How did Mitchell Kelly, a relatively unknown County staffer, defeat two well-known political candidates like Ty Stober and Sharon Wylie in the August primary for Clark County Auditor?
The answer could be as simple as three magic words: Deputy County Auditor.
Kelly repeatedly presents that title to voters as evidence that he is uniquely qualified to become the next Clark County Auditor. It appears on his campaign website, in the Voters’ Pamphlet, in campaign materials and at candidate forums.
But what exactly does “Deputy County Auditor” mean?
At the League of Women Voters forum, he said:
“I have currently worked in the office under Greg Kimsey for the past ten years as Deputy County Auditor and Reporting and Analysis manager.”
And in the video version of the Voters’ Pamphlet, Kelly said:
“I currently serve as Deputy County Auditor and Reporting Analysis Manager in the Auditor’s office in Clark County Washington.”
In a June 24 campaign video, Kelly said:
“September 2016 I started my employment with Clark County. My first role was Sr. Management Analyst, I was then promoted to Deputy County Auditor and reporting and analysis manager for Clark County.”
These aren't my descriptions of Kelly's position. They are his own words.
There’s just one big problem. The Clark County Human Resource records tell a different story.
The County identified only three positions: Management Analyst in 2016, Policy Analyst in 2018, and Administrative Services Manager III beginning in 2019. The County HR was very clear that there are no records showing a job-title change after 2019 or a transition to a position called Deputy Auditor.
The truth is, the “Deputy County Auditor” role doesn’t exist in County HR records as a position at all. However, many in the Auditor’s office are considered “deputized” in order to conduct duties on the Auditor's behalf, which is a common designation, not a special role or position within the Auditor's office.
There is a significant difference between saying, “I am an Administrative Services Manager who has been authorized to perform certain duties as a Deputy Auditor,” and saying, “I was promoted to Deputy County Auditor” or “I currently serve as Deputy County Auditor.”
The latter creates a natural impression of a formal senior position—perhaps the Auditor's second-in-command or someone already performing the elected Auditor's job.
That impression matters in a crowded race.
Kelly isn't being shy about it. He repeatedly uses Deputy County Auditor as a central campaign credential, while identifying himself in County work settings differently, or more accurately by dropping the Deputy County Auditor facade and sticking with his actual role as Risk and Analysis Manager.
And there is another reason this deserves scrutiny.
Kelly's campaign emphasizes “Experience. Integrity. Trust.”
Integrity and honesty aren't just campaign slogans. They mean presenting your qualifications in a way that doesn't intentionally create a misleading impression.
There is also a financial component. Kelly is seeking to move from his current County position into the substantially higher-paid elected Auditor position. Seeking a higher-paying elected office is certainly not improper. But if a County-derived designation is being used to create an inflated impression of experience and authority in order to gain an electoral and ultimately financial advantage, that raises a legitimate ethics question.
When a candidate campaigns on Honesty and Integrity, I think voters are entitled to ask. Also, magic or semantic sleight-of-hand words shouldn’t be the determining factor in a local election.
If you want to see more, check outReformcast E26 where I lay out all the evidence that shows Mitchell Kelly is misleading voters.
