Eight Clark County Council Candidates, Only TWO Deserve Your Vote
Jul 19, 2024 1:15 am
THE BALLOTS ARE HERE! 
A Crucial Choice: Examining the Candidates for Clark County Council
Ballots are here and we have two very, very important County Council seats up for grabs. Eight candidates are vying for four spots to duke it out in November for those two open seats. The two seats in question are currently held by Karen Bowerman in District 3 and Gary Medvigy in District 4. Both ran as Republicans but have been terribly disappointing over the last four years on many issues, including their COVID response, raising impact fees, approving the Baker Tilly consulting contract that gave big raises to employees (which is blowing up the budget) and now supporting Kimsey’s Charter amendments. They went lockstep with Gov. Inslee and often side with the administrative elites. They rarely stand up for Republican values like smaller government and more accountability. Instead, they sat back during COVID, handing out $3.7M in bonuses—more ARPA money went to County employees' bonuses than to small businesses devastated during the pandemic.
I could go on, but needless to say, these two County seats are vital, and that’s why I’m encouraging you and the 3,000+ people who get my Reform Clark County updates to vote for Peter Cutile (District 4) and Chuck Keplar (District 3).
District 3
In District 3, three candidates are working for the two spots for the General election.
Wil Fuentes, a recent Hillsboro, Oregon transplant, is running on behalf of the Democrats and is hoping to capture Bowerman’s seat not just for himself and his fellow Democrats but also to have a seat for Fourth Plain Forward (FPF), a very aggressive, DEI, social justice, far-left community organization hoping to turn Vancouver dark blue. 
The other candidate is John Jay, another recent transplant. Both Wil and John registered to vote for the first time in Clark County just a few years ago, in March of 2022. John wants you to think he’s a Republican, but his policy positions tell a different story. John has said at different forums and interviews that he is in SUPPORT of raising your taxes along with the Democrats and won’t oppose tolls (watch the video HERE).
Of course, he gives the ol’ playbook move of saying, “Nobody likes tolls,” but it’s clear he won’t lift a finger to stop them. John refused to submit a survey to the Clark County Republican Party, probably not wanting to reveal his compromising positions fully, and has marched out a list of squishy “Republicans” like Paul Harris that have a worse record of flip-flopping than John Kerry but that’s probably what they taught him at Berkeley.
Chuck Keplar is the only candidate who hasn’t just recently moved into the district but has raised his family—six of his eight kids adopted through the foster care system, and has invested decades in D3. Chuck’s campaign is “Families First, Lower Taxes and No Tolls,” and boy, does he mean it. 
District 4
Now, let’s turn to District 4, where five candidates are battling for the top two spots to go head-to-head in November (well, only four are functionally campaigning, but I’ll get into that later).
There are three candidates trying mightily to fool voters into thinking they are conservative on issues when their background says the complete opposite. The non-partisan labels on the County Council positions weren’t meant to help voters but intended, and are succeeding to a certain degree, in giving voters less information to make informed decisions. Think about it. Changing the label doesn’t remove politics, and three of the five candidates are trying to take advantage.
Joe Zimmerman, whose longtime family farm isn’t even in District 4, is running and telling some he’s a “moderate Republican,” yet he’s stated that he’ll support raising taxes, supports the bridge as proposed (which won’t add capacity), and is a board member of the mainly Democrat organization Friends of Clark County.
On top of that, Joe also was instrumental in getting Sue Marshall, a tax-and-spend Democrat and was a fellow Friends of Clark County board member, endorsed by the Clark-Cowlitz Farm Bureau in 2022 which no doubt played a part in her election. If Joe Zimmerman gets elected, District 5 will practically have two Council members, and he will most likely need to recuse himself from any decisions concerning the railroad because his District 5-located farm is smack dab in the middle of the controversy as it butts up against the railroad.
Matt Little claims to be a hunting-and-fishing fiscally conservative independent. But when you look closer, he’s hardly independent. His background reeks of Washington DC politics, and he served as a staffer for one of the most liberal US Senators ever to serve, Patrick Moynihan (yes, the one whom Hillary Clinton replaced in New York). But it gets worse. Recently, he worked as Director of Investor Partnerships with Social Venture Partners (SVP) of Portland, a very left-leaning organization targeting preschoolers with DEI and radical social justice curriculums. [Photo from SVP "Our Story" page]
SVP touts that they work to “dismantle racist systems,” and they do it by “teaching” preschoolers. It’s no wonder Matt Little told the League of Women Voters that he’d look to implement more DEI even though the voters soundly rejected a charter amendment doing so just a few years ago. I’m not a fan of DEI stuff but I really don’t like hiding it behind the veil of being an “independent.” By the way, did I mention he recently picked up the endorsement of Mayor Anne of Vancouver? I guess she could have two votes on the County Council if she plays her cards right.
