On the D18 campaign trail

Though the temperatures are dipping, the races for local elections are heating up with one Washington State Representative contest in particular featuring a lot of money and the possibility of a Democrat filling a seat in a historically Republican district.

The race for the 18th Legislative District Representatives Position 2 seat has two would-be newcomers to the legislature squaring off for the role currently filled by Liz Pike, R-Camas. Pike announced a retirement from politics earlier this year, having served in her current position since 2013.

Pike’s challenger in her successful 2016 campaign is back this year, and if the August primary election results are any indicator the returning candidate has a good chance at winning. Democrat Kathy Gillespie, a retired reporter/editor and former board member for Vancouver Public Schools, beat Republican Larry Hoff, a former credit union CEO and Navy veteran, in that race, getting 52.1 percent of the vote to Hoff’s 47.9 — a difference of 1,533 votes.

Hoff said that the election results were a wakeup call for his campaign, explaining that since then his team has been ramping up its efforts to build support.

“That doesn’t mean that we weren’t working hard in the primary,” he said. 

Hoff attributed part of Gillespie’s success to her campaign’s ability to rely on the “emotional side of politics.”

“They did a great job in getting out their vote in the primary,” he remarked.

Since that election Hoff said his campaign had worked to “energize more doorbelling teams,” mentioning that he had recently printed 20,000 campaign fliers to distribute in the district when he spoke to The Reflector.

With 40 days remaining before the election at the time of the interview, Hoff said he would be on the streets every day campaigning in the lead-up. His first foray into running for office was more than he had expected, noting that he’s gained more respect for those who run.

“I was on the other side of the table in my professional life, talking to candidates and deciding on races,” he said. “Candidates and their family sacrifice a lot throughout that (campaign) period.”

Hoff looks forward to getting to Olympia, noting the difference between campaigning and actual lawmaking.

“Then you have the ability to dig into issues, understand the nuances and try to understand the complications that (a) bill might create or might solve,” he said.

For Gillespie, the August primary results reflected what she had been hearing during her canvassing since February. She cited her Vancouver Public Schools Board of Directors experience, her return to run for the same race after losing in 2016 and her overall energy as things that “really resonated” with voters.

Gillespie noted that the first door-to-door campaigning was on a stormy day in February, however about a dozen people showed up to help get the word out. She felt that first turnout was a good indicator in what kind of support she had.

The former editor said it was significant that the seat was open, explaining that often incumbents have an easier time holding onto their position. 

“The open seat does give people an opportunity to take a new look in representation,” Gillespie said.

The race is notable in that it is the most expensive one in Clark County. As of press deadline Gillespie had raised close to $186,000 according to information from the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission. Though Hoff trails, he still had a six-figure contribution amount at more than $109,000, almost more than Pike had in her successful 2016 race. 

Though sources differed between the candidates, both had individual contributions making up the majority of their campaign coffers. Of note is a $25,000 contribution from the House Democratic Campaign Committee for Gillespie and close to $7,500 in contributions from Hoff himself for his campaign.

Gillespie mentioned that her campaign had a goal of raising $50,000 by the end of 2017, setting the bar for the rest of the campaign. She appreciated how even when starting in September of that year where key races of their own were going on, people were willing to contribute.

“I think it speaks to a real desire that people have for something new. They want something different, and they are willing to put their money into something that they believe very strongly in,” Gillespie remarked.