Blayden Wall drops out of race
Friday, July 25, 2008 11:47 AM PDT
By Tony Lystra
Printable version
E-mail this articleCowlitz County commissioner candidate Blayden Wall announced Thursday that he is dropping out of the August primary because he will deploy to Iraq next month with the Washington Army National Guard.
His departure leaves four candidates in the race: incumbent Kathleen Johnson and Todd McDaniel, both Kelso Democrats; Democrat Steve Madsen, of Cougar; and Republican Tom Wilson, of Woodland.
Wall, a Woodland Independent, said he will ship out to Fort McCoy, Wis., with the Longview-based Bravo Battery, a field artillery unit, on Aug. 18, one day before the primary. He said he was unsure when he would arrive in the Middle East.
Wall, 38, announced his withdrawal at the end of a meeting Thursday between all five District 1 commissioner candidates and The Daily News editorial board. He said he had known about the deployment since July 12.
He said he participated in Thursday’s editorial board meeting, even though he knew he wouldn’t be continuing in the race, because, “If I had pulled out completely, I would be just another voter. I had the opportunity to interact and talk and to hear the candidates directly where I wouldn’t have that ability as Joe Public.”
At the end of the forum, Wall issued a challenge to his fellow candidates, saying any one of them could earn his endorsement if they took up his initiatives, including a proposed sexual assault prevention program and a business incubator that would supply services to small, starting enterprises.
When a reporter asked him how many votes he could deliver, Wall said, “I don’t know. ... There’s a large number of people that are unhappy with both parties. Both parties have lost the trust of the people. I have separated myself from that.”
Wall, a former Woodland and Kelso police officer who owns a real estate company, recently helped establish a new skate park in Woodland.
He was a helicopter mechanic with the Army during the first Gulf War. During this deployment, which is expected to last just more than a year, Wall’s unit will provide security to buildings and convoys.
Related article:
Bravo Battery headed to Yakima before Iraq deployment (July12)
Complete audio recording of meeting
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