Ballots for the Nov. 5 general election have arrived at the homes of Washington residents. In Clark County, voters will be selecting new city leadership, the next county councilor and a new majority on a local school board.
Here are four races to watch in southwest Washington:
Vancouver City Council
Voters will decide who will sit on three City Council seats in this election. Local political veteran Jeanne Stewart, who previously held a seat on the council for 12 years, is running against Camas city planner Sarah Fox for an open seat vacated by Bill Turlay. Two incumbent councilors, Erik Paulsen and Ty Stober, are each facing challengers this election. Local bail bondsman David Regan is trying to take over Stober's seat and Maureen McGoldrick is running for Paulsen’s, who earned 64.7% of the vote in the August primary.
Vancouver Public Schools Board
An election that could alter the majority of the current Vancouver Public Schools board is drawing attention. This year, voters will choose the outcome of three board seats, and the outcome could significantly alter the composition of the body. Last year’s teacher strikes and the district’s $8 million budget deficit for next year prompted more classroom educators to jump into politics.
Incumbent board member Dale Rice will face Kyle Sproul to defend his seat of 29 years. Sproul has a business and marketing background and is a mother to three children in the district. In the race for position 4, Heritage High science teacher Lisa Messer is running against former kindergarten teacher Kathy Decker, guaranteeing teachers will have at least one new voice on the school board. A third race involves school psychologist Tracie Barrows and accountant Chris Lewis.
Clark County Council
Republican Clark County Councilor Gary Medvigy will defend his seat for the first time in the November election. Medvigy, a retired California superior court judge and former prosecutor, was appointed to the District 4 seat in January after Councilor Eileen Quiring left the seat to become the chairperson of the council. Medvigy's Democratic challenger, Adrian Cortes, is a special education teacher and a Battle Ground City Council member who grew up in north Clark County.
Battle Ground City Council
In Battle Ground, two political newcomers are entering races for city council. In the race for position 7, Josh VanGelder will face off against two-term city councilor and former mayor Philip Johnson. Shauna Walters is running against Neil Butler for Position 3. Walters and VanGelder have both been vocal opponents of Initiative 1639, a statewide gun control initiative that Washington voters approved by nearly 60 percent last year.
Ballot drop boxes close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.