Election 2026: League of Women Voters General Election Candidate Forum

0:00 General Election Candidate Forum. My name is Amy Easton. I'm the moderator for this event and a member of the League of Women Voters, a non-partisan group focused on voter education. Note that the Clark County Clerk Forum, originally scheduled for today, has been canceled. Candidate Weber informed us that he is not available and per our forum policy, we do not hold forums with only one candidate. Thank you to our candidates here today for their participation in this event and special thanks to CVTV for hosting it. The forum will be aired on CVTV and online at cvtv.org. Our forum tonight features candidates for State House of Representatives in the 49th District.

0:57 Candidates are Monica Stonier and Derek Thompson. Candidates please watch the League timers and stay within the timelines for each question. You will typically have 60 seconds to answer unless instructed otherwise. You'll first answer in the order that you appear on the ballot and we will rotate back and forth after that. All the questions are prepared by the League of Women Voters of Clark County and we're providing the timers. So let's begin. First, tell us why you want to be a legislator. What skills and abilities you would bring to the job and your history in the district? What issues most affect your neighbors? You'll have 90 seconds to respond to this question. Starting first with Candidate Stonier.

1:56 Candidate Stonier: Thank you and thank you to the League for having us and continuing to facilitate forums that are well attended and respected in our community. I've said every time I've been before the League that you also have produced a text that I used as a seventh grade social studies teacher and encouraged others on Washington State history and how our government works. And that was a better resource than we could find in Washington State. So appreciate your work that you do beyond just our candidate list. Candidate Stonier: Thank you and thank you to the League for having us and continuing to facilitate forums that are well attended and respected in our community. I'm Candidate Stonier. Candidate Stonier: My interest in continuing as serving as a legislator in the 49th legislative district has a lot to do with the ongoing challenges that our state continues to face and the very reason I came to the legislature in the first place, which is to do what I could to better serve our students in our public school system. It used to be around policy issues. Some of those still remain, although I'm proud of having made some progress there.

2:55 And now we're facing real budget issues. Beyond that, I think it's important to make sure we have representatives that are responsive to challenges that may rise as a result of other pressures on the economy, in some cases from the federal government, but also just in general challenges that this state and other states face. So I'm looking forward to continuing work to improve the challenges, the efforts that we make and challenges that we face in the state level. Candidate Thompson. Candidate Thompson: Yeah, and again, thank you for having us. You asked why I want to this position. Why do you want to be a legislator? Candidate Thompson: Okay, I want to be a legislator in this particular district, and I like the idea of the title of representative and what I mean by that because we, and when I say we, I'm just like the people who I want to represent. We want to -- we need to understand

3:55 what represent means, and I think we're taking it for granted what it means. We're taking it as a title, as a position. What it should be is just that, someone who is going to represent the people of Vancouver, of District 49 here. And I think -- I don't want to talk down about anybody or to anybody or anything like that, but by all the people that I talk to, and I talk to people in everything I do, I've had a lot of different positions and jobs and whatnot here in Vancouver. I've been here for a long time. And it has changed a lot. And what I hear every day, the kitchen table, should I say, conversation is about how unhappy people are in Vancouver because of -- you mentioned budgeting, Monica, and most definitely that's one, but it's not just the budgeting of the government. It's the people being able to budget in their own homes so that they can pay their bills so that when they go to the mailbox, they don't have to wonder which one of their bills

4:54 that they're going to pay today. That's why I'm here. Next question. Please describe your personal code of ethics, starting first with Candidate Thompson. My personal code of ethics. Honesty. I operate on the principles of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And so I don't really have a lot to say about my personal code of ethics. If you understand what I mean when I just said that, then that speaks for itself. That's my short answer. Candidate Stonier. Thank you. I would say my code of ethics is rooted in a couple of things, both the work you do and then how you do it. So I try to make sure that the work I do is rooted in equity in terms of making sure that those who are in a position to pay their bills are

