[CCCNFBW] The Columbian: 18th Legislative District, Position 2: John Ley vs. Deken Letinich

[Merribeth Greenberg]

18th Legislative District, Position 2: John Ley vs. Deken Letinich
Republican incumbent says I-5 replacement project too expensive; Democratic
opponent cites economic infusion it would bring to area
Photo of Kelly Moyer
By Kelly Moyer, Columbian Staff Reporter
Published: October 6, 2026, 11:00am
18th Legislative District, Position 2: John Ley vs. Deken Letinich - The
Columbian
<https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/oct/06/18th-legislative-district-john-ley-vs-deken-letinich/>

There is no Alt Text for the picture description of the two candidates.

Ley, 70, is known for his opposition to the current bridge replacement
plans. He frequently wears a “no tolls” tie. His campaign signs object to
tolls and light rail, both of which are incorporated into the planned I-5
Bridge replacement project.

“We don’t have money to pay for it,” said Ley, a U.S. Air Force veteran and
retired airline pilot. “We are $8 billion short, if you trust the current
cost estimates, which explode every two to three years. We can’t afford it.”

Letinich, a 46-year-old union organizer, said the bridge replacement was
the impetus for his legislative run.

18th District House Position 2 Candidates
— 2026 General Election —

Deken Letinich
Age: 46 years old
Residence: Brush Prairie
Party: Democrat
Occupation: Assistant political and legislative director for the Washington
and Northern Idaho District Council of Laborers
Major endorsements: Washington State Labor Council, Washington Education
Association PAC, Laborers’ International Union of North America, Columbia
Pacific Building Trades, IBEW Local 48, Washington Housing Alliance Action
Fund

John Ley
Age: 71 years old
Residence: Hazel Dell
Party: Republican
Web site: electjohnley.com
Education: Portland State University, Bachelor of Science; Distinguished
Graduate USAF Squadron Officer School; Air Command and Staff College
Occupation: Retired pilot
Political experience: 18th Legislative District House of Representatives
Major endorsements: Clark County Republican Party, Stand for Health
Freedom, Association of Washington Business

His priorities shifted once the federal government signed off on the bridge
replacement plans in early July, but Letinich still believes it’s important
to talk about the benefits of the bridge replacement.

“It will put $8 billion back into this economy,” Letinich said, referring
to future workers who will earn prevailing wages and then spend some of
those wages at local businesses and restaurants. “To be against $8 billion
coming in to replace something we desperately need anyway seems like a lack
of understanding.”

As the bridge replacement moves forward with light rail and tolls, Letinich
has focused his priorities on other issues like childcare and affordability
— two concerns he hears a lot about when he’s out talking to 18th District
voters.

“There are pathways, even in a tight budget year, to make improvements in
childcare,” Letinich said. “There are a lot of providers that have talked
about how overly regulated it is in Washington, even compared to liberal
states like California. And a lot of those regulations are outdated. So
that’s one, low-budget change that could help people pretty easily.”

Letinich agrees with legislation that created the so-called “millionaires
tax,” which will impose a 9.9 percent tax on annual adjusted gross income
over $1 million. He added that, if elected, he would never vote to lower
the tax’s $1 million threshold.

Ley is more focused on reducing property taxes for his constituents. During
his first term in the Legislature, Ley co-sponsored three bills that would
have reduced property taxes.

“Most significantly, I wanted to exempt the first $250,000 of a home’s
valuation from taxation,” Ley said. “This helps seniors and low- and
middle-income families. Sadly, the majority party rejected these bills.”

The candidates also differ on the hot-button issue of regulating data
centers.

Ley pointed to the town of Quincy, where data centers have provided an
influx of revenues along with concerns about future drains on the town’s
energy resources.

“The state needs to decide: Do we want those jobs to be created elsewhere?”
Ley said. “There are demands on the power grid. There are demands on
resources and the state needs to decide: Do we want to step forward and
meet those demands and meet the needs of those businesses when they come to
create jobs?”

Letinich said he would like to see oversight at the state level to ensure
that any data centers that do come to Washington communities are putting
some sort of investment back into those areas.

“Initially, we saw a lot of support for (data centers), especially from the
building trades because of their job creation,” Letinich said. “But as
they’ve come into play, we’ve seen the drain on resources and a kind of
change in the employment opportunities. They’re not quite as popular or as
viable as job creators as we thought.”

Campaign finance
Letinich and Ley have raised similar amounts of money during their 2026
campaigns — a little over $73,500 for Letinich and around $87,000 for Ley.
But outside donors, including Koch Industries and Amazon and groups
representing land developers, health insurers, banks and oil and gas
companies, have pumped over $185,000 into the race to help the Republican
candidate win, including $67,105 for ads supporting Ley and $117,945 for
those opposing Letinich.
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