[CCCNFBW] The Columbian: Clark County Council District 2: Michelle Belkot vs. John Zingale

[Merribeth Greenberg]

Clark County Council District 2: Michelle Belkot vs. John Zingale
Candidates differ on taxes, prioritizing public safety funds
Photo of Shari Phiel
By Shari Phiel, Columbian Staff Reporter
Published: October 13, 2026, 11:00am
Updated: October 13, 2026, 2:42pm
Clark County Council District 2: Michelle Belkot vs. John Zingale - The
Columbian
<https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/oct/13/clark-county-council-district-2-michelle-belkot-vs-john-zingale/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=Morning+Briefing>

Alt text of picture: Incumbent Michelle Belkot is seeking a second term
against John Zingale for the Clark County Council District 2 seat.
Incumbent Michelle Belkot is seeking a second term against John Zingale for
the Clark County Council District 2 seat. (Contributed photos)

Clark County Councilor Michelle Belkot will face challenger and longtime
teacher John Zingale in the November general election. While the two
candidates share some priorities, they have very different views.

They are running to represent District 2, which encompasses Hazel Dell,
Felida and Salmon Creek.

Belkot outpaced Zingale in the August primary with 49.51 percent of votes
cast, compared with Zingale’s 36.73 percent. With Martin Pittioni now out
of the race, Belkot’s lead could widen considerably or put Zingale ahead
depending on how the roughly 3,500 voters supporting Pittioni decide to
vote.

Belkot, 49, did not respond to The Columbian’s requests for an interview or
meeting with the editorial board. While she did participate in a League of
Women Voters of Clark County candidate forum ahead of the primary, she was
one of two candidates who declined invitations to recent forums over
concerns about the group’s partisanship.

A 24-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and Air Force and mother of two, Belkot
was first elected in 2022 following an unsuccessful run for Vancouver
Public Schools’ board a year earlier. At the August candidate forum, Belkot
said her time in the military and now working with government contracts
proved to be great training grounds.

Clark County Council District 2 Candidates
— 2026 General Election —

Michelle Belkot
Age: 49 years old
Residence: Felida
Party: Nonpartisan
Web site: electbelkot.com
Education: Master’s in management and leadership from Webster University,
bachelor’s from George Fox University, Navy Supply Corps School
Occupation: Served in the U.S. Air Force and U. S. Navy for a combined 24
years; currently employed as a civil servant
Political experience: Elected to Clark County Council in 2022
Major endorsements: Not available

John Zingale
Age: 45 years old
Residence: Lake Shore
Party: Democrat
Web site: zingaleforclarkcounty.com
Education: Master’s degree in teaching from University of Portland;
bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University
Occupation: Teacher at Vancouver iTech Preparatory
Major endorsements: FairVote Washington, One America Votes, Washington
Conservation Action, Sierra Club, LULAC Vancouver Metro Council 47026, IBEW
48, Columbia Pacific Building Trades, Southwest Washington Central Labor
Council

“This equipped me with proven budgeting and leadership and strategic
decision making under pressure,” she said.

Among Belkot’s priorities are opposing new or unnecessary taxes,
prioritizing funding for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, blocking light
rail and tolls from the Interstate 5 Bridge project and focusing county
spending on core programs and services.

Zingale, 45, lives in Lake Shore and teaches U.S. and Washington state
history at Vancouver iTech Preparatory school, where he was named 2026
regional teacher of the year. If elected, his priorities will be taking a
proactive approach to housing and behavioral health issues, creating a
balanced budget that funds more than public safety, promoting a mix of
housing types to address the housing shortage, and public engagement.

Zingale said he disagrees with Belkot’s past votes against the 1 percent
property tax increase allowed by state law and raising impact, development
and other fees. He said without the additional revenue, the county can’t
maintain its roads or parks, address affordability and homeless issues or
support needed programs.

“We need to have someone who can represent those issues on the Clark County
Council because those will impact our everyday lives,” he said. “I want to
make sure we have a Clark County that is forward thinking and ready for the
200,000 more people (expected) to move into the county.”

Belkot has faced criticism from her challenger and voters because she
frequently attends county council meetings online rather than in person.

“I don’t think the incumbent is properly representing myself and many
others that live in District 2,” Zingale said. “When I hear from
constituents, they’re a no-show.”

In the first six months of 2026, the county council met nearly 50 times
with Belkot attending 75 percent of meetings virtually and 15 percent in
person; she was absent 10 percent of the time.

According to the Public Disclosure Commission, Belkot has raised about
$31,400 for her campaign, with 85 percent coming from individual donors as
well as the Clark County Association of Realtors, Vilhauer Construction and
Northwest Investments at Stockford Village LLC.

Zingale launched unsuccessful runs for the 18th District state House of
Representatives position in 2022 and 2024, along with the Clark County
charter commission in 2025. Zingale’s PDC filing shows $35,400 in
contributions. About 40 percent came from individual donors, 23 percent
from political action committees and 5 percent from the state Democratic
Party.
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