Letter: ‘No unity behind Joe Kent’

Julia Dawn Seaver states that ‘if Republicans want to unite … they should start with a candidate who at minimum agrees with the very foundational Republican value of limited government’

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

The Clark County Republican Party (CCRP) refused to recognize accomplished Republican and Camas City Council Member Leslie Lewallen as a Republican in her race for Congress in the Third Congressional District. CCRP Chair Matt Bumala told Clark County Today the party’s refusal was a clear message of support for Joe Kent in that race, but you know what they say – the devil is in the details.

Here are some factors the controlling members of the party don’t want to acknowledge:

That “clear message” came from 18% of the body – just 46 Precinct Committee Officers (PCOs).
The May endorsement of Kent (a full year before the filing date) had the support of 71 PCOs – 30% of the body. That means 70% of the PCOs voted no, abstained, or just didn’t show up.
The narrative about “splitting the vote” is no longer in play with the exit of Jaime Herrera Beutler. The incumbent advantage now goes to the Democrats, leaving the other seat wide open. There is no reason to shut out candidates 1 ½ years before the election.
In 2022, Kent lost 9% of Tiffany Smiley voters while Marie Gluesenkamp Perez outperformed Patty Murray at about the same rate (a pattern observed in every county). There were 9,458 such voters in Clark county alone who are unlikely to be swayed by the opinion of 71 PCOs.

The kicker is that while Lewallen is undeniably in line with the party’s platform and principles, Kent is undeniably not. Maybe Clark County Today could get an answer on why the party insists on putting forward a candidate with the very un-Republican ideas of limiting land rights, confiscating the land of private citizens, taxing wealth instead of income, passing out big tax credits/deductions, promoting government interference in private business, criticizing the free market, and shutting down legal immigration for 20 years. Some of us have been asking that question for two years.

The bottom line is that there is, and will be, no unity behind Joe Kent, despite any proclamations to the contrary. If Republicans want to unite and have a chance at winning back the Congressional seat, they should start with a candidate who at minimum agrees with the very foundational Republican value of limited government, which makes all our freedoms possible. It shouldn’t be too much to ask.

Julia Dawn Seaver
Vancouver