17th Legislative District: Christly takes on incumbent Waters; Stuebe faces Perez

State Rep. Kevin Waters, R-Stevenson, hopes to win another term by highlighting his experience in business and government and his work on issues affecting the 17th Legislative District. Democratic challenger Ben Christly, a Navy veteran and registered nurse, is making education, healthcare and small-business support the foundation of his campaign for the district’s No. 1 position. Waters is a business owner, former Port of Stevenson commissioner and corrections officer. He has served as a state representative since 2023. He said he prioritizes school funding, timber and business revenue, transportation infrastructure and affordability. In an email to The Columbian, Waters said that a “McCleary 2.0” solution to address school funding shortfalls, improvements to Highway 14, a replacement of the Camas Slough Bridge, and reducing barriers to childcare and affordable housing would be his main priorities if reelected. Waters, 50, highlighted his business and government experience and bipartisan relationships as strengths, saying that a recent conversation with a hospice physician assistant reshaped his thinking on healthcare priorities. He cited investments in rural hospitals, school HVAC systems, the Washougal Community Library and downtown Camas lighting as examples of his efforts to serve the district. “I believe I bring vast business and government experience, a pragmatic approach, and the thinking of how policies affect rural vs. urban,” Waters said. “I have the relationships and institutional knowledge to continue the work needed in Olympia. I believe I have done well in holding the majority accountable while still being a member who will always want a seat at the table to try and push the needs of the district.” Christly, 41, a former small-business owner and Clark County Charter Review commissioner, is running on a platform focused on education, healthcare and small businesses, which he connects to affordability. In an email to The Columbian, Christly said he supports revisiting Washington’s K-12 funding formula, strengthening special education funding, expanding workforce training, and improving access to primary, behavioral and rural healthcare. He also advocated for reducing unnecessary business regulations, streamlining permitting and ensuring that tax policies do not disproportionately burden small businesses. Christly, a Vancouver resident, said he would represent the district’s urban, suburban and rural communities by listening to residents and tailoring solutions to their needs. Although he is a first-time legislative candidate, he cites his military, healthcare, business and local government experience as preparation for the role. He said a conversation with a rural property owner reinforced his interest in housing affordability, particularly the pressures short-term rentals can place on long-term housing availability. If elected, he said, he would explore policies to encourage stable long-term rentals, support workforce housing and help communities address local housing needs. “I am not running to repeat talking points. I am running to work on the issues people talk about at their doors: schools, healthcare, housing, small business, public safety, taxes, and affordability,” Christly said. “I believe people want a representative who will listen, tell the truth, work across differences, and stay focused on making life better. That is the kind of representative I intend to be.” Position 2: Stuebe vs. Perez How Washington should balance affordability, public spending and economic growth is at the center of the 17th Legislative District’s Position 2 race. Incumbent Rep. David Stuebe, R-Washougal, calls for greater accountability and a cautious energy transition, while Democrat challenger Diana Perez emphasizes tax changes, infrastructure and investments in community needs. Stuebe, 65, has held a seat in the state House since 2024 and has been Washougal’s mayor since 2022. He served 30 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, retiring as a colonel, and spent 20 years in management and leadership roles at pharmaceutical companies. “I’ve spent two years in Olympia, and it has been epic and awesome and crazy all at the same time,” Stuebe said during a Sept. 10 Editorial Board meeting at The Columbian. “I’m really excited about going back up there to finish what I’ve started. I’ve learned a lot in the last two years. I’ve got, I think, a unique perspective of what we need to do in our state and with our different challenges.” Perez, 57, has served on the Vancouver City Council since 2021 and was previously a member of the Washington State Housing Finance Commission. She has 30 years of experience in natural resources management and public service, working as a wildlife biologist and public lands manager with the U.S. Forest Service. “I want to deliver practical solutions, fiscal responsibility, and work on an economy that’s going to work for everyone,” she said. “In addition to my professional experience, I have quite a bit of community volunteer advocacy, and so paralleling that with my professional public service, I feel like those are talents and skills that I could better represent people in Olympia.” Stuebe and Perez agree that residents are struggling with affordability and that state programs should be accountable, but they differ on the causes and solutions. Stuebe argued that Washington has a spending and accountability problem. He called for measuring the results of public spending, including homelessness programs, and said taxes and regulations burden households and small businesses. Perez also supported reviewing programs for effectiveness and eliminating duplication but called the state’s tax structure regressive. She supported the millionaires tax to fund working-family tax credits, small-business support and school lunches. But she also cautioned against lowering the tax’s income threshold and urged consideration of businesses’ relocation decisions. On homelessness, Stuebe cited addiction, public safety and questions about spending effectiveness, while Perez emphasized housing costs, saying people lose homes when they cannot afford rent or mortgages, and called for more varied housing options. Regarding energy, Stuebe warned against retiring existing sources before reliable alternatives are available, citing grid reliability, business costs, and demands for energy and water from new industries. He said he would consider data centers if responsibly sited and responsive to local needs. Perez advocated grid modernization, renewable energy workforce training, and evaluating large projects for their benefits and local impacts. She highlighted the Port of Camas-Washougal’s industrial-symbiosis work, which turns waste into a resource, as a promising model. Their economic development priorities also differ. Stuebe focused on protecting existing industries and jobs, including hatcheries that he said support tourism and state revenue.

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