Updated election results show positions in Clark County are poised for some new faces as newcomers to the seats are set to move on to the November general election.
Clark County sheriff
The race for Clark County sheriff has one of the office’s current administrative leaders as the front-runner of the pack of candidates who are looking to replace current sheriff Chuck Atkins, who is not running for re-election.
Current sheriff’s office chief criminal deputy John Horch received about 43.9% of the vote as of Friday. Likely moving on with Horch to the November general election is Vancouver Police Department Cpl. Rey Reynolds, who had roughly 39.7% of the vote. Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy David Shook garnered about 16% of the vote.
Horch said he didn’t take much time to celebrate when he saw he was the frontrunner.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do still. We’re like in the fourth quarter. We’ve got to press to the end,” Horch said.
Horch said he takes the issues the sheriff’s office faces seriously. The department is grappling with staff shortages and an outdated jail, both of which require resources the future sheriff will need to secure.
Horch said he has so far been focused on his own push for candidacy and is focused on staying the course.
“I knew to stay focused, eye on the ball, and keep pressing forward,” Horch said.
He said he respects both Reynolds and Shook, who ran in the primary.
“My hats are off to the other two. They’re honorable men,” Horch said.
Clark County Council District 5
For Clark County Council’s recently-created district representing the northern reaches of the county, an agriculturally-minded candidate has taken the lead while the incumbent, who was appointed earlier this year, is likely out.
Candidate Sue Marshall led the pack for the district 5 seat with about 32.2% of the vote in Friday’s count. Behind her is former Washington State Sen. Don Benton, who is likely to move on with roughly 27.6% of the vote. Candidate Rick Torres came in third with about 24.8%, while incumbent Richard Rylander rounded out the candidates with roughly 15.1% as of Friday.
Though Marshall has been involved with issues in Clark County for years, this was the first time she threw her hat into the ring for an elected government position.
“I felt proud of myself because I worked very hard,” Marshall said.
Marshall said she could have ended up in district 2 since earlier this year the Clark County Council deliberated over which redistricting map it would ultimately go with. Marshall said she didn’t know what district she would be in until the county council approved the redistricting map a week before filing week. Much like at the state level, the county had to adjust its boundaries in part based on the 2020 Census.
“Thank goodness they adopted that map. … I’m well-suited for district 5, just being a rural gal and our family having farmed here for multiple generations,” Marshall said. “I think people respect the roots.”
Marshall said she wants to take “a little bit of a breather” before starting up her general election campaign.
When Marshall spoke with The Reflector before subsequent votes rolled in, the race between Benton and Torres was closer. She said her strategy for winning in November would depend on who makes it to the general election.
Marshall noted she’s been involved with land use issues in North Clark County. She currently serves as the vice-chair for the Clark Conservation District.
“I think what’s ahead in the next four years at the council level … there’s some very big decisions ahead,” Marshall said.
Other races
Two of the county council’s other districts also featured primary elections this year.
For district one, candidate Glen Yung was in the lead with about 45% of the vote as of Friday. Hector Hinojosa will likely move on to the November election with Yung after he secured roughly 32.5% of the vote. In third place was Doug Coop with about 22%.
For district 2, Michelle Belkot led the race. Belkot received roughly 44% of the vote as of Friday, while fellow seat-seeker Chartisha Roberts had roughly 35.7% and was likely to move on to the general election. Candidate Kim Hamlik had about 19.9% of the vote as of Friday.
“I was obviously pleased and pretty excited,” Belkot said about the results.
Belkot said she had a good feeling her front-runner status would hold, thanks in part to the work her campaign team had undertaken.
“I think voters want candidates who tell them where they stand and have real plans to address the challenges that we all want tackled,” Belkot said.
Though several other elected positions in Clark County are up for a vote this year, only the Clark County auditor faces a challenger heading into the November election. Incumbent Auditor Greg Kimsey had a strong showing in the primary election with about 71% of the vote as of Friday. His challenger, Brett Simpson, had about 28.5% of the vote.
The fact Kimsey and Simpson were even on the ballot for the August primary became a point of contention as Simpson filed a lawsuit against Kimsey, elections supervisor Cathie Garber and the county as a whole to prevent votes from being counted in the primary race.
In the suit, Simpson argued that because the auditor’s race is not a partisan position — as it had been previous to an amendment to the Clark County Charter approved by voters last year — it should never have been on the ballot in the first place.
Simpson’s request for a court injunction was denied in Clark County Superior Court. In his ruling, judge Derek Vanderwood agreed with Kimsey’s interpretation of language in the county charter which stated races of that kind should be included on the ballot, whether they are partisan positions or not.
