Kim Harless, an advocate for curbing the negative impacts of climate change and rising housing costs locally, appears to have won a narrow recount for a seat on Vancouver City Council.
A hand recount by the Clark County Auditor’s Office found Harless garnered 16,845 votes, results posted on Wednesday show. She maintained her narrow lead over real estate broker and former Clark County councilor John Blom, who finished with 16,790 votes.
The recount results are expected to be certified Monday, election officials said.
“I’m just incredibly grateful for this opportunity,” said Harless, 34. She noted she may be the first person of Indigenous descent on the council. “The Indigenous community is very excited.”
Blom, by text, said he congratulated Harless on Wednesday morning. A former county councilor who lost his seat after dropping his Republican affiliation, he reiterated to OPB that this latest loss is prompting him to spend time away from politics.
“I anticipated the results wouldn’t flip,” Blom wrote. “I reached out to congratulate Kim this morning. Looking forward to focusing on my family and career.”
County employees had spent days reviewing ballots after Harless and Blom’s race finished at such narrow margins that they triggered Washington’s law for a recount. The two finished within 55 votes, a 0.16% differential of the roughly 34,000 votes cast.
The recount found the initial count was nearly perfect. The recount discovered just two votes in discrepancy – one apiece for Blom and Harless. Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said vote-counting machines couldn’t tabulate the voters’ “very light” markings.
“The recount went more than perfect,” Kimsey said. “We added votes that voters intended to add. So, we’re doing a better job of reading voters’ intent than the original certification did.”
Harless and Blom overlapped on many issues, such as helping the community’s unhoused population. However, Harless billed herself as an outsider candidate compared with Blom’s prior forays into politics.
Blom also had a sizeable financial advantage in the race. He raised $44,696 directly, while the National Association of Realtors and a Washington Realtors Political Action Committee spent $250,000 combined to bolster his campaign.
Harless, who works at a paint recycling nonprofit, raised $27,850 directly. Outside groups spent $2,443 on her behalf. Compared with Blom, she’s a relative political newcomer. She currently holds an elected position to review the county charter.
In an interview Wednesday, Harless said she’s looking forward to learning her new role as a city councilor, a position tasked with setting the city’s policies and overseeing the city manager.
On policy, Harless is keeping her eye on Vancouver’s climate action plan. The plan — like many cities — aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions within the city in the coming decades. The plan is still in development.
“I’m a strong believer in environmental justice and ensuring that that plan is actually going to serve everyone in our community, to accomplish the goal of greenhouse gas reduction,” Harless said.