Clark County Councilor David Madore made it official on Friday – he’s now running for chair of the board against fellow Councilor Tom Mielke and also former County Commissioner Marc Boldt.
When voters approved the Home Rule Charter last November, it changed the three commissioners structure to five councilors, added executive power to the county administrator, and also has one of the five councilors to be elected at-large and serve as chairman.
The Aug. 4 primary election will move the top two candidates forward regardless of political party to the general election Nov. 3. All three of the announced candidates are Republican, and have indicated they will file for the election during filing week May 11-15.
So far Mielke has raised more than $15,000 according to the Public Disclosure Commission. Madore and Boldt have not filed any campaign contributions.
The three men know each other well. Mielke and Madore have worked closely together first as commissioners and now as councilors. Madore beat Boldt by a vote of 53 percent versus 45 percent in the 2012 election for county commissioner. Boldt and Mielke also are well acquainted, as they roomed together while serving in the state Legislature in Olympia for six years in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
In a press release sent out last week, Madore said he has demonstrated “effective leadership” by introducing a fee waiver program he said created 7,000 new private sector jobs and more than $60 million in new local construction projects. Madore also states he was “a leading voice in efforts to withdraw support from the bloated, seriously flawed boondoggle” known officially as the CRC Light Rail Tolling project.
Madore also points to restoring free use of parks and boat launches during his term, as well as paying off millions of dollars in inherited county debt while balancing the budget without raising taxes.
“If this is what you want for your future, I’m your guy,” Madore said, adding Clark County has the fastest growing job market on the West Coast.
“We are so healthy now,” Madore said. “If the people want to trade in a shiny red Ferrari for a Ford Pinto,” that’s their choice. “That’s where we were back in 2012, we were way behind in economic health, we were stagnated and not doing anything about it.”
Madore is the founder of U.S. Digital, which has more than 130 employees.
Mielke said he is the best candidate for the new post primarily due to his years of experience, first as a state legislator for eight years starting in 1996, and more than six years as a county commissioner.
“I believe that I have proven my expertise in experience and loyalty” to the voters, Mielke stated in a press release sent out last week.
Boldt announced his intention to run for the county chair position back in late March. Boldt also cites his experience having served two terms as a county commissioner before his defeat by Madore.
“I believe I am the best qualified person to bring our county government real solutions instead of just saying ‘no,’” Boldt said.
Boldt claims the current commissioners – Madore, Mielke and Jeanne Stewart – “has spent its time on matters that divide the community. Along with that they spend time, and our money, seeking to implement what is not under the direct control of the county. Because of that, policies such as our budget or growth plans are way behind schedule. With this atmosphere of control, there will most likely be appeals on the growth plan.”
Boldt characterizes himself as a moderate Republican. In his race against Madore, his own Clark County GOP board sanctioned Boldt for not being conservative enough and cut off all campaign dollars to Boldt and backed Madore.
Madore said Boldt lost in 2012 because he failed to follow the voters’ wishes.
“Once you’re elected you are not elected as a bureaucrat or an independent rogue leader, you’re elected to pay attention to the voters,” Madore said. “It’s why I beat Boldt. He was continuing to do the opposite of what the people want.”
Madore said Boldt wanted to raise taxes and continued support for the CRC Light Rail Tolling project “over the objections of the people.”
Mielke agrees with Madore on Boldt’s spending decisions during his term as commissioner.
“Marc had made bad choices in budget decisions and spending money,” Mielke said of his former roommate.
Boldt is no fan of Madore.
“I feel David has much more ambition to control than to serve,” Boldt said. “It’s the chair’s responsibility to serve the council and the other governments including the cities. He has a good talk, but his walk, what he says about the cities is degrading, and what he says about county staff is degrading. … He’s too Republican to be a county council chair, too partisan.’’
