Category: Press Releases

The Chronicle

June 5, 2024

https://www.chronline.com/stories/in-speech-congressional-candidate-leslie-lewallen-seeks-to-separate-herself-from-republican-rival,341559

As she seeks to unseat a freshman representative in one of the most hotly contested congressional districts in the country, candidate and Camas City Councilor Leslie Lewallen told a crowd at the Mainstream Republicans of Washington Saturday that “COVID woke me up to the atrocities happening to the people, and the values, and to the country that I love.”

“COVID and those horrible liberal policies that I saw got me back off the sidelines, and that’s when I decided to run for city council,” Lewallen said, adding she knocked on 5,000 doors during her campaign. “And the No. 1 thing that people told me, as I was knocking on all of those doors in Camas, Washington, is, ‘I don’t want to see Southwest Washington become like Portland. I don’t want to see the crime. I don’t want to see the homelessness. I don’t want to see businesses fleeing, and I don’t want to see people moving out of state because this has become a wasteland.'”

. . .

“We had a safe, Republican district in the Third Congressional District, and we lost that district to a progressive Democrat from Portland who has no business being in office,” Lewallen said.

To learn more about Leslie and her run for Congress, visit here.
###

CAMAS, WA – In case you missed it, yesterday, former King County Prosecutor, Camas City Councilor and Candidate for Congress in Washingtons’ 3rd District, Leslie Lewallen, joined Ari Hoffman on 570 KVI Talk Radio to discuss the recent Trump verdicts, as well as her campaign to represent Washington’s 3rd Congressional District in our nation’s capital.

In the interview, Lewallen recounted President Trump’s trial and guilty verdict saying, “It was a sad day for our judicial system. Lady Justice did take off her blind fold, and every American should be frightened, because every American should be allowed to know what they’re being charged with, have the right to due process, Constitutional protections, and a fair trial. And that’s not what happened at all.”

The former prosecutor continued on saying, “Our judicial system was manipulated to be weaponized against a political opponent. And from start to finish, this trial was fraught with reversible error at every level. And we had a compromised judge, a compromised D.A., two compromised witnesses with financial gain, a gag order, and a jury that was not impartial, and then you put the cherry on top with the very confusing jury instructions. The ruling opens the door wide open for future abuses.”

Lewallen also touched on her candidacy for Congress in Washington’s 3rd District and the importance of her run, saying, “this race again is a top 3 Congressional pickup race and will determine whether or not we keep the majority in the House of Representatives.”

To learn more about Leslie and her run for Congress, visit here.
###

CAMAS, WA – Today, the Lewallen for Congress campaign announced that they have received the endorsements of three elected leaders from across Washington’s Third Congressional district. Dennis Weber, Cowlitz County Commissioner; Ramona Leber, Longview City Council member; and Victoria Ferrer, Battleground City Council member have all announced their support for Leslie’s candidacy. 

The support of these civic leaders is yet one more reminder that throughout her campaign, Leslie has managed to build a broad base of support. When asked about why they chose to support Leslie’s candidacy, they all identified her commitment to limited government, her support for improving Washington’s bridges and roads, her focus on addressing the region’s crime and homelessness, and a desire to see the WA-03 congressional seat held by a Republican again as factors that impacted their support. 

When asked about their support, Leslie said: “I am honored to receive the endorsement of these fellow elected officials. Only someone who has won a campaign and been about the business of serving constituents can really understand what it takes to be an effective elected official – which makes these endorsements all the more meaningful. Our state and nation are facing a lot of significant challenges from the crisis at the border, to a failing economy, rising prices and an increase in crime – I look forward to getting to DC, rolling up my sleeves, and working hard to tackle these problems while serving the wonderful citizens of WA-03.”

The Lewallen campaign continues to receive endorsements from a dynamic group of supporters from every walk of life and background- demonstrating, yet again, that Leslie is the best candidate to represent the diverse voters of Southwest Washington. While Marie Gluesenkamp Perez actively votes against the interests of WA-03 constituents, Leslie Lewallen will fight to show voters that there is a better path forward.

CAMAS, WA – Leslie Lewallen released the following statement on the verdict in President Trump’s hush money trial:

“From day one, this trial has been a political witch-hunt carried out by a liberal DA and judge. They willingly risked the integrity of our judicial system for political gain, and, in the process, dishonored their offices and the oaths they made when they were sworn in. In my opinion, this verdict does nothing to disqualify President Trump from holding office, and I look forward to casting my ballot for him in November.”

###

Leslie Lewallen Pens Op-Ed, Highlighting the Risks Posed by the Highly Political NY Trump Trial

CAMAS, WA – On Wednesday, May 22nd, The Daily Caller an opinion piece by former prosecutor and WA-03 congressional candidate Leslie Lewallen, highlighting the threat posed by the political circus that is unfolding in New York surrounding Donald Trump’s hush money case.

