The election is more than a year away, but the race to replace state Rep. Jim Moeller in Olympia is already heating up.
Vancouver City Councilmember Alishia Topper announced Thursday morning she will be vying for the 49th District legislative seat.
Earlier this week, Monica Stonier, a former state representative, announced she is also running to represent the Democrat-leaning district.
Moeller, D-Vancouver, has held the seat for more than a decade, but his announcement earlier this week that he was running for lieutenant governor spurred announcements by two fellow Democrats.
If elected, Topper said, she would focus on affordable housing, education and economic development issues.
“I’m ready to translate all the passions I have to make a deeper, more long-lasting impact,” Topper said.
Topper, 37, who is a director of strategic partnerships with Vancouver Public Schools, has served on the Vancouver City Council for nearly two years. If elected to the state House, she would resign her seat, and the council would appoint a replacement in 2017.
While serving on the council, Topper said her proudest achievement has been “leading the affordable housing conversation.”
“And passing ordinances to protect vulnerable renters, that’s huge,” Topper said. “And I’m very proud of that work.”
Topper‘s backstory includes growing up homeless and being the first in her family to attend college. She received a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University in Pullman and a master’s degree from the University of Portland. She competed athletically on the national stage when she qualified for the Olympic trials in track.
She understands firsthand, she said, how housing and economic development are tied to educational achievement.
“It can’t just be learning outcomes; without stable housing, nutritious food, we can’t improve learning outcomes,” Topper said, adding that one area of focus that appeals to her is early childhood education.
Topper has worked with the Fort Vancouver National Trust, Columbia Springs Environmental Education Center and Share, she said. She has lived in the 49th Legislative District for a decade.
Topper and her opponent, Stonier, have some similarities, including a passion for education issues.
“We look similar, we’re both athletic, people may see that external shell as similar,” Topper said, but throughout the campaign, they will see a difference between “what we want to accomplish in Olympia.”
“Her experience is different from mine, but what an incredible opportunity for the 49th to have two savvy women to choose from,” Topper said.
