The Clark County Republican Party (CCRP) has brought partisanship into a non-partisan race as the CCRP central committee voted unanimously to oppose Philip Johnson’s candidacy for Battle Ground City Council on Tuesday, July 29.
“Following a formal vote of the CCRP Central Committee and after gathering feedback
from precinct committee officers and grassroots members, the Party has concluded that
Mr. Johnson’s actions are incompatible with the values and unity expected of
Republican-affiliated leaders in Clark County,” a news release from CCRP stated.
Johnson served on the Battle Ground City Council from 2012 to 2023, with terms as mayor from 2016-17 and 2022-23. After more than a decade of public service, he opted not to seek reelection.
Johnson will face incumbent City Councilor Jeanie Kuypers. Kuypers was appointed to the Battle Ground City Council in February, filling the remainder of former council member Adrian Cortes’ seat after he narrowly won the 18th Legislative District Washington state Senate seat as a Democrat.
Johnson previously told The Reflector that his bid to return is grounded in frustration over Battle Ground’s local governance, especially addressing growth. Johnson mapped out the issues he wishes to address in a prior article with The Reflector, all of which are common complaints on Battle Ground centric social media groups. Johnson cited deteriorating roads, aging infrastructure and a lack of proactive code enforcement as motivators for wishing to rejoin the council in the nonpartisan seat.
“Philip Johnson has repeatedly undermined fellow Republicans by taking out negative
ads against candidates from within his own party,” said Matthew Bumala, chair of the
Clark County Republican Party, in the news release. “This kind of behavior is divisive, counterproductive and damaging to the broader conservative movement in our region. It’s our responsibility to stand up for candidates who build up our party — not tear it down.”
Johnson has plenty of prior experience on the very same council he is bidding for a fresh seat on. While Battle Ground City Council races are nonpartisan, which CCRP acknowledged in the news release, they added that Johnson identified himself with Republican circles in the past.
CCRP stated his use of campaign resources to run negative ads demonstrates a disregard for party unity and conservative principles.
“The Clark County Republican Party believes that voters in Battle Ground deserve
leaders who are collaborative, respectful and committed to serving their constituents — not individuals who pursue personal political agendas at the expense of their own team,” the CCRP release stated. “The CCRP encourages Battle Ground residents to support candidates who will lead with integrity, civility and a genuine commitment to the conservative values our community
Shares.”
The Reflector called Philip Johnson for comment after the CCRP news release but did not get a response by deadline.
