Mike Pond has joined what’s becoming an increasingly crowded race for Vancouver City Council Position 6.
Pond, a local marketing specialist and political consultant, announced Monday that he’s running for the seat currently held by Bill Turlay. Turlay, 83, told The Columbian last week that he’s not seeking reelection.
“I’m running because Vancouver is my home. I’ve always lived here, I love it here,” Pond said. “I want to be here for the next 50 years. The decisions being made now are going to reflect what that looks like.”
In a media release, 31-year-old Pond emphasized his youth, referring to “the ideal person to be the first city councilor elected under the age of 35.”
“Pond embodies a diverse perspective not yet seen on the city council. Pond brings creativity, strategic thinking, and a long term perspective to the council that will lead to a more intentional look at how the city is representing all residents,” the press release stated.
Pond grew up in Vancouver and graduated from Prairie High School. As a senior, he organized a student march to show support for the 2006 Battle Ground Public Schools levy. He went on to earn an associate degree at Clark College before earning a bachelor’s degree at Western Washington University, where he served as vice president for student life for Associated Students of Western Washington University.
He currently works as a marketing specialist for ADCO Commercial Printing & Graphics.
Over the past few years, Pond has been involved in a handful of local campaigns — he worked on Anne McEnerny-Ogle’s bid for city council and for mayor, he volunteered on Ty Stober’s city council campaign, managed Eric Holt’s 2018 race for the Clark County Council and worked on Jim Moeller’s 2016 bid for the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I’m excited to hit the ground running and to flex a little bit, strut my stuff when it comes to campaigning. That’s what I’ve been doing for the last seven years, and I’m ready to do it for myself this time,” Pond said.
The race for Position 6 now includes four candidates: Pond, teacher union leader Adam Aguilera, Camas urban planner Sarah Fox, and U.S. Forest Service employee Diana Perez.
Current Councilors Erik Paulsen, Bart Hansen and Stober are also seeking to retain their seats in 2019. So far their only challenger is David Regan, who was a finalist for a council appointment earlier this year. Regan has yet to declare which position he’s seeking.
Pond filed with the Public Disclosure Commission on March 15, which allows his campaign to start raising and spending money. He’ll need to register with the Clark County auditor during the week of May 13 in order to appear on the Aug. 6 primary ballot.
The top two finalists for the Position 6 seat will advance to the general election on Nov. 5.
