Run, David Madore, run!

David Madore, a staunch Columbia River Crossing opponent and deep-pocketed backer of local candidates who share that view, filed briefly (5 days) to run against Port of Vancouver Commissioner Brian Wolfe.

After Madore declined to answer anything but written questions, Reporter Aaron Corvin sent this question, along with several others, on June 10.

“Have you ever held elective office before or does this represent the first time you’ve run for elective office?”

Madore’s answer: “Rather than the public arena, my 30 year experience as CEO of a private business has helped me to develop good judgment, problem solving skills, and a passion to equip others to be successful.”

It was a curious non-answer, considering Madore had run for office before, in his former hometown of Los Alamitos, Calif.

Madore was among a group of folks in Southern California who ran for school boards based on religious and “traditional values,” according to an article, titled “We’ve landed; Now We Have to Infiltrate: Religious Groups are Undaunted by Losses,” from the Los Angeles Times dated Nov. 7, 1985.

Many of the candidates were backed by a donor group called California Coalition for Traditional Values. Madore and another candidate “denied allegations that they were accepting money or were in some way controlled by the fundamentalist group. But the candidates did not reject the groups’ endorsements or goals,” according to the report.

Madore lost his bid for the Los Alamitos Unified School Board by 1,100 votes. None of the traditional values candidates won.

His company’s website says he started US Digital in Los Alamitos 30 years ago.

Madore withdrew his bid to run for Vancouver Port Commissioner after 5 days.