Newcomers generally had strong showings among four races in north Clark County municipal government during the August primary election this year.
As of press deadline, the three races for Battle Ground City Council seats and the race for Woodland mayor all had front-runners holding a majority of votes. The top-two candidates of each race will move onto the Nov. 7 general election following certification on Aug. 15, though current numbers all but confirm who will be advancing.
Woodland Mayor
The first challenge current Woodland Mayor Will Finn has to his position since running unopposed in both 2015 and 2019 has proven to be a race to watch this year. As of Friday, Aug. 4, Finn trails behind challenger Todd Dinehart, who has about 55.8% of the vote in the three-person race.
Finn trails his competitor with 30% of the vote. He will continue alongside Dinehart to the November election, while Janna Lovejoy, who netted roughly 13.4% of the vote, is set to be eliminated.
Upon seeing the results, Dinehart said he was extremely thankful for the community support.
“It is evident that our community wants change, and they trust me to provide the leadership to do so by bringing accountability and transparency to our local government,” Dinehart said in an email to The Reflector.
He said he will continue getting out into the community and “making sure everyone’s voice is heard so that we can all make Woodland the community we desire.”
“I truly care about this city and the people that live here,” Dinehart said. “I want to make it a better place for us all.”
Battle Ground
City Council
If primary numbers are any indication, the city’s lone-elected incumbent up for another term is likely to serve for a fourth set of four years. As of press deadline, Councilor Shane Bowman has about 56.3% in the council’s position 2.
Behind him is challenger Josh VanGelder, who has roughly 38.1% of the vote. Both are set to move on, while candidate C.R. Wiley, who took about 4.74% of the vote, is likely to be eliminated.
Although pleased with the results, Bowman wasn’t too surprised to come out on top.
“I think there’s not a lot of issues in Battle Ground that people would say we need a big change for,” Bowman said.
He said the city’s work to pay off debt and invest into infrastructure has put it on the right track.
“It’s going to take some time, but we’re starting to fix the roads back up, and people are starting to see that,” Bowman said.
He said a lack of infighting among current councilors is also indicative of stable city leadership.
Though the primary results are promising, Bowman said he wouldn’t be letting up on his campaign efforts. It was the first serious one he has had to run since he was first elected 12 years ago, he said.
“The primary just kind of gives you a poll of where things are, but I’m definitely not going to sit back and not do anything,” Bowman said.
The council’s other incumbent, Dan Dingman, was appointed in June to fill a vacancy. His campaign to maintain the position 3 seat has already met with a legitimate challenge, as newcomer Victoria Ferrer managed to get the most votes for that race.
As of press deadline, Ferrer had 58% of the vote. Dingman will be moving on to the November election as he gained about 37.8% of the vote. Craig Wigginton is in third place with 3.8% of the vote, and is likely to be eliminated.
It was the first time Ferrer has run for any elected office. She said seeing the first results were “humbling and exciting at the same time.”
“I never saw myself wanting to get into the political realm at all,” Ferrer said.
Talking more and more with residents, however, she saw a need to fill a role on the council.
She said a councilor’s seat would allow her to be more than just a voice in the gallery on city issues.
“If I get this position, I’ll actually be able to do something,” Ferrer said.
Ferrer was concerned over the voter turnout for the primary, which as of the latest ballot count was only about 19.2%, according to Clark County Elections. She stressed the importance of participating in the “little-guy races” that don’t generate as much buzz as state and national contests.
“These little-guy races are what’s going to be controlling your town,” Ferrer said.
Battle Ground will have at least one newcomer to the council following November’s contest. The race for position 7 has three hopefuls to succeed incumbent Philip Johnson, who is not running for another term.
As of press deadline, Eric Joe Overholser had 52.7% of the vote for position 7. He will likely be moving on with Josie Calderon, who had about 43.7% of the vote. Max Booth came in third place with roughly 3% of the vote.
Overholser could not be reached for comment prior to press deadline.
Only an estimated 150 ballots are left to count across Clark County, according to Clark County Elections.
