Of the three candidates vying for the Clark County Council District 3 seat currently held by Karen Bowerman, early elections results put Chuck Keplar and Will Fuentes in a nearly tied lead over John Jay.
Keplar had 4,552 votes (35.91 percent) to Fuentes’ 4,509 votes (35.57 percent), with just 43 votes separating them. Jay had 3,616 votes (28.52 percent).
Keplar, a pastor and Evergreen High School paraeducator, has focused his campaign on lowering taxes for families struggling to keep up with home prices and rising costs. He said the county needs a commonsense approach to reduce spending and lower taxes.
Keplar has been endorsed by Councilor Michelle Belkot and the Clark County Republican Party.
Keplar could not be reached for comment.
Fuentes said he was a little surprised to see how close the three-way race was Tuesday.
“If the numbers hold … I anticipate spending a lot more time in the community, talking to folks and listening to their concerns,” he said.
Along with working in banking, nonprofit operations and higher education, Fuentes has a long track record of community service with the county’s low-income housing committee, Vancouver’s climate change group, planning commission and others.
He said that experience will be needed to make Clark County affordable for housing, utilities or living expenses.
“The top issues that I hear constantly when I’m door-knocking and canvassing is housing — the lack of housing, housing affordability — and the homelessness issue,” Fuentes said.
Fuentes said he wants to focus on finding common ground among residents, government and local organizations to build collaborative relationships.
“I understand land-use planning and the challenges that are preventing us from increasing our housing inventory. I firmly believe that we are in definite need of zoning reforms,” he said.
District 4
Early results put Joe Zimmerman and Matt Little in the lead among the five candidates vying for the District 4 council seat.
Zimmerman received 3,825 votes (26.06 percent), while Matt Little received 3,488 votes (23.76 percent). Coming in third was Peter Cutile with 2,632 votes (17.93 percent). Dorothy Gasque received 2,559 votes (17.43 percent) and Shannon Roberts had 2,175 votes (14.82 percent).
The District 4 seat is currently held by council Chair Gary Medvigy, who has served on the council since January 2019. Bowerman and Medvigy announced earlier this year they would not seek another term in office.
Zimmerman, who is perhaps best known as the owner and operator of Bi-Zi Farms on Northeast 119th Street, said he expected he would either do really well or come in last.
“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions,” he said.
Zimmerman said he approached the election as two events: the first is making it through the primary runoff and the second is the November general election. He said he hasn’t had time yet to formulate a campaign plan for the remaining 12 weeks but will start working on that now.
A fifth-generation farmer, Zimmerman is a Clark County native. He said he has seen rapid growth in the county, especially in recent years.
Zimmerman said many of the voters he’s talked with are concerned about development.
“There’s a lot of concern about the freight rail dependent use (overlay),” he said. “And I would say the (Interstate 5) bridge is No. 3.”
Zimmerman said he is committed to making sure the county continues to grow in a meaningful and intelligent way. He said that means planning for the future with a broad vision that anticipates needs years into the future, not just the needs of today.
With 60,000 ballots left to be counted, Little said he is cautiously confident he can remain in one of the top two slots.
“If I remain in the top two, I’ll be very honored and thankful — and hopeful,” he said.
He said he also hopes voters trust he has the right skills and experience for the role of county councilor.
“I will work hard to get the voters’ confidence that I will represent them well and have a truly nonpartisan perspective,” Little said.
In the time he’s been knocking on doors and attending town halls, he said voters are most concerned about rising costs.
“High costs are impacting everyone, but especially families and small businesses,” Little said. “I think families and businesses want a community where development is planned better and is more balanced.”
Little said economic growth must be balanced with preserving rural areas and rural economies.
Cutile may be trailing in Tuesday’s initial returns but he’s not ready to throw in the towel yet. Cutile said he thinks he can make up enough ground to make the top two cutoff.
If he does end up in the top two, he said he will “double down” in his efforts to make it the most successful run for office possible.
While campaigning, Cutile said he found many voters are more focused on national rather than local elections. But the concerns he did hear about from residents included public safety and infrastructure.
“They want to make sure our roads are taken care of,” he said, something that has become more difficult as the county continues to rapidly grow.
Cutile said small businesses are the backbone of the county’s economy but have too long been ignored. He said he will champion practice steps to help businesses grow and reject tax increases and burdensome regulations.
