Van Nortwick backs Lewallen in 3rd Congressional District race
Clark County Assessor Peter Van Nortwick on Thursday announced he is backing Leslie Lewallen’s bid for the 3rd Congressional District seat. Lewallen, who currently serves as a Camas city councilor, has positioned herself as an alternative to fellow Republican candidate Joe Kent to oust Democratic U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez in 2024.
Some Republicans believe Lewallen has a better chance of winning back the seat and comes with less baggage than Kent, who lost to Perez in 2022.
As an elected official and fourth-generation Washingtonian, Van Nortwick said he understands what it takes to be a leader in the community and sees that in Lewallen.
“I believe that Leslie Lewallen is the only candidate in this race who has what it takes to lead our state into a brighter future because she is a fifth-generation Washingtonian and local city council member. We need a leader who knows our needs and acts on them and from her time on the Camas City Council, Leslie has proven she will do just that,” Van Nortwick said in a press release.
A former deputy prosecutor for King County, Lewallen moved to Camas in 2018. She won a seat on the city council in 2021.
Lewallen is campaigning on issues familiar to those in Southwest Washington – the region’s continuing homelessness crisis, public safety and increasing crime rates, and limiting government spending.
“I am proud to accept this endorsement from Peter Van Nortwick,” said Lewallen. “He has continuously proven that he is a leader for the people of Clark County and I am honored to uphold that same commitment,” Lewallen said in the release.
Van Nortwick has served Clark County as assessor since 2011. He has advocated for small government and the efficient use of public funds.
“He has continuously proven that he is a leader for the people of Clark County and I am honored to uphold that same commitment. Southwest Washington deserves a representative who will stand up to destructive policies like open borders, high costs and lax sentencing for criminals and I will be that leader,” Lewallen said in the release.
— Shari Phiel
