Brook Pell addresses the Clark County Republican Central Committee Officers during applicant speeches.
Gary Medvigy talks of his political ideology as part of a speech to the Clark County Republican Central Committee last week.
John Ley states his case to the Clark County Republican Central Committee Officers as to why they should select him to take the vacant Clark County Council District 4 seat.
The Clark County Republican Central Committee has selected its three nominees for the open seat on the Clark County Council.
Close to 120 Republican Precinct Committee Officers (PCO) cast votes at the Luepke Center Jan. 15, selecting John Ley, Brook Pell and Gary Medvigy.
Their selections will be forwarded onto the four sitting county councilors, who will conduct interviews and pick one to serve in the District 4 seat left open after councilor Eileen Quiring was elected as Clark County Council Chair in November.
Voting was done in two rounds to whittle the eleven applicants to three, with Ley, a pilot and vocal opponent of Oregon's plans for transportation over the Columbia River, receiving a majority of votes in the first round. PCOs were allowed three choices in the first round and two in the second, with three candidates dropping out of the running based on first-round tallies. Both Pell and Medvigy received majority votes in the second round.
Who is John Ley?
Ley, whose name can often be spotted on The Reflector’s opinion page, said he’s been a Clark County resident since 1991 and pointed to his time spent pushing back against the Columbia River Crossing and, more recently, the potential for tolls on Portland-area interstates.
That tolling, as well as other Columbia River bridge issues, were areas he felt would be at the forefront for the next few years, as well as decisions around the county’s implementation of the state Growth Management Act.
“We’ve got government having far, far too much influence on our citizens and what their private property right are or aren’t,” Ley said.
Who is Brook Pell?
Pell, who says she’s a Clark County native and grew up in District 4, was recently elected Clark County Republican Party Vice Chair. She said defending property rights and finding fiscally responsible transportation solutions while respecting taxpayer dollars was her main focus. She said her experience as a commercial property manager and paralegal would be assets in her potential role on council.
Pell also referenced a letter of support recently sent out by Quiring, who she served as campaign manager for last year.
Who is Gary Medvigy?
Medvigy, a retired U.S. Army general, prosecutor and judge said he and his wife chose Clark County to retire based on its quality of life and natural beauty.
“But for me first and foremost I moved here because of each of you, to be among like-minded people with strong moral and core values,” Medvigy said.
Medvigy, a relative newcomer to local political discussions, took shots at Democrats and Hillary Clinton in his speech, affirming that he voted for President Donald Trump in the election. He said that “government in America should never be viewed as a growth industry” while adding that the county citizens should be put first, not elsewhere in the state, referencing Gov. Jay Inslee’s recent comments on the inevitability of light rail on an Interstate 5 bridge replacement.
“We must stand united in our narrative for both our legislators and governor that the will of Clark County must be respected,” Medvigy said.
As of Jan. 15 a date for council’s interviews and selection for the new District 4 councilor was not set.
