With the November General Election less than four weeks away, political candidates across the country, ranging from local, state and federal races, are putting together their final messages ahead of Election Day. However, for one local Grays Harbor political candidate, addressing a controversy looks to be on the horizon.
Grays Harbor County Commissioner Vickie Raines finds herself at the center of a Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) complaint from former County Commissioner Wesley Cormier. Raines, the incumbent nonpartisan candidate representing District 3, is seeking her third term in office against Republican challenger Lisa Zaborac.
Cormier, who previously served as District 1 County Commissioner before running an unsuccessful 2020 campaign for Washington state Senate District 19, filed the complaint on Oct. 3, alleging Raines misrepresented her involvement in several items listed on a campaign flyer distributed to voters during the Greater Grays Harbor Inc. luncheon business forum on Sept. 27.
“Incumbent and candidate for County Commissioner Vickie Raines presented a flyer/paper that outlined her successes over the past seven (7) years. The flyer was dishonest and misleading to the public. The flyer could change the outcome of a close and competitive race as it was distributed to more than 70 citizens and businesses at a business forum,” Cormier stated in the complaint.
Cormier, a current contributor for Grays Harbor Weekly, claimed in the complaint that while the flyer stated that the General Fund Levy and Road Fund Levy decreased by 26% and 24%, respectively, $789 million in new construction took place, and property tax exemptions for low-income seniors totaled $26.5 million during her time in office, Raines herself did not play a significant role in any of those changes. Cormier calls the flyer “grossly misleading and dishonest.”
Raines, who filed a response to the PDC about the complaint on Monday, called the accusation a difference of opinion.
“It is common practice, and common sense, for elected officials to talk about what happened during their time in office. What is uncommon is for a former county commissioner to turn differences in opinion about policy matters into PDC complaints,” Raines said.
Raines continued in her response by discussing how segments such as taxes, red tape, new construction and the Senior Exemption Program were included in the flyer. Raines also claims that Zaborac is posting false statements regarding such information.
The PDC complaint comes as Raines is set to host a meet and greet for the community to discuss concerns with her at Gray Harbor Wine Sellars on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The Daily World reached out to the Washington state PDC for more information if they determined Raines had broken the Fair Campaign Practice Code, but they could not be reached by press time.
