Washougal Democrat to seek seat in Legislature

A member of the Washougal School Board intends to run for state representative in the 18th Legislative District this year.

Donna Sinclair, an adjunct history professor at Washington State University Vancouver, announced Tuesday she will run as a Democrat for the Position 2 seat currently held by Rep. Larry Hoff, R-Vancouver.

“Working families in our region are struggling,” Sinclair said in a news release announcing her candidacy. “I want to make sure they have good-paying jobs, affordable health care and high-quality schools. That is my passion.

“As a state representative, I will carefully guide regional growth without diminishing our quality of life, create jobs, continue improving education, protect taxpayers and business owners, and maintain clean air, water, and rural life ways. We know our region needs affordable housing and better transportation systems. I want to find solutions that meet our many community needs.”

Sinclair, a lifelong Clark County resident, has long roots in the area. Her family came to the Pacific Northwest in the 1850s, and her great-grandparents owned a dance hall in Brush Prairie a century later, not far from her grandparents’ and cousin’s farms.

Sinclair graduated from Evergreen High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social sciences, history and anthropology from WSU Vancouver, along with a master’s degree in history and a doctorate in urban studies from Portland State University.

Sinclair, a former member of the Washougal Planning Commission, won a seat on the Washougal School Board in 2017 when she received 58.8 percent of the vote over incumbent Jaron Barney.

She has been an east Clark County resident since 2007 and lives in Washougal with her husband, Eugene “Bud” Harris, along with two dogs and three cats.