Dorothy Gasque is the current Deputy Treasurer for the Clark County Democratic Party yet hasn’t mentioned that once in forums or interviews. She ran in 2018 for the U.S. Representative D3 and lost bigly, only gaining 4.9% of the votes. She has a long track record of being a staunch Bernie Sanders supporter, and some consider her “Washington State’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.” Yet, when you listen to her answers, she wants you to think otherwise.
Shannon Roberts rode the wave of hatred for the Camas pool levy to win a seat on the Camas Council only to mysteriously resign in 2022. What’s odd about her resignation is that she didn’t give voters any indication why, and from what I can see now, I think she doesn’t respect voters enough to think they are entitled to one. I talked to Ms. Roberts shortly before she filed in early May. She told me and others she would be out of town for just two weeks, but she’s been MIA in Clark County ever since, literally living mostly in the Puget Sound area, while skipping out on all forums and in-person interviews.
Now, her reason for this might be justifiable but her lack of honesty about her availability and lack of access to voters is not. Apparently, Ms. Roberts thinks so little of the voters that all she has to do is put a statement in the Voters' pamphlet, hang a few signs, talk up her military background, and coast into the County Council seat. I’m sorry, but we need more than that especially when heading into a competitive General Election. When I checked her voting record (which she challenged me to do so), I found mostly unanimous votes, and she went right along with the COVID lockdowns and government narratives without notable resistance.
Peter Cutile is a Romanian-born passionate man who loves his family, church, and community (sidenote, based on Matt Little’s love and pursuit for DEI, maybe he should drop out and endorse Peter immediately to be more equitable). Peter is tired of people getting elected to work to expand the county budget and hand out raises. He wants to work for you, for us. 
The County Council hangs in the balance and your support and vote will no doubt shape the future of Clark County. Every vote counts and I hope my opinion helps you cut through the fog of “non-partisan” labels so you can vote for true fighters. I wholeheartedly support and endorse Chuck Keplar, and Peter Cutile for Clark County Council, and hope you do too.
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READ THIS AT CLARKCOUNTYTODAY.COM
ICYMI: Councilor Michelle Belkot Endorses Chuck Keplar And Peter Cutile For County Council
With two Clark County Council seats on the ballot, it is crucial that voters make informed decisions about candidates who will genuinely work for the people. The future of our County is at stake, and we need leaders committed to lowering taxes and listening to the community, rather than rubber-stamping more government spending and unwanted policies. Key issues include standing against family-crushing tolls while seeking reasonable transportation solutions, pivoting our homeless strategies to effectively reduce homelessness, addressing the Growth Management Act for more affordable housing, advocating for citizen and property rights, and ensuring the county government doesn't expand unchecked.
For these reasons, I enthusiastically endorse Peter Cutile and Chuck Keplar for Clark County Council. While several candidates are positioning themselves as conservatives, moderate Republicans, or independents, I know from experience who has the right qualities to serve the people effectively.
Chuck Keplar is running for District 3 to replace Councilor Karen Bowerman. I do not doubt that Chuck is the right person for the job and will stand with me to keep taxes low and advocate for families. As a father of eight, six from the foster care system, Chuck is deeply invested in District 3 at every level. Unlike his opponents, who have only recently moved into the district, Chuck has been raising his family here for decades. He is committed to lowering taxes, opposing tolls, and putting families first.
Peter Cutile is uniquely prepared to replace Councilor Gary Medvigy. His family moved from Romania over forty years ago, and he’s running because he doesn’t like the current direction of our Country and County. Peter will advocate for families and businesses, the backbone of our economy. He’ll champion practical steps to nurture their growth, reject tax hikes and burdensome regulations, and ensure meaningful support for our family businesses. With his realtor experience, Peter understands the importance of cutting through red tape and reducing hidden costs to boost housing supply, stabilize prices, and maintain vibrant communities.
I encourage everyone voting in District 3 to support Chuck Keplar (electkeplar.com) and Peter Cutile in District 4 (votecutile.com).
- Councilor Michelle Belkot
Chuck Keplar and Peter Cutile Dominate At League Of Women Voters Forums
Clark County Council District 4 and District 3 candidates faced off at League of Women Voters forums over the last few weeks and both Republican-endorsed candidates stood out as strong candidates.
