Pat Campbell has picked Bill Turlay as his favorite to succeed him in Position 6 on the Vancouver City Council.
Turlay and Anne McEnerny-Ogle beat Campbell in August’s primary, and the incumbent stayed silent until Tuesday.
“Although Bill Turlay and I take opposite stances on some local issues such as light rail, public bus service and the Columbia River Crossing (not to mention our disagreements on national issues!), I am endorsing him for the citizens’ city council Position 6,” he wrote. “Position 6 has a history of being occupied by straight shooters who have put service ahead of self or re-election.
“Bill doesn’t make rash promises or play people for political gain,” he continued. “He hasn’t put himself in the middle of property or labor negotiations for political traction. Most voters know where Bill stands. Many more need to know that he is a man of integrity, friendliness, and grace. That is what we all will need during what looks like even more difficult times until things eventually change for the better.”
Turlay said Tuesday that Campbell’s endorsement came as a surprise, and agreed that he and Campbell don’t see eye to eye on many issues. But they have grown to know each other better as the campaign season has gone on, and Turlay accepted Campbell’s invitations — extended to both candidates — to attend some of Campbell’s committee meetings.
“I’m very proud to have his endorsement, because our political views are different, but we both agree we should be able to sit in council and discuss opposing views rationally,” Turlay said. “That shows to me, anyway, that he thinks I would be able to work with the rest of the council.”
Campbell said he waited until now to make his endorsement because he wanted to see how things would go.
The deciding factor to make an endorsement came last week, he said, when Turlay denounced negative fliers and TV ads put out independently by the Save Our City Political Action Committee. The PAC is largely funded by one of Turlay’s top contributors, anti-CRC activist David Madore.
“(Turlay’s) respectful, unlike some of his supporters,” Campbell said. “When he finally put Madore in his place, that’s kind of what I wanted to see.”
Barbs ‘negative, false’
McEnerny-Ogle said that Campbell’s barbs at her were “absolutely negative and false.” She said she had no clue as to what Campbell meant when he said she makes rash promises and plays people.
“I’ve made no promises other than working with community so that they would have a voice in the issues when making decisions. I don’t think that’s rash,” McEnerny-Ogle said. “Play people — that’s a volatile word. That’s a pretty ugly statement, that I play people. I have never played people.”
In saying that McEnerny-Ogle gets involved with property negotiations, Campbell said he meant her involvement with the CRC and homeowners along Interstate 5 whose properties may be impacted.
“There are no property negotiations right now,” said McEnerny-Ogle, who is the Shumway Neighborhood Association president. “I did help educate people along I-5 as to what eminent domain means … so they understand what may happen. That would be an expectation of anyone who is representing a neighborhood association.”
She vehemently denied being involved in any labor negotiations, including those with the Hilton Vancouver Washington, whose parent organization spent $32,557 last week to independently mail fliers on her behalf. She has not spoken to anyone with the Downtown Redevelopment Authority — which approves the Hilton’s budget — or on the city council about the heated negotiations.
McEnerny-Ogle added that she had a meeting set up with Campbell last night, but he didn’t show. When she called him today to talk about the endorsement, she said he hung up.
“What is the purpose of this?” she asked, noting Campbell has expressed interest in running for office again. “Is this to lay out a campaign to come back?”
Turlay is also endorsed by the Building Industry Association of Clark County; Republican state Sens. Don Benton and Jerome Delvin; Clint Didier; Republican state Rep. Paul Harris; Clark County Commissioner Tom Mielke; and David and Donna Madore.
McEnerny-Ogle is endorsed by the Vancouver Police Officers’ Guild; Vancouver Firefighters Union; Sierra Club; National Women’s Political Caucus; and Friends of Fire Station 6.
Andrea Damewood: 360-735-4542 or andrea.damewood@columbian.com or www.facebook.com/reporterdamewood or www.twitter.com/col_cityhall.
