Election updates: Sinclair concedes, Camas results hold

Sadie McKenzie leads incumbent Donna Sinclair in the race for Washougal School Board's No. 3 director position, according to the latest Clark County general election results. As of 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9, with nearly all ballots counted, McKenzie has received 52.6 percent of the vote, garnering 2,525 votes in Clark County and 408 votes in Skamania County. Sinclair, the incumbent, has received 46.79 percent of the overall vote, with 2,399 votes in Clark County and 228 votes in Skamania County. Sinclair, a board member since 2017, issued a concession statement to her supporters on Nov. 6. "Some of (the remaining votes) are Washougal votes and could help, but I've lost this race in Skamania County," Sinclair said. "It would take a miracle to turn this around. Sinclair also said that she hopes that the "board will welcome (McKenzie) as part of the team so that it remains cohesive and that she will take every opportunity to obtain the professional development training provided by the Washington School District Directors Association so that she also makes informed decisions." "I know that she cares very much about the children of Washougal," Sinclair said, "and I wish her the best of luck during her term on the board." In the race for the board's No. 5 director, incumbent Chuck Carpenter has beat his challenger, Janice D'Aloia, 53-46. The election-night leaders in the races for the city of Washougal's contested council positions maintained their comfortable leads as of the last count on Nov. 9, with Rochelle Ramos earning 83.17 percent of vote for the No. 1 (mayoral) position and current mayor Molly Coston defeating challenger Chris De La Rocha 57-43. Port of Camas-Washougal Commissioner Larry Keister has also won his reelection, beating challenger Jeramy Wilcox 57-43. No surprises in Camas ballot count updates As of the latest ballot count on Tuesday, Nov. 9 -- with an estimated 600 ballots left to be counted countywide -- election night results are holding in the Camas mayoral, city council and school board races. Updated results show Camas City Councilman Steve Hogan has won the Camas mayoral race by 15 percentage points. As of Nov. 9, Hogan leads his challenger, Camas-Washougal Chamber of Commerce Director Jennifer Senescu, 57-42, with 4,562 votes to Senescu's 3,384 votes, and write-in candidates garnering about 1 percent of the vote. On election night, Hogan said he was relieved the election was over and that he could get to work leading the city and working with Camas staff. "I'm not a very great politician," Hogan told The Post-Record on election night, Nov. 2. "I don't have a lot of political ambition -- I just want to get in there and do the work. ... Running a political campaign was not very much fun for me." Clark County will certify the Nov. 2 general and special election results on Nov. 23, and Hogan will likely be sworn-in to his new role at the Camas City Council's first meeting in December. The election night results also held in Camas' city council and school board races. In the race for Hogan's Ward 2, Position 2 Camas City Council seat, Camas Planning Commissioner Tim Hein has beat his opponent, Martin Elzingre 60-40, receiving 4,292 votes to Elzingre's 2,842 votes as of Nov. 9. Camas City Council candidate Leslie Lewallen has won her race for former Camas City Councilor Ellen Burton's Ward 3, Position 2 seat, beating her opponent, former Washougal City Councilwoman Jennifer McDaniel 53-47, with Lewallen garnering 3,975 votes to McDaniel's 3,561 votes as of Nov. 9. Burton, who was appointed interim mayor by the council after the sudden departure of then-Mayor Barry McDonnell in the spring of 2021, said weeks before McDonnell's resignation that she did not intend to run for reelection to the city council in 2021. In the race for longtime city council member Melissa Smith's Ward 1, Position 2 seat, Camas School District Human Resources Director Marilyn Dale-Boerke is still leading her opponent, Camas businessman Gary Perman as of Nov. 9, with 3,902 votes (51.35 percent) to Perman's 3,674 votes (48.35 percent). Camas School Board incumbents Erika Cox and Corey McEnry -- who came out on election night with strong leads over their challengers, insurance agent Jeremiah Chevrolet Stephen and Lacamas Magazine owner Ernie Geigenmiller -- have easily won their bids for reelection. As of Nov. 9, with less than 1,000 ballots left to count countywide, Cox leads Stephen 59-40, by a margin of 1,853 votes; and McEnry leads Geigenmiller 57-42 with 5,510 votes to Geigenmiller's 4,060 votes. On election night, both Camas school board incumbents said they felt the vote was a referendum and showed strong support for the way the school board has handled everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to its work on equity, diversity and inclusion.

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