In Our View: Vick, Oberg in 18th District, Position 1

In a three-way primary race for state representative from the 18th District, Position 1, Republican Brandon Vick and Democrat Justin Oberg are the strongest candidates to advance to the general election.

The Columbian’s Editorial Board recommends a vote for Vick or Oberg in the district that represents eastern and northern Clark County. As always, this is merely a recommendation designed to foster discussion; The Columbian trusts the ability of voters to examine the candidates and the issues before casting an informed vote.

Such an examination will reveal that Vick has grown into a strong representative during his four years in the Legislature. He notes that he has sponsored six bills that have become law, focusing primarily upon the concerns of small businesses. He serves on numerous committees — including as the ranking minority member of the Business and Financial Services Committee — is a member of the Legislative Ethics Board, and rightly boasts of having never missed a floor vote during his time in Olympia.

Vick clings to conservative ideals but has the demeanor and perspective that is required to find solutions in a Legislature filled with diverse opinions and concerns. In one example, speaking of carbon emissions and energy production, he told the Editorial Board, “As we do regulate a little more, which isn’t always a bad thing.” This is a welcome change from the frequent Republican mantra that regulations are inherently evil.

On the issues, Vick supports reconstruction of the Interstate 5 Bridge before the development of a third bridge over the Columbia River — as long as the project includes improvements throughout the I-5 corridor: “This is a situation that has to have the feds involved, and it has to have the feds involved with real money, not just transit money.” He prefers Washington’s current system for setting the minimum wage, rather than a vast change to the law; he opposes Initiative 732, which will be on the November ballot and would impose a carbon emissions tax; and he thinks that a levy swap likely would provide enough money for the state to fulfill its duty regarding school funding.

Oberg, meanwhile, supports the ending of some corporate tax breaks in order to fund education, is in favor of a carbon tax, and supports a new I-5 bridge that is capable of carrying light rail in the future. “We need to repair relationships across the river,” he said of developing a bridge project. “In my mind, that means new faces, new ideas.”

Oberg is a newcomer to politics, yet he is well-spoken and well-informed, articulating an understanding of the issues and the complexities involved. For example, he notes that the minimum wage is lower, when adjusted for inflation, than it was in previous generations, and he supports a large increase.

Lisa Anderson, a Democratic precinct committee officer, is the third candidate in the race. She bills herself as a fiscal conservative and opposes a capital-gains tax or an income tax while saying that corporate tax breaks should be re-examined. She is particularly concerned about the Cowlitz Tribe’s wastewater plan for a casino near La Center, and about wasteful spending in government.

Overall, Vick and Oberg demonstrate a deeper understanding of the issues and a stronger ability to articulate and devise solutions for those issues. Voters in the 18th District should support them in the primary election.