Maybe the third time will be the charm for one local Republican’s attempt to win a legislative seat.
Carolyn Crain, 56, is for the third time running for the House position in the 49th Legislative District currently occupied by Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver. She ran and lost to the liberal Democrat in 2012 and 2014.
Crain, however, won’t have the challenge of running against an incumbent this year: Moeller announced earlier this year he’ll be giving up the seat he’s held for more than a decade to run for lieutenant governor.
“Unless the seat was vacant, no one has ever won the first time they ran,” Crain said. “People in Vancouver are stubborn.”
Vancouver City Councilor Alishia Topper and former state representative Monica Stonier, both Democrats, have also announced their candidacies to represent the liberal-leaning district.
Crain and Moeller, in general, have had cordial competitions for the seat, and Crain doesn’t see that civility changing with new opponents.
“I know both of those two women, and I like them, generally speaking,” Crain said. “I’m gonna go to battle over things like bad legislation. I’m not going to go to the cat fights.”
Crain has been a familiar face in local politics in recent years, frequently commenting at Vancouver City Council and Clark County council meetings. She recently helped lead the charge to form the Republicans of Clark County, a conservative countermovement critical of the leadership of the Clark County Republican Party.
“At this point, I can’t go to the grocery store without someone saying, ‘Hey, Carolyn,'” she said. “In name exposure, I have a huge difference going down at this point. I think I have gained a lot of respect from people.”
Though Crain said it’s “almost impossible to pick” a key issue to her campaign, she said her main passions include Southwest Washington’s transportation problems, regulatory issues and care for seniors.
She is a vocal proponent of a third bridge over the Columbia River into Portland west of Interstate 5 — though she’s lukewarm on proposals by Rep. Liz Pike, R-Camas, and Clark County Councilor David Madore, a Republican, to build additional bridges.
“It’s time to look at that west side process to disperse, to reroute and redirect the main I-5 traffic corridor,” Crain said.
Crain has been retired since 2002. During her working life, Crain owned three businesses, a bakery and two Curtis Mathes electronics stores, as well as a small apartment complex.
