The 17th Legislative District, which encompasses east Vancouver and unincorporated Clark County, has long been considered a swing district. The last time the district swung in 2014, Monica Stonier lost her position as a Democratic state representative.
But Stonier said that she thinks the district is poised to swing back left in this coming election.
“A district like the 17th is a little bit more susceptible to what happens in the national political climate,” she said.
With Democrats hoping for a wave election to strengthen their grip on Olympia, they have lined up in support of Tanisha Harris, a child advocate and party regular who’s challenging Rep. Vicki Kraft, R-Vancouver.
Kraft, seeking her second term, emerged from the August primary with 49 percent of the vote. Harris received 43 percent of the vote, and fellow Democrat James Tolson (who had suspended his campaign) received 7 percent.
So far, Harris has raised $129,022, much of it from labor and Democratic-leaning groups, to the $116,369 raised by Kraft, a large portion coming from business interests.
Kraft won by less than 2,000 votes in 2016 and said she expects to be re-elected. David Gellatly, chair of the Clark County Republican Party, brushed off the primary results, chalking it up to enthusiasm by Democrats.
“I think Republicans will definitely have the same enthusiasm in the general,” said Gellatly.
Crafting legislation
Last year, the Democratic Party regained full control of the Legislature for the first time since 2012 and used its majority to advance bills on voting, elections, guns control, health care and other issues. Kraft opposed many of them.
Kraft voted against the DISCLOSE Act, a bill that would have required nonprofits that make political donations to disclose some contributors. She said that while she welcomes transparency, she voted against it out of concerns it would inadvertently ensnare some nonprofits even if they make minor political statements.
She voted against a bill to preregister teenagers to vote, arguing that it was logistically problematic and unnecessary. She also voted against the Voting Rights Act, a bill intended to bolster minority representation. She said there are already similar laws already on the books and that the act would create costly litigation.
Kraft, who is pro-life, voted against the Reproductive Parity Act, a bill requiring health insurers that cover maternity care to also cover abortion. She voted against gun-control measures. She also voted against a bill to ban conversion therapy, a controversial practice intended to change the patient’s sexual orientation. Kraft said she was worried it would infringe on the First Amendment rights of religious counselors.
“I am a conservative Republican who recognizes the diversity of the 17th Legislative District and our state,” said Kraft. “So I work very hard to be open to listening even if I don’t necessarily agree with their positions.”
Kraft did vote for a bill intended to close the wage gap between men and women. She was the only legislator from Clark County to vote against a bill that would have exempted lawmakers from requirements of the state’s public records law.
She also voted for a bill intended to establish net neutrality in Washington. But Kraft said she now regrets that vote, saying she hasn’t heard problems of people having trouble accessing the internet.
“The one thing I could say Vicki does extremely well is, she always remembers who her constituents are and she works really hard from them,” said Paul Harris, the 17th Legislative District’s other Republican state representative.
Kraft said she gets many legislative ideas from constituents and will work with Democrats. In 2017, she successfully sponsored a bill granting disabled veterans a tax exemption to make adaptive modifications to their homes. Kraft also started a bipartisan House caucus to prevent sex trafficking and sponsored a bill to crack down on shady massage parlors.
In the last legislative session, she unsuccessfully sponsored bills to prohibit the waiver of fees for people convicted of sexually exploiting children, requiring cities to get public support of areas they want to annex and making tax filing easier for small businesses.
While Clark County’s legislative delegation has coalesced around replacing the aging Interstate 5 Bridge, Kraft has steadfastly supported a third crossing as a means of reducing congestion.
Stonier (who has since been elected state representative for the 49th Legislative District) said Kraft’s support for a third bridge put her out of line with the region’s priorities.
Citing Vancouver’s housing crisis, Stonier also faulted Kraft for voting against a bill that eliminated the sunset on document recording fees, which fund homeless services. Kraft said she voted against the bill because more fees would make housing more unaffordable.
What kind of Democrat?
In 2016, Harris narrowly lost her race for Clark County Council to Republican John Blom. Since then, she said, she’s realized that the Legislature would be a better position to address issues regarding health care and social services she’s identified while working in the Evergreen School District and as a court-appointed special advocate for vulnerable children.
Harris said that in 2008 she was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a painful condition that required multiple surgeries and physical therapy. She said it cost her a year of her life, causing her to file for bankruptcy.
“I think we need some diversity up (in Olympia) in terms of background and experience,” said Harris, a lifelong resident of Vancouver.
The Legislature is expected to take up the issue of school funding, and Harris said that her background and understanding of the school system will be an asset.
Harris said she also would have supported the equal-pay bill but would have cast different votes than Kraft had she been in the Legislature. She said she supports replacing the Interstate 5 Bridge. She said she would have voted for the Reproductive Parity Act and the Voting Rights Act, as well as to outlaw conversion therapy. She would have voted for housing bills introduced last session that Kraft opposed.
“I think she has a great grasp of all the issues facing our community,” said former Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard, who has endorsed Harris.
Harris has also secured the endorsements of state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, as well as Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, the state’s Democratic U.S. senators.
“If a 44-year-old biracial woman from Clark County is considered part of the (Democratic) establishment, that is a good thing,” said Harris.
Democrats could potentially expand their Legislative majorities, which has raised concerns they’ll pursue taxes on carbon, capital gains and income. In an interview with The Columbian’s Editorial Board, Harris expressed misgivings about a carbon tax but said she’d likely vote for Initiative 1631, which will place a fee on carbon emissions.
She said she is not in favor of an income tax, which she said would hurt Washington commuters who already pay Oregon income taxes. She said she would need more details on a capital gains tax before voting for it.
When asked what kind of Democrat she is, Harris said it depends on who you ask.
“I’ve been told I’m not progressive enough; I’ve been told I’m too progressive,” she said. “I must be doing something right.”
