The latest candidates vying for a seat on the Vancouver City Council this year are feeling a lot of love for the city.
“We have a rich history, and I’m committed to making the future of the city of Vancouver even brighter by bringing effective leadership,” said Scott Campbell, the government and community affairs liaison with Waste Connections, who plans to run for Position 1 on the council.
“I wanted to give something back to Vancouver, my community I love so much,” said Steven Cox, who is retired from a career in the U.S. Army and plans to run for mayor.
Greg Henderson, who is also running for mayor, said he decided to run because “it’s not enough to just love your city. You’ve got to make it a better place than when you set foot in it.”
And Michelle Beardshear said that if she’s elected as a city councilor she would continue to strengthen the community and make sure “all the great things about Vancouver are available and accessible to all.”
Also running
The latest list of candidates expressing interest in one of four seats on the nonpartisan council join a growing number of community members who say they are in the running.
Mayor Tim Leavitt announced early he wouldn’t seek re-election. Councilor Anne McEnerny-Ogle hopes to succeed him — and will give up her seat to run for mayor. Councilor Jack Burkman, who holds Position 1, has decided to enjoy traveling and time with his grandchildren, and is not running for re-election. Councilor Alishia Topper is seeking re-election to Position 2 and will face opposition.
Many of those running are already familiar faces in the community.
Campbell, who sits on a variety of boards and nonprofits in town, including the Fort Vancouver National Trust, the Clark County Parks Foundation and the Veterans Therapeutic Court, said he plans to officially announce his bid this week and will release a platform at that time.
“Everyone who knows me knows how hard I work and I’ll work hard for the citizens of Vancouver,” Campbell said.
Henderson, the father of Vaughn Henderson, a candidate for city council, runs a small cleaning business and has a laundry list of items he hopes to tackle if elected mayor. He’s worried about the growing homeless population, the crumbling roads and wants to boost the economy.
Henderson is a champion of public transportation, would like to see more bike lanes built around the city and has a few ideas on how to make traffic run smoother.
“I’ve said I’m the opposite of every politician you’ve ever met,” Henderson wrote in an email. “I would like to win, but I’d feel victorious if every soul on our streets tonight is under shelter and fed and clothed tomorrow.”
Cox said he would focus on the fundamentals, including easing the city’s problems with a growing homeless population, improving the city’s infrastructure and working with veterans.
Beardshear, who can frequently be spotted attending council meetings, hasn’t decided which position she will target. She’s been employed with Clark Public Utilities since 2003 and has been paralyzed from the waist down for 20 years. She also owns a small business, Sampson’s Snack Shack.
“My top priorities include ensuring public safety with our police, fire and ambulance services. After public safety would come public access, access to open and transparent government, barrier-free access for the physically disabled, access to parks, health care, education, transportation and city programs,” Beardshear wrote in an email.
Open seats
A handful of other candidates have already announced they are running for open seats:
• Tanisha Harris, who previously ran for a seat on the Clark County council and who works for the YWCA Clark County as a program specialist for the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, or CASA, is running for Position 1, Burkman’s seat.
• Jacob Kerr, a student at Washington State University Vancouver studying accounting and management information systems, previously said he’s also running for Position 1.
• Justin Forsman, who ran for state Senate in 2016 and the city council the year before, said he will run for Position 2 against Topper.
• Linda Glover, a local businesswoman and former teacher and elementary school principal who is now the executive director of the nonprofit Gifts for Our Community, is running for Position 3, which is being vacated by McEnerny-Ogle.
• Vaughn Henderson, who ran unsuccessfully for Legislature against Sen. Annette Cleveland in 2016, is also running for Position 3.
The candidate filing period is May 15 through 19. Should any race attract more than two candidates, the primary election will be Aug. 1. The general election is Nov. 7.
