As he seeks a fourth term, state Rep. Paul Harris is once again defending his status as a conservative Republican to members of his own party.
For yet another example illustrating the current division within the Clark County Republican Party, look no further than the race for the 17th Legislative District seat.
Richard Colwell, a machinist in Vancouver who is a fan of Republican Clark County Councilor David Madore, said he’s running to disrupt the “rigged system” and ensure there is a “conservative representative” in the House.
“We have establishment Republicans who are doing everything they can to keep their power or help out liberals and the other conservatives who are sick and tired of that happening. And so we’re rising up to do something about it because we feel like we’ve been stabbed in the back,” Colwell told The Columbian’s editorial board on Wednesday.
To which Harris replied, “I’m assuming he thinks I’m one of these established Republicans who has been elected and hasn’t done what he said he’s going to do, which I would completely disagree with.”
At one point, Colwell pulled out some Groucho Marx glasses and threw them on the table in front of Harris. The stunt was to remind the editorial board of the time Harris showed up to a Ronald Reagan birthday celebration dinner, organized by a moderate Republican group.
“So, uh, Paul was not able to come tonight,” Harris said, while speaking at the event and wearing the glasses. “Paul got an email that said he shouldn’t attend this event.”
Harris said the email, from a fellow Republican, mentioned there would be ramifications for attending. He said he thought for “like 10 seconds” and then decided to go anyway.
Harris told The Columbian’s editorial board his job title is “representative” and in order to legislate effectively, compromise is crucial. Harris also shunned the idea that he is a moderate Republican, identifying instead as conservative.
There are areas where the two candidates agree.
Harris and Colwell believe a necessary step to solving the chronic underfunding of the state’s school system is to fully fund education first and budget for all other state programs afterward. Colwell took it a step further, saying the money should be attached to each student, allowing the parents and students to decide if they want to spend that money going to a public, charter or home school.
They are both against an increase in the state’s minimum wage. Supporters of raising the wage turned in 360,000 signatures on Wednesday with the hopes of qualifying for a ballot measure asking voters to incrementally increase the state’s minimum wage to $13.50 an hour.
Harris believes wages should be market driven.
Colwell said he’s not a fan of the government forcing anyone to do anything, dismissing it as a progressive idea and adding that “progressivism isn’t the answer; progressivism is a disease.”
Harris considers Madore a divisive figure, whereas Colwell praised several of Madore’s actions and said he’s doing what voters elected him to do.
Harris said he’s running for the job to ensure the region’s students receive a good education and it remains an area that continues to improve economically.
Colwell said he’s running, in part, to “organize an effective and meaningful resistance” against the current system, which he views as corrupt.
“The system is rigged. From Washington, D.C., with James Comey and the FBI, all the way to right here, at the quid pro quo (Columbian Editor Lou) Brancaccio bocce ball party,” Colwell said. “You know as well as I do that these lying politicians and their media collaborators are interested in one thing and that’s power.”
The third candidate in the primary race, Democrat Martin Hash, did not take part in the editorial board meeting.
