Portland resident Jim Karlock contacted area candidates and reports their positions on the Interstate Bridge replacement project

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are those of the author alone and do not reflect the editorial position of ClarkCountyToday.com

Two important issues, tolls and light rail have received little attention during this election. So I have prepared a guide to which candidates oppose tolls and oppose light rail and which ones support tolls and support light rail.

Who would vote to oppose tolls on a replacement Interstate Bridge (also light rail)?

Here is a guide to candidates that oppose (or support) tolls and light rail. Candidates were emailed a request to pledge to oppose tolls and to oppose light rail before the primary. After the primary, attempts were made to contact the winners that had not returned the pledges, in person at public events. A few ratings were based on answers given on television appearances.

Candidates that have promised to oppose both tolls and light rail:

CD 3  U.S. Representative,  Joe Kent, R

LD 18 Pos 2, Greg Cheney, R

LD 20 Pos 2, Ed Orcutt, R

LD 49 Pos 1, Park Llafet, R

LD 49 Pos 2, Jeremy Baker, R

County Councilor No. 2, Michelle Belkot

County Councilor No. 5, Don Benton

Candidates that have said they support tolls or light rail:

CD 3 U.S. Representative, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D, Supports tolls & Light Rail

LD 17 Pos. 1, Terri Niles, D, Supports light rail

LD17 Pos 2, Joe Kear,  D, Supports light rail & tolls if project killer

LD 18 Pos 1, John Zingale, D, Supports  Tolls & Light Rail

LD 18 Pos 2, Duncan Camacho, D, Favors Tolls, Refused answer on light rail

Here are the candidates that ignored our email request or refused to take a stand on tolls and light rail:

LD17 Pos. 1, Kevin Waters, R

LD17 Pos  2, Paul Harris,  R

LD 18 Pos 1, Stephanie McClintock, R

LD 20 Pos 1, Peter Abbarno, R

LD 49 Pos 1, Sharon Wylie, D

LD 49 Pos 2, Monica Jurado Stonier  D

County Councilor No. 1, Hector Hinojosa & Glen Yung

County Councilor No. 2, Chartisha Roberts

County Councilor No. 5, Sue Marshall

More details are at http://www.no-tolls.com/pledge.html

Jim Karlock
Portland

---

Also read:

• 
  Opinion: IBR’s evasive, misleading and dishonest excuses for higher cost
  Joe Cortright argues the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program has withheld detailed cost estimates while offering contradictory explanations for rising costs tied to the I-5 Bridge project.
• 
  Opinion: The limits for drug-impaired driving
  Target Zero Manager Doug Dahl explains how Washington law defines drug-impaired driving and how officers are trained to recognize impairment beyond alcohol limits.
• 
  Opinion: ‘Please make your voice heard by taking my legislative priorities survey’
  Rep. John Ley invites Clark County residents to share their views by participating in a legislative priorities survey during the 2026 session.
• 
  POLL: Do the proposed changes to the Clark County Council’s Rules of Procedure suggest the council lacked authority in 2025?
  A new reader poll asks whether proposed changes to the Clark County Council’s Rules of Procedure indicate the council lacked clear authority during a 2025 board removal.
• 
  Letter: ‘HSD needs to give a detailed line-item accounting of where the last levy went, and of how they plan to use this one’
  Randall Schultz-Rathbun urges Hockinson School District to provide detailed, transparent accounting of past and proposed levy spending before asking voters for additional funds.