Ty Stober is seeking a second term on the Vancouver City Council, he announced Tuesday.
“The issues facing Vancouver are nuanced and complex,” Stober said in a media release. “And in my decision-making, I try hard to hear and represent the voices in our community that feel left out and left behind.”
His announcement was expected — Stober had filed with the Public Disclosure Commission for the 2019 election in April 2016, and his campaign has since raised about $9,400.
Before sitting on the city council, Stober cut his teeth running for the 49th District state Senate seat vacated by Democrat Craig Pridemore in 2012. An LGBTQ equal-rights advocate, Stober dropped out of that race to concentrate on the battle to defend the state’s marriage equality law, he told The Columbian at the time.
He also worked at the nonprofit Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, where he encouraged electronics retailers to stock and promote their most energy-efficient products.
In 2015, he narrowly won a city council bid for the Position 5 seat over Linda Glover (who went on to win her own council election in 2017). Over the past four years, he’s served on city committees including the Council for the Homeless, C-Tran and Safe Communities Task Force.
If elected to a second term, Stober pledged to focus on affordable housing and transportation.
“My time on (the) council has been rewarding,” Stober said in the media release.”We have launched many projects and initiatives to strengthen our community, and I want to see them come to fruition. I am eager to continue building economic and social opportunity that connects our youth, our aging population and our families to a growing, vibrant city.”
He’s not unopposed. Last week, local bail bondsman and pastor David Regan announced he’d be making a run at the Position 5 seat. Regan was a finalist for the city council’s appointment process to replace Alishia Topper after she was elected Clark County treasurer in November. The spot ultimately went to Erik Paulsen, who’s also up for re-election this year and so far not facing an opponent.
By far the most crowded 2019 city council race is for Position 6, the seat currently held by Bill Turlay. Since Turlay, 83, announced last month he wouldn’t be seeking re-election, five people have declared their candidacy, from relative newcomers like teacher Adam Aguilera to 20-year local government veteran Jeanne Stewart.
All of the city council candidates will need to register with the Clark County auditor next month in order to appear on the Aug. 6 primary ballot. The top two candidates for each city council seat up for re-election — Positions 2, 4, 5 and 6 — will advance to the Nov. 5 general election.
City councilors hold nonpartisan positions and receive a salary of $24,060 per year.
