Boldt looks to the futureMore:
Clark County commissioner readies for life after a lost bid for re-election
MARC BOLDT
Posted: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 9:00 am
Boldt looks to the future Marvin Case Publisher Emeritus The Reflector
“I’m saving my campaign signs,” said Marc Boldt, as he began planning his future after losing his bid for re-election. He said he had not expected to lose.
The 58-year-old Boldt served two terms as a Clark County commissioner but lost Nov. 6 to fellow Republican David Madore. Madore will take the oath of office in January.
Boldt attributed his loss in part to Madore’s larger campaign budget and his arguments against Boldt’s positions on the proposed I-5 replacement bridge and certain taxes and fees.
“Madore spent a lot of money on the bridge issue, raising taxes and park fees,” said Boldt, who had voted to seek voter approval of a sales tax increase to pay for the operation of light rail. Boldt had also voted to raise property taxes 1 percent and to increase parking fees at some county parks.
Madore spent more than $300,000 in his successful campaign, while Boldt spent about $81,000. (Actually, the PDC's indicate he spent $90,233. The Realtors and the BIAW also wasted an additional $32,500)
“I’ve always run my campaigns without saying anything against my opponent,” said Boldt. “He (Madore) had some pretty good hit pieces. But, he didn’t lie.”
Boldt said undervotes also contributed to his loss. An undervote is a ballot from someone who could have voted in the race but didn’t, that is, voted in other races but not this one. According to Clark County Elections, Madore received 84,370 votes to Boldt’s 70,517. But 35,270 voters who could have voted in the Boldt-Madore race did not vote for either one.
Boldt theorizes that Democrat voters saw two Republicans running for commissioner and simply left the ballot blank.
In comparison, the county commissioner race between Tom Mielke and Joe Tanner resulted in about half as many undervotes.
Boldt graduated from Evergreen High School and holds an associate degree in agriculture from Yakima Valley Community College. He was a blueberry farmer when he decided to run for the state legislature in 1994. He was elected to the state House of Representatives five times. He continued farming until 1998 when he got a job driving a cement mixing truck, which he continued to do until being elected as a Clark County commissioner in 2004.
Boldt no longer owns his farm land. He has other ideas for future employment.
I agree with much of this assessment. But I don't see where Marc is electable in any capacity that impacts on the CRC. His rabid support of that scam, his history of raising our taxes and his support for the gerrymandered CTran tax district; his support of the latest CTran sales tax rip off, his vote to strip us of our 2nd Amendment rights, his dogged insistence of claiming GOP membership after his expulsion and leftist voting record.... all just makes it too easy to defeat him in an election.
Marc Boldt is a cautionary tale to those who, once elected, proceed to forget precisely who they are supposed to be working for. "Servant leader" isn't a part time gig. You can't BE a "servant leader" SOME of the time.
He was defeated... but not by David Madore's money. He was defeated because he would not listen.
He will recover. But I believe his time in elective office is over.
His only prayer for future elected office is to come clean and run as a liberal Democrat that is changed to, but wouldn't admit.
ReplyDeleteEven with that, I wouldn't guarantee his chances.