..

“Two years ago, when I was elected, I made a promise to taxpayers that I was going to be your advocate,” Pike said. “That was a promise made and a promise kept.”

Pike said her most important work is the day-to-day work of helping the constituents who call, email or visit her office. The Republican lawmaker was also an elected freeholder but she opposes the proposed Clark County charter the freeholders wrote. She was against the proposed Columbia River Crossing and, after its demise, teamed with Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, on a bistate bridge coalition.

Winningham is the head of global research and development and information technology for Intel Security. If elected, one of her top priorities would be funding the state’s public schools and to serve as an advocate for teachers.

Winningham said she considers herself a compassionate conservative who believes officials should take care of social needs as well as be fiscally conservative.