Trump’s Trial Has Torn Off Lady Justice’s Blindfold

“. . .As an attorney, I’ve been asked on numerous occasions what I think of the Trump trial. I have three answers — as an American, as a lawyer and as a former prosecutor and state Supreme Court clerk.

This trial has crossed a line, and all Americans should be concerned. . . .It is a politically motivated witch hunt akin to something you’d expect to see in Soviet Russia.

This case was brought by a Democratic New York district attorney before a judge whose broad gag orders and questionable rulings create serious doubts about his impartiality. These dubious rulings are further undermined by the fact that the judge is a Joe Biden donor with a daughter in political fundraising who has raised millions off this trial for Democratic political candidates. 

And who will be deciding the president’s fate? An unbiased jury of his peers? No. A jury selected from a tainted jury pool that votes for Democrats 95 percent of the time. 

For our criminal justice system to work, Lady Justice must be blind; but unfortunately for President Trump, the blindfold has slipped and pure justice has been corrupted by political avarice. If Americans do not stand up and denounce this judicial malfeasance, then a line will be crossed that risks reducing the judicial system to nothing more than a weapon with which to punish one’s political enemies.

As a lawyer, I am very disturbed by the low bar set for this case — it is old and weak. 

. . . At the end of all of this, what is the most probable outcome? . . . this case is primed to be overturned. In fact, it should never have been allowed to get to this point in the first place.

. . . As an attorney and, more importantly, as an American, I am watching the events unfolding in New York and fear that we may be witnessing the corrupting of our judicial system as we know it. Americans must demand that Lady Justice be blindfolded once more, or these trials may become a permanent fixture in American politics. If we succeed in reestablishing impartial justice, all Americans win.”

###

CAMAS, WA – On Thursday, May 16th, The Daily News published an article by Brennen Kauffman that highlighted the different positions for each candidate in Washington’s 3rd Congressional District race. The disastrous collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Harbor has put renewed attention on the bridges of Southwest Washington. Leslie Lewallen, as a voting member of the Regional Transportation Commission from 2022-2024, had a front-row seat on this issue, and has been a strong voice for the residents impacted most by the I-5 bridge replacement project. 

Specifically, Leslie has pushed back on bureaucrats’ repeated attempts to tie funding for the bridge to the addition of a light rail system. Washington voters have repeatedly voted down light rail, and the Coast Guard has cautioned against the plan because it pushes the bridge too low in the water. 

When discussing the Lewis and Clark Bridge, Leslie emphasized the importance of completing studies to determine where the bridge is the most vulnerable, and use those results to determine the next steps to mitigating those vulnerabilities. Leslie has also advocated for Southwest Washington to receive a larger share of Washington’s infrastructure monies: “King County gets more of the lion’s share of attention, while down here we have some very critical needs that could use both federal and state tax dollars.”

Beyond the bridges, Leslie has been a vocal proponent of Washington’s timber industry, both for the jobs it provides and the role responsible tree harvesting plays in the overall health of the area’s forests. There has to be a balance between maintaining our forests and keeping them accessible to the public for recreational use. For Leslie, the Nakia Fire underscored the importance of maintaining the forests through the removal of underbrush and older trees – all of which provide fuel for catastrophic forest fires –‘“There’s a liberal misconception that a hands-off approach is the best way to preserve and protect our environment. That’s not based on science or what we see at the local level,’ Lewallen said.”

As the Representative for WA-03, Leslie will work every day to ensure that Southwest Washington’s vital bridges meet the region’s needs, and that the timber industry is supported.   

###

CAMAS, WA – On Friday, The Columbian published an article highlighting a poll commissioned by the Lewallen campaign that decisively shows WA-03 Republican voters are looking for candidate options beyond Joe Kent! These numbers reinforce what has long been the message of the Lewallen campaign: Joe Kent’s best shot at winning this seat was in 2022 and he lost. In the two years since his failed race, his name recognition has gone up and his popularity has plummeted. If Republicans want to win back this seat, it’s time to get behind a candidate that can actually beat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez!

Poll Commissioned by Lewallen Campaign Finds Clark County Republicans Eager for Candidates Beyond Kent in Race for 3rd Congressional District

By: Dylan Jefferies, Columbian Staff Writer

A recent poll commissioned by the campaign of 3rd Congressional District candidate Leslie Lewallen, R-Camas, found that Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, has relatively low-name recognition across the district, and that many Republicans are looking for an alternative to Joe Kent, R-Yacolt.

