Two-term state Rep. Peter Abbarno, a Republican from Centralia, is running to retain his seat in the 20th Legislative District.
His challenger, Melvin Kaleolani Apana, lives in Amboy with his wife. Apana calls himself a Culture Republican, with “culture” referring to his native Hawaiian ancestry. He worked in construction with his family and previously ran for office in Hawaii.
The district’s other incumbent candidates, Sen. John Braun and Rep. Ed Orcutt, both Republicans, are running unopposed on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Abbarno is a lawyer and former Centralia City Council member.
“I’m running for reelection because I have a focus on improving our communities, making them safe,” Abbarno said, noting his desire to create life, job and educational opportunities for communities throughout Southwest Washington.
Apana visited the Clark County Election’s office seeking information and ended up filing to run. He doesn’t want his campaign to be focused on his background. He said that’s why he didn’t submit a statement for the voters’ pamphlet.
“I decided with my wife to run on a faith-based campaign — no donations, no advertisements, no pictures, no accolades, nothing,” Apana said. “Just my name Melvin Kaleolani Apana and my party.”
The men are vying to represent a large district that stretches from northern Clark County, through much of Cowlitz County and Lewis County and north into Thurston County. The 20th District encompasses Ridgefield, La Center and Woodland.
Abbarno said each part of the district is a little different, as are their needs.
“There are parts of my community that struggle with catastrophic flooding and infrastructure issues,” Abbarno said. Other areas, he said, need more infrastructure to continue to expand.
“The unifying issue throughout the community from Clark to Thurston is struggling to make ends meet at the kitchen table,” Abbarno said. “The cost of everything is higher for families and those on fixed incomes are struggling a lot to just get by.”
Apana said his campaign is focused on producing more energy, having a prospering economy, cutting taxes and reducing trade regulations.
Education spending has been a contentious issue in the state over the past few years.
Abbarno said the state’s education system isn’t adequately funded, leaving inequality among districts depending on whether they can pass their own funding levies.
Apana said education receives enough funding, and the focus must instead be on giving educators better tools needed to teach children.
The Legislature already approved funding for the Interstate Bridge Replacement project, although that too has become a hot topic on the campaign trail this season.
Abbarno said he voted to oppose tolling in the statehouse and maintains that position.
Apana didn’t address tolling on the bridge, but did say lawmakers should lessen regulations for contractors so they can begin construction more quickly.
Voters will be deciding this November whether to repeal key elements of the state’s Climate Commitment Act. Lawmakers approved the legislation, which created a cap-and-invest system to lessen greenhouse gas emissions, in 2021.
Abbarno said he favors repealing the measure. Apana, meanwhile, said more scientific research needs to be done on climate change and that climate change is natural. He did, however, express concern with government control of the weather via chemtrails, a debunked conspiracy theory that aircraft vapor trails are filled with government-created chemicals.
