Longtime Republican Sen. Don Benton of Vancouver is not seeking re-election, but his presence continues to loom over the race for the 17th Legislative District Senate seat.
State Rep. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, who won the primary by 50 votes, is facing Democrat and former state lawmaker Tim Probst for the swing-district seat.
In an effort to tie Wilson to Benton, who was considered a controversial figure at times, a campaign mailer features a picture of the two Republicans together.
In a Columbian Editorial Board meeting Friday afternoon, Wilson turned to Probst and noted, “You are running against me, not Don Benton.”
Probst countered, saying the affiliation presents a clear contrast for voters to consider.
“I strongly opposed Don Benton and (Clark County Councilor) David Madore when they were at their height of the power and at their strongest,” Probst said, adding that Wilson supported them. Wilson refuted the claim as a disingenuous characterization.
Probst continued, saying Wilson served as the Clark County Republican Party chair when the grass-roots conservatives, who now lead the party, took over and moved the party to the right philosophically and left many moderate GOP members feeling marginalized.
“The stuff you see happening now didn’t occur when I was chair, so I was a pretty good leader in that way,” Wilson shot back, adding she was chosen as a leader at the time by appealing to both the moderates and the grass-root conservatives.
Later, she added, the current Clark County GOP has “overstepped their bounds.” Most recently, the local Republican Party decided not to endorse U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, and Sen. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, and moved to oppose Republican John Blom who is running for the county council.
Another key issue in the race is the future of the Interstate 5 Bridge. Benton was a key figure in ensuring the now-defunct Columbia River Crossing project never achieved its goal.
Wilson said she was not in favor of the Columbia River Crossing project and is not in favor of light rail, but she said she does believe the Interstate 5 corridor is getting worse and that the bridge needs to be replaced.
Probst said the bridge is “one of the key reasons I’m wanting to be back in the game. We had our community fall apart over a bridge. Bridges are not difficult projects, usually. We’ve built bridges for centuries.”
When it comes to raising the minimum wage, Probst is in favor a phased-in approach. Wilson is opposed to the idea; she believes it will harm small business owners and families who are trying to make it to the middle class.
They both agree that Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s recent proposal to ban the sale of assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines in the state goes too far. And both candidates agree they can solve the school-funding crisis without raising taxes.
Wilson co-owns DeWils Industries, a kitchen cabinet manufacturing company, with her husband. They employ about 130 people. Wilson is serving her first term in the state House. Wilson has carved out a reputation as a vocal gun-rights advocate. She spearheaded an effort to allow members of the Washington National Guard to carry firearms.
She also introduced a measure that would dedicate the sales tax from the purchase of feminine hygiene products to an account to help victims of domestic violence.
Probst served as a state representative from 2009 to 2013. In 2012, he ran against Benton, losing by a small margin of votes.
Probst considers himself a moderate Democrat who is opposed to tax increases.
Probst is the director of workforce development strategic initiatives for the Washington State Employment Security Department.
He said one of his proudest achievements while serving in the state Legislature was the creation of the Opportunity Scholarships to help students pay for college. More than 10,000 scholarships have been awarded, and the state’s business community has contributed more than $60 million, according to his campaign.
