David Regan, owner of a local bail bonds business, is challenging Ty Stober for Vancouver City Council Position 5.
His Thursday announcement wasn’t a surprise. Regan told the crowd at a Vancouver Neighborhood Association meeting earlier this month that he’d be running for city council in 2019, though he didn’t specify he’d be seeking Stober’s seat. He filed a campaign with the Public Disclosure Commission back in January.
“I feel there’s meaningful work to be done,” Regan said in a media release. “A thriving city is a relevant city.”
Regan, 37, is CEO of Regan Bail Bonds, as well as a pastor. He’s also a member of Rotary Club of Vancouver, Vancouver Downtown Association, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a few local business groups.
In the media release, he emphasized his “vast experience working with local and federal law enforcement agencies in the courts and criminal justice fields.”
At the VNA meeting, which was dominated by a discussion about a recent string of police-involved shootings, he spoke with Police Chief James McElvain about the complications that come with wearing a body camera as a bail bondsman. “I think I’ve arrested upwards of a thousand fugitives in the last 10 years, really bad guys. I also wear a body cam,” he told McElvain.
Regan also addressed his Puerto Rican heritage, which he said gives him a unique perspective on relationships between the court system and people of color.
“I come from a bi-cultural family, which provides me a level of insight and understanding that have helped my compassionate stance on social issues,” he said in the media release.
Regan was a finalist for the city council’s appointment process to replace Alishia Topper after she was elected Clark County Treasurer last November. The spot ultimately went to Erik Paulsen, who’s also up for re-election this year.
Councilor Bill Turlay said he nominated Regan for the final round of interviews because of Regan’s “knowledge of issues that are before the council” and his experience “working with people who have problems with homelessness.”
The incumbent, Stober, was elected to the city council in 2015 and serves on the Council for the Homeless, the C-Tran Board of Directors and the Safe Communities Task Force. He’s a supporter of boosting funding for police and fire departments, as well as the “housing first” approach to easing homelessness, according to his campaign website.
So far, Regan is the only person challenging an incumbent this year. Four candidates have already announced for Position 6, currently held by Turlay — a few weeks after Turlay announced he wouldn’t seek re-election. Topper seat finalists Diana Perez and Adam Aguilera are running, as is former council candidate Sarah Fox and campaign consultant Mike Pond.
All candidates will need to register with the Clark County auditor during the week of May 13 in order to appear on the Aug. 6 primary ballot. The top two finalists for each seat will advance to the general election on Nov. 5. City council offices are nonpartisan. Council members receive a salary of $24,060 per year.