5:53 furthest removed from any form of justice or education or job opportunities have access to those. And then the way you go about that work is probably the second area I would recognize. I think, as Mr. Thompson mentioned, honesty, even when those honest conversations are difficult, is kindness. And I think that's an important value to lead with. Additionally, I think it's important for anybody. I think it's important for anybody in a position of influence to remember that our job is to distribute that leadership and skill set and talent so that the leaders that should come up behind us learn from both our challenges, our mistakes, and our successes. So I try to think about that when I'm encouraging folks to step into leadership roles like this one. Thank you, candidates. So what specific methods would you use to communicate with your diverse

6:53 constituents, rural, suburban, and urban? Starting first with candidate Stonier. I think I can give an example of how I've done that in the school setting. So in our school community here in Southwest Washington, we have two very large districts and a number of small districts that serve rural communities. I try to make sure that when I am doing outreach to learn from those folks that I try to recognize what they might have collectively in common. And also sometimes hold a separate meeting for our smaller districts to not be overshadowed by the larger interests. And so I think I approach constituency work the same way. Sometimes you can facilitate conversations through your email and outreach. And other times you have to remember you have to go directly to where people are. And I try to do that. One of my favorite tools is during the legislative session when people send emails and asking questions or providing guidance.

7:53 To the legislature I like to print a few of those off and just read them into the email distribution or social media. Candidate Thompson. Would you repeat that, please? What specific methods would you use to communicate with your diverse constituents, rural, suburban, and urban? Well, they're all people, first of all. So I don't think there needs to be -- we don't need to -- there's enough divisions, we don't need to make a division. I don't have a division about that, as a matter of fact. I use what I use every day: common sense, honest conversations, compassion. I -- again, I don't think that to me it doesn't make a lot of sense. We have enough categories when it comes to doing service for the people of this country, for the people of our communities. And to use -- I don't think there's enough

8:53 divisions, we don't need to use some kind of category just because they're rural or they're in the city. They're still the same people that we have to train up and educate who are going to be taking over what we're doing someday. So next question. Some people are concerned that the new tax on high earners will lead to state income taxes across the board. What are your thoughts, starting first with Candidate Thompson? It sounds like you're talking about the millionaire tax. I can repeat the question. Okay, repeat that question. Some people are concerned that the new tax on high earners will lead to state income taxes across the board. Excuse me. Taxes, taxes, taxes. All I can say about that is we have enough taxes, as a matter of fact. State income

9:53 tax. I think that we're doing way too much, or we're allowing way too much to happen as far as taxes go. Taxes are part of the reason why we're having budget crunches. Everywhere you turn around, whether it's in the schools, whether it's in the police department, wherever it is, we're having budget crunches. The people in Clark County, the people in Vancouver, Washington aren't an ATM machine. The people in Vancouver, Washington are not. They're a piggy bank that the government can go to every time they want a few extra dollars to buy a new toy. I think it's getting ridiculous. Candidate Stonier? Thank you. The first thing I'll say is that before the legislature enacted the capital gains tax, we were ranked last in the nation in terms of tax fairness.

10:53 When we passed the capital gains tax to pay for early learning and child care, again, on those with the most resources in their personal portfolios, we went from 50th to 49th. So the fairness of our tax system is clearly backwards, upside down, and a challenge. For reasons that Mr. Thompson brought up, those kitchen table conversations around affordability are exactly a direct impact of that. Luckily, the voters in this state, including here in Clark County, upheld the capital gains tax, and I think the voters will have a chance -- well, it's clear to me that the voters will have a chance to weigh in on that again. Any interest or effort to lower the threshold will not just suffer from a lack of support in the legislature, including myself, but will also go to the people to weigh in. That will not change. Thank you, candidates.

11:53 Questions from the state lottery help fund schools, economic development, and combating gambling addiction. What would your priorities be for using this money? Candidate Stonier? Thank you. I think we have done a good job of trying to make sure that we balance our revenues with our interests and the challenges that the state faces. The lottery is no different. When thinking about how those dollars are spent to combat gambling addiction, the lottery is no different. When thinking about how those dollars are spent to combat gambling issues, that's kind of a counterpoint to the other benefits that the state would receive from such a revenue source. I think we did that with the millionaire's tax when we made sure that the poorest families got a chance to have that expanded with the working families tax credit, and our small businesses were doubled in their benefit from that, and we'll continue to do that when we're looking at other state revenue sources like the lottery. We want to make sure that we're thinking about every corner of the state, not just the state, but the state as a whole. Thank you.

