George Vrable, a Republican from Port Ludlow seeking a 24th District seat in the state House of Representatives, said he would need to ask advice before considering participating in candidate forums organized by the League of Women Voters, which he has described as hostile and left-wing.
“I’ll think on that and ask for some advice on that,” the retired firefighter said Thursday. “Give me a few days.”
League of Women Voters forums in Clallam and Jefferson counties for the Position 1 seat from the 24th District have been canceled due to a lack of participation from the candidates. The 24th District covers Clallam and Jefferson counties and part of Grays Harbor County.
Both forums
The only candidate who agreed to participate in both forums is Clallam County Commissioner Mike Chapman, who filed as a Democrat for the seat vacated by Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, who is running for state Senate.
None of the proposed dates for the forums worked for Vrable or candidate Tammy Ramsay of Hoquiam, who filed as a Democrat, organizers said.
But that isn’t what Vrable saidat the Port Angeles Business Association forum Tuesday.
It was the first forum that more than one candidate agreed to attend. Ramsay was absent.
“I wouldn’t mind going to speak to the League of Women Voters if they were not — I feel — hostile and a very left-wing organization,” Vrable said during the PABA forum Tuesday.
Vrable declined to say why he felt the league was a hostile, left-wing organization.
Organizers of the two forums said Thursday that Vrable had told them he was unavailable during the proposed dates and made no mention of the organization being hostile or left-wing.
“I have no idea where the comment came from,” said Deborah Martin, president of the Clallam County League of Women Voters. “I don’t know what it referred to, frankly.
“I took it to mean that he didn’t understand who the League of Women Voters is or what we do.”
Martin said she arrived at the PABA forum shortly after Vrable made those comments.
Martin said she had heard the organization described as left-wing before but that the league is politically neutral.
Jefferson County and Clallam County League of Women Voters attempted to host forums before ballots for the Aug. 2 primary are mailed July 15.
The goal was to give voters a chance to make an informed decision on who they should vote for, Martin said.
‘Can’t make them come’
“We can only invite candidates. We can’t make them come,” she said. “We do our best to put on candidate forums.”
Sheila Murphy, unit chair for the Jefferson league, said Vrable had told her only that he could not attend on either of the two dates the league offered.
Ramsay told her the same thing. Chapman agreed to attend on either date, she said.
During the forums, league members will generally ask broad questions not related to specific issues, Martin said.
Then members of the public are allowed to ask anything they want of the candidates.
“Our objective is to get voters in to ask their own questions,” Martin said.
If Vrable were interested in participating in a league forum before ballots are mailed, Martin said, the league would try to schedule another forum.
With short notice, though, the logistics might be difficult to figure out.
“Finding venues at the last minute can be difficult,” she said. “It’s something that we really wanted to do.”
At the PABA forum, Chapman criticized Vrable for his lack of participation.
“I hope that George will reconsider and participate in those League of Women Voters forums in both Clallam County and Jefferson County because how will you make a choice in who you vote for if you don’t hear us?” Chapman said Tuesday.
The Clallam league canceled its planned July 6 forum after Vrable and Ramsay said they could not attend.
The Jefferson league will host forums with candidates from other races on two dates.
The 7 p.m. forums will be July 6 at the Chimacum Grange, 9572 Rhody Drive, and July 13 at the Port Townsend Community Center, 620 Tyler St.
Candidates for Jefferson County Public Utility District commissioner and the 24th District state Senate seat will be questioned at the first forum.
The second will be for candidates for the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners District 1 seat.
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Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
