18th District
Incumbent state Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, and Democratic challenger Kathy Gillespie will advance to the general election for the Position 2 House seat in the 18th Legislative District, according to preliminary election results released Tuesday night.
Pike captured 40.52 percent of the vote while Gillespie captured 29.93 percent.
“I think citizens in the 18th District want less government, less taxes, and more freedom,” Pike said while celebrating her lead at the Prairie Bar & Grill in Brush Prairie. Pike said she’s “looking forward to working hard for the people of my district.”
Pike has been in the House since 2012, first appointed and then elected. When she ran to keep her seat two years ago, she won with about 59 percent of the vote.
Despite running in a more conservative district, Gillespie said she believes she can resonate with voters across the aisle who want someone who understands their interests and can solve problems.
“That’s not a Democratic or Republican idea. That is an idea of leadership,” said Gillespie, director of the Vancouver Public Schools board. “The 18th District is ready to solve problems.”
Republican Shane Bowman, a Battle Ground city councilor, and Ilana Brown, a Democrat and newcomer to local politics, also ran in the race but didn’t receive enough votes to advance to the general election.
Position 1 House seat
Two challengers vied for state Rep. Brandon Vick’s spot in the House. Vick, R-Felida, received 56.22 percent of the vote in the 18th Legislative District race for the Position 1 seat, while newcomer to politics Justin Oberg, a Democrat, got 33.59 percent of the vote. With 10.04 percent of the vote, Democrat Lisa Anderson will not advance to the general election.
Vick said he’s happy with the numbers.
When incumbents are running for reelection, the primary election results reflect how voters think you’re doing in office, he said.
“People in the 18th District seem to be happy with the representation they’re getting,” Vick said.
Vick has been in the Legislature for about four years. When he ran for reelection in 2014, he won with 63 percent of the vote.
18th District Senate seat
Incumbent state Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, captured 58.13 percent of the vote in the race for the 18th District Senate seat. Challenger and newcomer to politics Eric Holt, a Democrat, earned 41.57 percent of the vote. With no other candidates in the race, both will move onto the November general election.
Holt said he was surprised that there weren’t more people running against Rivers, particularly in her own party.
Rivers was elected to the state House in 2010 and made a move to the Senate in 2012. She won the 2012 election with just under 68 percent of the vote.
