Hogan leads Camas mayoral race; voters stick with Camas School Board incumbents

Camas City Councilman Steve Hogan has a substantial lead in the Camas mayoral race. With more than 70 percent of the ballots counted countywide, Hogan leads his challenger, Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce Director Jennifer Senescu, 57-43, with 2,336 votes to Senescu’s 1,779 votes. 

“I’m feeling pretty good,” Hogan said Tuesday night. “And there’s a lot I’m looking forward to. We have important negotiations and studies with the Camas-Washougal Fire Department coming up. Safety is a priority and we need to work on that right off the bat.”

The city also has quite a few open staff positions at the moment, including hiring a permanent city administrator and a new lead planner. 

“We have a pretty good size list for the city administrator, so I’m eager to review those (candidates).” Hogan said. 

The likely new Camas mayor said he is much more comfortable managing people and running the city’s day-to-day business than he was on the campaign trail. 

“I’m very excited. I feel that this is a message of support to keep going in the directions that we’re going — for keeping student success at the top of our decision-making, keeping students and staff healthy,” Cox said Tuesday night. “I’m excited that this is the message our community has sent. They’ve said, ‘Yes, keep doing what you’re doing. Keep questioning and asking and working with the community.’” 

McEnry agreed. 

“I think this vote was absolutely a referendum on what we’ve been doing for the past year and a half and longer,” McEnry said Tuesday night after the first ballot results came in. “This is a vote of confidence, but I won’t forget the 40 percent who disagree, and we will keep listening to those folks and trying to bridge that divide.” 

Cox said she also hoped the people who voted against her and who have been questioning the school board’s handling of the pandemic and other issues will know the board is still listening. 

“They want to be heard, and they have been heard,” Cox said. “We’ve got to make some decisions, but it doesn’t mean (they) aren’t part of the process. People need to understand that we want to hear them and understand them. But let’s have more of a dialogue.”

Both Cox and McEnry said they are looking forward to serving on the board as it makes its final decision on a new superintendent of schools later this year, and of furthering the district’s mission of “seeing and serving each student.” 

“Let’s keep thinking of all students, keep thinking about equity and putting all students in the forefront of our decisions,” Cox said.