GOP recruiting for commissioner race

Yesterday’s post about Commissioner Steve Stuart‘s impressive fundraising had us wondering who Stuart might be so worried about.

So I called local Republican Party Chairman Ryan Hart to ask.

Here’s what Hart said in a voice mail Wednesday night:

“We’ve been talking to some folks about running for this position. I’m not sure whether or not at the end of the day they will run, but we’re working on it, and certainly I don’t want to see Stuart running uncontested come November. … I believe we have a real opportunity here, and we’re working real hard on our candidate recruitment process, and we’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.”

The catch with county commissioner races around here is that although the entire county votes in the November general election, candidates are required to live in their particular district. (The county has three: north county, east county, and the City of Vancouver, more or less. Stuart is from Vancouver.)

Because the county is so politically segregated, it can be tough to find strong Republican candidates who happen to live in the city, and vice versa. So Hart’s got a tough job.

Now, this is just a thought: What’s the deal with Hart himself?

We’re just saying the 39-year-old son of former Vancouver city councilman and Walnut Grove Church pastor Ron Hart happens to be a sharp young guy … and that the northern boundary of Stuart’s commissioner district happens to fall about 100 feet from his house … and that his house happens to fall on the right side of it.

Now go back and read Hart’s quote one more time.

Just saying.

-Michael Andersen