In Our View: Re-elect State Rep. Stonier

When two worthy candidates square off at election time, our political system and our community are strengthened. Providing voters with a choice between capable contenders can help reinforce the public’s faith in government while improving the level of discourse and the quality of representation.

Such is the case in the contest for state representative from the 17th Legislative District, Position 1, where incumbent Democrat Monica Stonier faces a strong challenge from Republican Lynda Wilson. How tight is the race? In the two-person primary, Wilson garnered 51.6 percent of the vote, while Stonier had 48.4 percent. How evenly split is the 17th District? When Stonier won her seat in the 2012 election, she did so by a mere 140 votes.

Yet while each candidate is viable, The Columbian recommends a vote for Stonier to retain her spot in Olympia. During her short time in the Legislature, Stonier has demonstrated strong leadership skills, attention to detail, and the ability to grow on the job while devoting attention to the needs of her constituents. As always, this is merely a recommendation, one formed after careful consideration of the issues and after candidate interviews with The Columbian’s Editorial Board (see video at http://tinyurl.com/kvu6u5w). We urge voters to employ similar diligence in examining the records and opinions of Stonier and Wilson before casting an informed vote.

In the case of Stonier, they will find an articulate candidate who places the desires and needs of her constituents above any particular ideology. With a background as a teacher, she has focused on education issues, and she was vice-chair of the Education Committee during the 2013-14 Legislative session. Education promises to be a paramount issue in the coming year as lawmakers work to dig up billions of dollars for K-12 funding, and Stonier notes that for years the Legislature had “people who don’t understand education passing bills.” Her expertise in the field will be particularly important next year.

Stonier, however, is not quick to embrace tax increases as the best way to fund education, saying that lawmakers should re-examine tax breaks for some businesses and assess whether those preferences are effective. When it comes to taxes and spending, her conservative talk likely reflects the opinions of her constituents: “What does my community think? What are the economic benefits?”

Stonier also agrees with the typically right-wing stance of opposition to Initiative 594, which would strengthen background checks for gun sales.

Wilson, meanwhile, stresses that the Legislature should fund education first before coming up with money for other programs. “You cannot continue to use children as pawns,” she told The Columbian’s Editorial Board. As co-owner of DeWils Industries, along with husband Tracy Wilson, she focuses on issues facing small businesses and criticizes regulations that she says are hampering such businesses. Wilson was chairwoman of the Clark County GOP until resigning to run for office, and embraces causes such as gun rights and skepticism of climate change.

Yet while Wilson effectively states and defends her positions, she struggles to make a case for why Stonier should be replaced. We struggle to find one, as well. Stonier is thoughtful and articulate and works to represent her constituents in a politically divided district, rather than toeing the party line. Her actions as a legislator and her words as a candidate indicate that she works to keep her finger on the pulse of the people, and that has earned her another session in Olympia as representative of the 17th District.