Vancouver City Council position 5 candidates Ty Stober and Linda Glover appear to be heading to the general election in the battle for outgoing Councilor Larry Smith’s seat.
Smith announced in April that he wouldn’t run for a fourth term.
According to Tuesday evening’s initial primary election results, Stober led with 41.55 percent of the vote, followed closely by Linda Glover, who took 37.29 percent. The third candidate, Kathleen Metzger, lagged with 20.44 percent.
This is Stober’s second run for a seat on the City Council. He gave the campaign his full effort, he said Tuesday night.
“I’m really thankful to the voters who came behind me and supported me here,” said Stober, 44, who advises businesses on the marketing and adoption of energy-saving technology. “It was a lot of fun to get out and talk to people at the door, and I’m looking forward to doing a lot more of that as we work toward the general.”
He acknowledged that things could change when the remainder of the ballots are counted, but for now, he said, “I feel good about the results and the trajectory that these results indicate.”
Glover, a political newcomer, said she was excited and encouraged that she did so well in the initial vote count.
“I’ve done a tremendous amount of doorbelling. … I think that’s the key. They can see who you are and that you’re really sincere,” said Glover, 66, executive director of the non-profit Gifts for Our Community. “It’s been really an exciting process. I’ve loved it.”
Metzger, a former Republican precinct committee officer for Precinct 150 and legislative district chair for the 49th District, owns a Montessori preschool and day care. She declined to participate in The Columbian’s campaign coverage as well as the League of Women Voters candidate forum, opting instead to share her message through radio ads and a website. One of her goals was to break up special interests that drive financial corruption and ideological policy, her campaign website states.
Metzger could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
