Incumbents in the 49th Legislative District, all Democrats from Vancouver, will advance to November’s ballot, according to initial returns in Tuesday’s primary election.
Position 2
As of Tuesday night, Rep. Monica Stonier had 10,596 votes, a commanding 62.92 percent, in the district’s Position 2 race. Challenger Russell Barber had 3,356 votes, or 19.93 percent, followed by Justin Forsman with 2,889 votes, or 17.15 percent. Both Barber and Forsman are Republicans.
The top two vote-getters advance to the November election.
Stonier, an instructional coach in Evergreen Public Schools, was first elected to the Legislature in 2012, then representing the 17th District. She has served in the 49th District since 2016.
“I’m happy to see the results tonight and see there’s plenty of work to do in races across the state,” she said. “Hopefully we’ll see another positive return in November.”
In her time across both districts, Stonier has positioned herself as a staunch supporter of public education and worker’s rights. She said Tuesday’s positive results for Democrats across the region could be a sign that the party’s recent changes to the presidential ticket may have increased voter interest.
“Maybe there was a bit of a boost of excitement,” Stonier said. “I love the idea of a vice president being a teacher that fought to feed kids during the school day like we’ve done here in Washington.”
If reelected, Stonier said her biggest priority would be to push the state to increase its funding for special education — a hot button topic for educators who have reported widespread increase in student social-emotional needs since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Barber, a software engineer, has never before run for public office. Earlier this year, he said his experience in both the private tech sector and in the U.S. Air Force have helped him develop “great problem-solving skills.” Barber said that he’s “thrilled” at Tuesday’s results, while still preliminary.
“It is incredibly encouraging to know that the community supports my values and vision for (the 49th District),” he said.
Forsman, who was not available for comment Tuesday, has never held public office but has made several runs for several other positions in the Vancouver area, including multiple runs for Vancouver City Council.
Position 1, Senate
Each of the other 49th District races had only two candidates, with both automatically advancing to November’s ballot.
As of Tuesday, Rep. Sharon Wylie, a former chair of the Council for the Homeless who has served the 49th District since 2011, had received 10,702 votes, or 63.53 percent. Brett Graham, a Republican, had 6,143 votes, or 36.47 percent.
Sen. Annette Cleveland had 10,479 votes, or 62.12 percent, while Republican challenger Lucia Worthington had 6,390, or 37.88 percent.