12:53 Candidate Thompson? Yeah, and I'd like to have you restate that one, too, because I think that I would be echoing exactly what you just said, but I want to make sure, so would you? So proceeds from the state lottery currently help fund schools, economic development, and combating gambling addiction. What would your priorities be using this money? Yeah, I think I'm going to be an expert. I'm going to echo to you right now on that one, Monica. I can't disagree. Okay. Can I? Sure. Do I have a second, though? Yeah. Okay. I will say one thing about that and about most of government. I think that we have to get a tighter rein on accountability, okay, because right now, everything, everything,

13:53 that is going on right now has to do with money, has to do with budgets, it has to do with secrecy in government spending and collecting, as a matter of fact. So, yeah. Most definitely, for me, it's about strict auditing at all times. Keep an eye on what's going on. Let's not just go by what we hear. Let's go by what we know. Open the books. Okay. How do we ensure long-term water availability, balancing the needs of agriculture, recreation, conservation, and home use? Starting first with Candidate Thompson. Well, we know that water is most definitely our most valuable resource. I can't answer that question for you quite right now, and simply because being a newcomer to the

14:53 business, I'm not on the inside of what is already going on. I would have to take a look, talk to people to know what already is taking place before I could answer that question honestly. Candidate Stone here. Thank you. I would say, first and foremost, we have to stay realistic about the impacts that each of us have and that we collectively have as a community on, and as a community on the globe, on the impacts we have on the environment and the purity of the water that we have access to. We're lucky in Southwest Washington to have waterways that are accessible and utilized by our community members, but we also know that wells still go dry, and if we can be more careful about how we conserve water through a number of different programs, we can be better assured that we'll have access to the water that we need. I'm reminded

15:53 that there's a conservation community group that will come out to your home and kind of walk around and check out your garden. I keep saying I'm going to talk to them, and I have not done that yet, but these are people in our community that understand these issues well and can come advise you on what you're doing even just at your location in your home to make good use of our water access and to ensure that we're not overusing to the extent that we're harming our access points. Does the state have a role to play in regulating the growth of data centers? Please explain. Candidate Stonier? Yes, absolutely the state has a role in regulating data centers. I think many of us don't understand that it's not just the AI that tends to take the air out of the room right now, but if you think about how many municipalities and healthcare systems have to store data, data

16:53 centers are a big part of things beyond what I think our conversation is about right now. In Washington state, I think we can insist that any data centers that want to do business or be cited in our state participate in the long-term benefits for our state, and that includes making sure that they uphold our expectations for project labor agreements, for collective bargaining, for apprenticeship utilization, and that they pay their fair share for whatever may happen as a result of this. So I think the state has a role to play in regulating the growth of data centers in Washington state. Candidate Thompson? A big affirmative to that. Data centers, yeah, they bring tech investment, but we got to be real about the impact. I don't even know that enough people even understand what data centers do, what they're all about. But we can't have --

17:52 I mean, we have massive projects that are coming in and driving up local utility costs, for one thing, and -- or straining our water and our power without protecting the community first, without protecting the environment. Growth has to make sense for the people who actually live here in Vancouver. That's my short answer. Thank you, candidates. The state's gas tax revenue is declining. While roadway maintenance needs are growing, what, if anything, should be done to address this? Starting first with Candidate Thompson? Talking about roadway maintenance, fixing our roads and potholes shouldn't be an excuse to raise taxes, first of all. Here we go with that tax thing again. You can't get away from it. Every single year. It's about basic governance. We need to take more

18:52 action. We need to make sure that we're already collecting -- that's what we're already collecting. And we need to cut the waste and administrative bloat, because that's where a lot of the money seems to go. And prioritize the actual infrastructure that keeps our families safely moving. Candidate Stone here. Thank you, Amy. I want to hearken back to something Mr. Thompson said earlier about transparency. I think that's an incredibly important value to kind of settle on when we're talking about our funding mechanisms for transportation and road maintenance. Currently, fewer people are paying for gas if they're using electric vehicles. I have a hybrid that I benefit from in that way, but I also know I pay a fee for that -- for the vehicle's licensing. That's one way to kind of balance the responsibility for the vehicle's licensing.

