Democrat and White Salmon Mayor Marla Keethler competes against Republican Rep. Paul Harris to represent Washington’s 17th District in the State Senate in the upcoming Nov. 5 General Election.
Democrat and White Salmon Mayor Marla Keethler competes against Republican Rep. Paul Harris to represent Washington’s 17th District in the State Senate in the upcoming Nov. 5 General Election.
WHITE SALMON — “The way that being mayor has changed me most is really thinking so wholly and so often about what other people need,” said Marla Keethler. “I don’t know that it ever fully turns off.”
After years in sports television, Keethler returned to Washington, moving to White Salmon in 2016. Catalyzed by the presidential election and yearning for more involvement — to get things done — Keethler earned a city council seat in 2018, followed by two successful mayoral campaigns. Now, she’s seeking to leverage her organic, grassroots journey in local government to the state level, competing against Republican Paul Harris, who’s served as State Representative for 14 years, to represent Washington’s 17th District in the senate.
When Keethler took office, she leaned into her storytelling experience. She thought, and still does, that government should activate human emotion, that laws should be written for everyone to understand and should always center those affected. Even though Keethler was self-taught, she got White Salmon’s gears turning.
During her tenure as mayor, White Salmon’s government laid out a a comprehensive vision for the city’s next 20 years and identified key goals for its transportation system, green spaces and housing. Beyond foundation building, they established a regional fire authority, passed a climate resolution, began renovating Rhine Village and more. But what Keethler’s most proud of is less tangible.
“The first one that stands out isn’t necessarily one single accomplishment, but rather strengthening the relationship between the community of White Salmon and the government of White Salmon,” said Keethler. “All that doesn’t happen if you don’t build trust, or rebuild trust and serve with integrity.”
Helping secure $300 million for the new Hood River-White Salmon Bridge stood out, too.
When Keethler learned about the newly redrawn 17th District, which stretches from Goldendale to Vancouver and up past Mount Adams, she saw an opportunity. While she lost to Harris in the Aug. 6 primary by 150 votes, Keethler said the result was validating and proof the historically conservative district is open to electing new leadership. As for her platform, it revolves around satisfying people’s basic needs and reflects her mayoral policies.
“Housing is the intersection of so many issues,” Keethler said. “There’s such an unsettling sense to your day-to-day when you don’t have that safety and security of home, or a stable roof over your head. It means that people can’t be their full self to engage on any of these other issues.” Besides housing, she plans to focus on childcare, infrastructure, public safety and healthcare, particularly protecting women’s right to make their own medical decisions.
Coming from a city with a tight budget, Keethler understands the divide between rural and urban counties when it comes to funding, often exacerbated by layers of bureaucracy and lack of local capacity. By implementing rolling deadlines for grant applications, for instance, Keethler aims to bring smaller communities more money, and regardless of the issue, sees her nonpartisan background as a strength.
“It’s not first about an allegiance to a party or an identity, it’s an allegiance to what’s the best way to address this problem and work[ing] together to solve it,” said Keethler, a registered Democrat. “I don’t think I would have that if I didn’t first start as city councilor and then as mayor.”
Regularly holding office hours and constantly in conversation with White Salmon residents, Keethler also wants to maintain the same amount of accessibility. She doesn’t believe in checking in and checking out — she wants to engage, listen and form genuine, reciprocal relationships with her constituents year-round.
Keethler and Harris will face off in the Nov. 5 general election, and she’s feeling hopeful. If she doesn’t win, Keethler’s ready to keep making progress in White Salmon, especially by providing more affordable childcare and at-home mail delivery rather than PO box rental, but she’s also prepared to step up. “I know how the sausage gets made on these issues,” Keethler said. “It’s different than someone who has only developed policy from afar, and for me, all I’ve known is that the buck stops with me.”
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