Primary Election: Camas-Washougal voters support fire station bonds, ECFR levy lid lift

This article was updated Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2024, to reflect the latest ballot count

Voters in the Camas-Washougal area are overwhelmingly in favor of three fire-related propositions that will build two new fire stations in the cities of Camas and Washougal — including a Camas-Washougal Fire Department (CWFD) headquarters station in downtown Camas — and will lift the levy rate lid for the East County Fire and Rescue (ECFR) District north of Camas-Washougal to help that fire district keep its two stations fully staffed and operational. 

The city of Camas’ Proposition No. 4 asked voters to weigh in on a 26-year, $26.3 million bond  to replace the CWFD headquarters fire station in downtown Camas and purchase a new fire engine. The bond would cost property owners in Camas 13 cents per $1,000 assessed property value (APV). 

As of the second ballot county released Wednesday, Aug. 7, the Camas fire station bond was passing 67.81% (3,033 “yes” votes) to 32.19% (1440 “no” votes).

The city of Washougal’s Proposition No. 12 asked voters in that city to approve or reject a $15.725 million, 29-year bond to finance and construction and equipping of a new fire station to replace the aging CWFD Fire Station 43. The new fire station also will share facilities with the Washougal Police Department. 

As of Wednesday, Aug. 7, the majority of voters had approved the Washougal fire station bond by a rate of 67.74% (1,848 “yes” votes) to 32.26% (880 “no” votes). 

Likewise, voters in the ECFR district were overwhelmingly in favor of ECFR’s levy lid lift, which will increase the fire district’s levy rate from $1.08 per $1,000 APV to $1.50 per $1,000 for collection in 2025. As of the Aug. 7 ballot count, the ECFR levy lid lift measure is passing 64.93% (1,346 “yes” votes) to 35.11% (727 “no” votes). 

Washougal mayor maintains 650-vote lead between 17th District Republican candidates 

In the race for Washington’s 17th Legislative District, Position 2 seat, Democratic candidate Terri Niles, of Vancouver, has received enough votes to move on to the Nov. 5 election, and will likely face Washougal Mayor David Stuebe, a Republican, in the Nov. 5 general election. 

As of Wednesday, Aug. 7, Niles has received 123,330 votes (47.76%), while the two Republican candidates in the 17th District, Position 2 race — Stuebe and Carson resident Hannah Joy — are separated by 650 votes as of the second ballot count. 

On Wednesday, Stuebe, who has said he intends to serve as a legislator and Washougal’s mayor if elected, was leading with 7,599 votes (27.23%) to Joy’s 6,949 votes (24.9%).

Camas candidates fall behind in 3rd Congressional District race

Election results show two Camas candidates hoping to represent Washington’s 3rd District in Congress — including Camas City Councilmember Leslie Lewallen — have not gathered enough support to be on the November general election ballot. 

Instead, the Nov. 5 election will again feature a race between Democratic Congresswoman Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Republican candidate Joe Kent. 

As of Wednesday, Aug. 7, Gluesenkamp Perez had garnered 68,863 votes (46.01%), with Kent receiving 58,721 votes (39.23%) while Lewallen, who ran as a Republican, and Camas resident John Saulie-Rohman, who ran as an Independent candidate, have received 12.36% and 2.31% of the votes, respectively. 

The Clark County Elections Department said Wednesday that 92,183 ballots counted have been counted with an estimated 43,000 ballots remaining.  

Clark County voter turnout as of Wednesday, Aug. 7, was 27.43%. The next ballot count is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 8. The election will be certified Aug. 20.