19:52 And I think we need to be really careful and transparent about the way we go about that. There have been discussions around mile usage. I think that's worthy of consideration, but it should also counterbalance where we have community members who would be driving more miles per visit to work or hospital or doctor that others would, and make sure that that balance is also in place and be really clear about how we're taking those into consideration, so that each Washingtonian is paying the portion relative to their use in their taxing. So federal grants are going away for health and social services. What do you think the state's responsibility is for financing these services? Starting first with Candidate Stonier. Thank you. It's very unfortunate that we have federal grants that are going to disappear that provide health care and health care services. We have federal grants that are going to disappear

20:51 and social services to our most vulnerable people across the nation. In Washington, I think we have done a fine job of trying to make sure that we have captures or safety nets for people who may not qualify or who need an extra step in the ladder to get to the next level to be without the need of government assistance. Unfortunately, with the disappearance of these grants, the state is not going to be in a position to be in a position to be in a position to do that. We are in better shape than many other states for making sure we have some protections in place. But there is no substitute for what should be a shared responsibility from the federal government in providing health care and social services to people in our community who are looking to thrive in Washington state. Candidate Thompson. Excuse me. When I was

21:50 asked about federal and state grants, where federal and state grants are concerned, federal and state grants are awarded the first priority has to be local control and transparency. Accountability. We don't need more red tape. That red tape just gets in the way. As we know, we get used to it and we shouldn't. We have pet projects, projects that are dictated from the top down and it should not be that way. It should be from the bottom up. Those funds need to go directly toward practical needs for our communities. No games and no hidden agendas. So what changes, if any, would you make to the state's system of voting? Starting first with Candidate Thompson. You say changes in voting? What changes, if any, would you make to the state's system of voting?

22:50 I've never really given that any thought, to be honest. I don't have a fight with the way that things are going now. It's not the voting itself. It's the voter education that I think is where we need to pay some attention to, that we need to open that up a whole lot. But the voting itself, I don't -- that's the only way that I can answer that one for you. Thank you. Now it's my turn to double down on Mr. Thompson's answer. I agree that voter education is the thing that is most deserving of attention and care. We have incredibly secure voting system here in Washington State. Mail-in ballots have come under fire and criticism. But we still struggle to find examples of where there's a real problem there. So I'm proud of our voting system.

23:50 I'm proud of our mail-in ballot opportunities here. And I'm proud of what -- the other things we've done in Washington State, which is to make sure that when a young person gets their driver's license, they can pre-register so that their ballot just starts coming to their house when they turn 18. Or that if someone wants to register to vote on the day of, they can still make it into the elections office to do so. So we've done what we can in Washington State to make sure that everybody can vote. And we have a tracking system that is phenomenally strong, which means that we can still make it into the elections office to do so. So we've done what we can in Washington State to make sure that everybody can vote. And we have a tracking system that is phenomenally strong, which means that we can still make it into the elections office to do so. So we've done what we can in Washington State to make sure that everybody can vote. which means I can turn in my ballot and know whether or not it has been counted. Do I need to contact the elections office to make sure that I don't have to offer a signature or an affidavit to make sure my ballot is cured and corrected? We have an incredibly strong system here. I happen to be involved in a recount in one of my elections, and I can tell you that in Clark County, we have the tightest first result than any other place in the state.

24:46 So even as our state elections process is very sound, I would say Clark County has also got a process that's worthy of being proud. Thank you, candidates. So does the state have a role to play in regulating artificial intelligence? Why or why not? Starting first with Candidate Stonier. Yeah, I think first the answer is yes. We have absolutely a role. I think it will be very difficult for states to do this state by state. I wish the federal government would step into this space so that our companies who are kind of navigating a patchwork of regulatory concepts and ideas have a bit more guidance. In the absence of that, we need to be stepping in to make sure that, in particular our young people, but a lot of our folks are safe from the harms that AI unregulated can cause. We also know artificial intelligence is an incredibly strong resource for a number of things and saves a lot of time. So we have to take...