. . . The survey found that Perez is slightly less known in the district than Kent.

. . .Of those who said they were familiar with Perez and Kent, 38 percent said that they held a favorable opinion of Perez, while 28.8 percent said they held a favorable opinion of Kent.

. . . The survey then introduced Leslie Lewallen as a candidate

. . . Respondents were then asked to vote again as though the Aug. 6 primary were held today, only Lewallen was included

. . . Perez again came out on top with 41.9 percent of the vote. However, Lewallen came in second with 32.1 percent while Kent dropped to 15 percent, leaving 11 percent undecided.

####

CAMAS, WA – Today, John Nowels, the current Spokane County Sheriff, announced his endorsement of Leslie Lewallen for WA-03. 

On announcing his endorsement, Sheriff Nowels said: “As the Spokane County Sheriff, my top priority has been to facilitate a return to community policing as a way to reduce crime and build a relationship of trust between law enforcement and the communities we are charged to serve and protect. I also know the importance of joining forces with regional and community leaders to effectively address the issues of crime, homelessness, mental health crises and substance use disorders plaguing our communities. As a Camas City Council Member, Leslie has been a passionate advocate for partnerships that can address the underlying issues that lead to drug usage and homelessness. She has also been a steadfast supporter of law enforcement – ensuring they have the resources necessary to effectively fulfill their mission to serve and protect. We need more elected officials who will work alongside our law enforcement and first responders to enact effective legislation to address the issues facing Washington State. I have no doubt that Leslie Lewallen will be that leader, which is why I am proud to endorse her today.”

Leslie Lewallen, on receiving this endorsement, said: “I am proud to accept this endorsement from Sheriff Nowels,” said Lewallen. “John and his family have firsthand experience with the ravaging effects of addiction and know better than most the importance of resources to treat the root causes instead of just the symptoms of a problem. As the next Congresswoman for WA-03, I look forward to working with John and other first responders throughout Washington to ensure the availability of adequate treatment options to address drug addiction and mental health disorders while also working to rebuild the relationship of trust that must exist between law enforcement and the communities they’ve sworn to protect!”

Sheriff Nowels graduated from Eastern Washington University in 1996 with a BA in Criminal Justice. In 2019, he earned a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from the University of Oklahoma. Sheriff Nowels also attended and graduated from the 265^th session of the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, in September 2016. While at the FBI National Academy, he completed master’s level leadership courses from the University of Virginia. Sheriff Nowels began his law enforcement career in the Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division in 1998. In his years with the sheriff’s office, he has served as a patrol deputy, and a Technical Collision Investigator, while also working with the Property Crimes Unit and the Investigative Support Unit where he investigated narcotics cases. Sheriff John Nowels has now been with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office for over 26 years. He was elected Sheriff on November 8, 2022, and he began serving as Spokane County Sheriff on January 1, 2023.

The Lewallen campaign continues to receive endorsements from a dynamic group of supporters from every walk of life and background- demonstrating, yet again, that Leslie is the best candidate to represent the diverse voters of Southwest Washington. While Marie Gluesenkamp Perez actively votes against the interests of WA-03 constituents, Leslie Lewallen will fight to show voters that there is a better path forward.

####

CAMAS, WA – On Wednesday, Fox News reported that the Pritzker family, owners of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, has been a major donor to a number of groups participating in the anti-Semitic protests sweeping US college campuses. 

In addition to funding these groups, the Pritzkers have also made significant donations to vulnerable Democrats facing difficult re-election battles this year. One incumbent who received money was Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez. 

When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the Perez campaign gave the following statement: “Marie is a steadfast supporter of Israel’s right to defend itself and led the Defending Borders, Defending Democracies Act in Congress to provide vital military aid to Israel in its fight against Hamas and Iran. She opposes political violence and angry mobs whether organized by the far-left or far-right.”

Representative Perez is NOT a big supporter of Israel, as evidenced by her own blog posts defending Hezbollah. She is also NOT opposed to political violence or angry mobs, as evidenced by reports that she and her husband aided ANTIFA by fixing their tear gas-spreading leaf blowers during the 2020 “Summer of Love” riots in Portland.

Upon reading this report, Leslie Lewallen made the following statement: “Once again, Portland Perez has shown her true colors. While she masquerades as a moderate in the district, her true beliefs show through in her voting record, her actions and her writings. She has voted against securing the border, against parental rights, against small businesses, and against our Second Amendment rights. There should be no confusion on this point – if she gets another term in office her voting record will become more and more extreme as she sides with the far Left elements of the Democratic Party. There is only one Republican in this race who can defeat Representative Perez, and I invite the voters of WA-03 to join me. There is too much at stake in this election to repeat the mistakes of 2022.”  

####