Mike Johnson said serious times need serious leaders, and that is why Joe Kent should be elected to Congress

Paul Valencia
ClarkCountyToday.com

Southwest Washington is in the national spotlight as the race for the 3rd Congressional District heads into the final 12 days.

And that race brought the United States Speaker of the House to Clark County on Thursday in  

support of Republican candidate Joe Kent.

Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and Kent lifted the spirits of a number of supporters at a rally Thursday at the Republican Victory Office in Ridgefield.

Planned as an indoor rally/town hall, organizers opted to go outside on the sunny day because more people than expected showed up to cheer on Kent and to hear from the Speaker.

Johnson and Kent both spoke to the crowd, and then answered a few questions regarding farming, timber, censorship, and more. They then were led back into the building to hold a brief press conference with members of the media from as far north as Centralia to Clark County and south to Portland. 

Johnson noted that this close race — Kent is facing incumbent Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez — has a national following. Johnson predicted Kent will win the seat for the GOP, and he also believes the GOP will control the House, the Senate, and The White House after all of the votes are counted in November.

“I’m just honored that all of you are here,” Kent told the crowd before introducing the Speaker.

Kent noted how close his race is, but he is confident in his campaign.

“All she has is money and lies,” Kent told the crowd, referring to Perez’s campaign. “You guys saw the debates. She can’t defend her voting record. Democrat policies are destroying our district, our state, and our nation.”

Speaker Johnson, in fact, doubled down on that statement, noting that today’s Democrat party is not your dad’s Democrat party. It has changed, and not for the better of American society. 

This is the second time Johnson has visited Southwest Washington during this campaign. He reported positive vibes all over America. He said he has visited 238 cities in 40 states.

“This is the momentum we want, and this is what we are seeing around the country right now,” Johnson said. “Everybody around the country … is fed up and fired up.”

The crowd roared its approval of that statement.

Then he turned his attention to Kent.

“Serious times call for serious leaders. That’s why Joe is the right guy in this moment in time,” Johnson said. “His life experiences, his acumen, are going to help us save America. I’m not exaggerating.”

The Speaker also had some fun with the crowd, more than once giving his President Trump impersonation.

He also seems to enjoy that Southwest Washington is a key part of the battle for Congress.

“My presence here shows how important this district is to all Americans,” Johnson said. 

Then he challenged the crowd:

“Everybody’s watching around the country, so no pressure.”

In other words, get out the vote.

In the media room, Kent wondered how much time he had when he was asked if he would like to address any attacks or mischaracterizations about him during this campaign.

“I served my country for over 20-plus years. All the nonsense about me being a White Nationalist or any of that crap, I think that’s just out of line,” Kent said. “That’s exactly what my opponent is doing because she can’t defend her voting record.

“The Democrats, my opponent included, are doing anything they can to avoid discussing their voting records. There’s a bunch of other different attacks on me that are out there. They are spending millions of dollars, but that’s all to take people’s eyes off the ball so that they can divert from what their records are.”

Johnson described Kent to the media as a Renaissance Man, and there would be a number of committees that Kent would be qualified for in Congress. He specifically noted the armed services, intelligence, and foreign affairs committees 

“Somebody … who has been around the world, been deployed like that, brings a whole different level of insight to the table than a regular rank-and-file member of Congress, to be frank,” Johnson said. “I’ll find out his preferences and we’ll talk about what makes the most sense. But he’s got a lot to offer Congress.”

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