25:45 We have to take that into balance. I will just take a moment to recognize the students from Evergreen High School who decided to walk out and take a stand on their position expecting that artificial intelligence take a place at not just their school board's table, but I'm taking that as direction, as I often do from young people, that it requires attention as a legislator and at the state level as well. Candidate Thompson. Well, artificial intelligence, I think it's a great thing. It does a lot. It has great uses, but mankind is all down through history. We have come up with great innovations and whatnot, but we tend to let them get out of control or we use them for the wrong things. So, yeah, I think the technology is moving fast, but we have to be practical and safe with it and about it because innovation is a great thing, but it can't come at the expense of the local...

26:45 the local workforce or privacy or children's education. We must make sure that technology serves the people rather than leaving working people behind. I see where Kroger is getting ready to lay off, what is it, 30,000 people or something like that in the next three years because of artificial intelligence. We, I think already, I would say it's on a threshold of getting out of control if we don't take a hold of it right now and do the right thing with it. Thank you. Thank you, candidates. That's all of our questions. Now you'll have a turn to close. You may want to elaborate on an answer that you already gave or talk about something that we didn't cover. You have 90 seconds for this section. We'll start first with Candidate Thompson. Again, I just want to say thank you to everybody who is here. Unfortunately, you know, the room isn't as full as we would like it to be.

27:45 But I'm here, again, as I said, because I see I've been in Vancouver a long time. I used to run a nonprofit here in Vancouver, Washington. Ran it for seven straight years every day of the week except Sundays. It's only not in existence now because COVID came around. So I have learned a lot of things about a lot of people. I love people. But so, I don't know. I just, I'm here because I want you and you and you and you and you and all of you to know that there are choices out here. And, again, let me go back to, if I can, if I have time to go back to the kitchen table again. People's conversations around the kitchen table are all about, woe is me, I can't do this, this is in the way, I don't have enough money for that.

28:45 You know, people are afraid. People are running scared right now. So I think that it's time to make a change. I'm just going to be straight up in front. I'm here because we need a change. And I say again, I want to represent the people because I am the people. I'm not a politician. I don't plan on ever being a politician. I'm a regular, everyday citizen who feels the same thing that you feel when it comes to schools, when it comes to your families, when it comes to safety, everything that you're concerned about. I'm concerned about. And I just want to ask you to check me out. You can find me on Facebook. You can find me on my website. You can find me in a whole lot of places. And I'm asking for your vote. If you give me your vote, I will fight to the very end to see that the changes that you want to see in Vancouver are reasonable, they're real, and they need to be.

29:45 Implemented now. Candidate Stonier. Thank you. First, I'll do the same in reiterating my appreciation for folks showing up and for the league for holding these forums. I will reinforce my belief that I think people deserve the opportunity to hear about how government works for them. I do not disagree that we have challenges that we're facing. I appreciate Mr. Thomas stepping up to give the voters of the 49th Legislative District an option. I think that's incredibly important to do, and I encourage people to continue doing that. When I think about what we're doing in this state, it's very hard sometimes to see the good when we're bombarded with the negative messaging about what's happening in other states or at the federal government. In Washington State, 421 bills were passed this last session.

30:44 About 40% of them passed unanimously, which means both sides of the aisle agreed on those policies. 274 of those, which is a higher number than I expected, received 80% agreement from both sides of the aisle. And I think that it's important to remember also that a quarter of those bills were passed with Republican primaries. And I think that's important to remember also that a quarter of those bills were passed with Republican primaries. In Washington State, we do a much better job of collaborating and working together. And frankly, in Southwest Washington, we have a delegation that's known well for that. And I think that's something that people need to hear more about. Thank you again, candidates, for your participation. That concludes this evening's forum. Special thanks also to CVTV for their support in putting it together and for everyone watching.

31:43 Remember, Washington residents do not need to request a mail-in ballot. They will be mailed to all registered voters this Friday. You can make sure you are registered by going to votewa.gov. The deadline for registering online and by mail is October 26th. But you can register up until 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 3rd, if you go in person to the Clark County Elections Office here in Vancouver. The League is registered. The League is recommending that Clark County residents make a plan to vote early and to use a drop box to return your ballots, especially if it is within a week of Election Day. Use reliable sources of information to do your research, such as the Voter's Guide, the newspaper, and, of course, the League's forums and vote411.org. Thank you.