Ty Stober, a respected leader in Vancouver’s public service community, is now seeking to serve as Clark County Auditor. Currently serving as Vancouver City Council member, Position 5, he has earned a reputation as a thoughtful and effective leader, recognized for his commitment to equity, sustainability, and meaningful community engagement. His campaign for Auditor underscores a dedication to promoting transparency and accountability in local government.
Since his first election to the City Council in 2015, Stober has worked tirelessly to address the needs of his community. Whether advocating for economic development, championing inclusivity, or tackling sustainability challenges, his leadership has left a lasting impact. His involvement extends beyond the council chambers — he has served on numerous boards and committees, including the National League of Cities, where he has held leadership roles advancing racial equity and LGBTQ+ representation in local government.
Before entering public service, Stober spent over two decades in sales, marketing, and operations, gaining valuable experience in both entrepreneurial ventures and established organizations. His professional background includes managing energy efficiency programs that benefited communities across the Northwest. This blend of private-sector expertise and public service experience uniquely positions him to bring innovation and efficiency to the role of Clark County Auditor.
Stober’s campaign is rooted in the belief that the Auditor’s Office should be a model of transparency and fairness. He envisions modernizing systems to improve accessibility and efficiency while fostering trust between the government and the people it serves. For him, the role is about more than managing numbers — it’s about ensuring that every resident feels represented and valued.
Beyond his professional achievements, Stober’s personal story adds depth to his candidacy. A longtime resident of Clark County, he lives in Vancouver with his husband, and together they are active members of the community. His experiences as a member of the LGBTQ+ community have shaped his perspective and strengthened his resolve to create a more inclusive and equitable society. His ability to connect with people on a personal level makes him not just a leader, but a neighbor who truly understands the community he serves.
As he embarks on this campaign, Stober invites voters to join him in envisioning a brighter future for Clark County. His candidacy is a call to action for those who believe in the power of transparency, accountability, and community-driven leadership. In a recent conversation, Stober shared more about his vision and personal journey. The following are questions posed to him, along with his responses.
Frank Gaimari: What inspired you to leave the private sector and dedicate yourself to public service?
Ty Stober: I have always been dedicated to public service — it’s been a constant throughout my life, even before I found my path to elected office. As an Eagle Scout and through serving in student government as early as sixth grade, I developed a strong instinct for leadership and community involvement. Those values have stayed with me ever since. Early in my career, a mentor advised me to first gain experience in the private sector, saying it would provide a solid foundation for a future in policymaking. I took that advice to heart, and the years I spent building my private-sector career have deeply informed my perspective as a public servant.
Looking back, there was another reason I waited before pursuing elected office: I wasn’t yet comfortable being open about my sexuality. Accepting myself was an essential first step toward building the life and career I had always envisioned.
Once I embraced my authentic self, I moved forward with purpose. In 2005, I attended Victory Institute training, joined the board of Equal Rights Washington, and worked on the Measure 71 domestic partnership campaign. Later, as chair of the organization, I led efforts during the Measure 74 marriage-equality campaign. By the time I ran for Vancouver City Council in 2013, seeking elected office felt like a natural next step — a culmination of the journey I’d been preparing for all along.
FG: Can you share a moment during your time with the Vancouver City Council that you’re particularly proud of?
TS: The moment I’m proudest of in my public service came during the pandemic, when our Council formally adopted equity, safety, and climate action as our core governing principles. While that decision might seem like a small policy detail to some, for me, it was the result of years of dedication and advocacy.
From my very first day on Council, I believed that these three areas should be at the heart of everything we do. For quite some time, however, I struggled to build a majority consensus around that vision. Then, in 2020, the world changed. The George Floyd protests, catastrophic wildfires that left Vancouver with some of the worst air quality in the world, and a spike in dangerous driving all converged at once. Suddenly, these crises underscored the urgency of the issues I had been raising, and my colleagues became open in ways that years of conversation hadn’t achieved.
What makes me just as proud as that initial breakthrough is what came afterward: we’ve remained committed to these principles, even as the national conversation has grown more polarized and hostile toward equity. Standing firm in our values — especially when it isn’t easy — is, in my view, what truly matters in leadership.
FG: How has your personal journey as a member of the LGBTQ+ community influenced your leadership style?
TS: When you spend years hiding something fundamental about who you are, you develop a deep understanding of what it feels like to be unseen. You become acutely aware of what it’s like to navigate systems that weren’t designed with you in mind, and to wonder whether you’ll be accepted if people really know your story. That feeling never truly leaves you. For me, it’s become the lens through which I approach leadership.
I think about constituents who walk into a government office, uncertain whether they’ll be treated with dignity. I think about the employee who isn’t sure if their workplace is a safe place to be themselves. I think about the voter who’s made to feel like their participation is an obstacle rather than a right. That attentiveness — the instinct to ask who is not being seen, whose experience isn’t being considered — comes directly from my own journey.
Chairing Equal Rights Washington during the marriage equality campaign deepened this perspective even further. We were asking the public to vote on whether love like mine deserved legal recognition. You gain a particular understanding of what’s at stake when your own life is on the ballot. That experience made me a more careful listener, and I hope, a more thoughtful leader.
FG: What do you see as the most pressing challenge facing the Clark County Auditor’s office, and how would you address it?
TS: The Auditor’s Office is responsible for administering voter registration and elections in Clark County. This is not just an abstract civic duty — it is the foundation of our democracy, the process through which every individual exercises rights that generations have fought, marched, and even sacrificed their lives to secure. Safeguarding that process and ensuring that every eligible voter can participate with confidence is a responsibility I hold with the utmost seriousness.
In October 2024, one of our county’s ballot drop boxes was targeted for tampering. Thanks to the professionalism and swift action of our election staff, nearly all affected ballots were recovered. That outcome was no accident — it was the result of highly trained, dedicated people doing their job under immense pressure. As Auditor, my role would be to support and strengthen that team, ensure our systems are secure and resilient, and serve as a steady, trustworthy voice for the integrity of our elections — especially at a time when others are working to undermine public confidence.
Who serves in the offices that administer our elections matters. It sends a powerful message about who our democracy is for, and I believe representation in these roles is vital to the health of our community and our democratic process.
FG: What hobbies or activities do you enjoy that help you unwind and stay grounded?
TS: First, my husband and I love to travel whenever we have the chance. Stepping outside of the familiar always broadens my perspective and helps me see things in new ways. I also spend time mentoring others — which some might not consider a way to unwind, but I find it deeply rewarding and grounding. It reminds me of the people who invested in my journey, and I feel a real sense of purpose in supporting someone else’s path.
And honestly, time with close friends is essential for me — the kind of time where you don’t have to be “on” or perform, but can simply be yourself and enjoy each other’s company.
What connects all these activities is that they require me to be present and fully engaged. In that way, they’re not so different from what good public service demands: showing up, paying attention, and being genuinely invested in the moment.
FG: How do you and your husband stay connected to the community, and what role does your personal life play in shaping your public service?
TS: On June 20th, Lamar and I will celebrate 23 years together and 13 years of marriage. Our relationship has grown alongside the evolving legal recognition of relationships like ours. For the first five years we were together, we had no legal status at all. Then, Washington voters stood up to defend the Domestic Partnership law at the ballot box. Five years later, they defended the right to marry. We’ve now been legally married for thirteen of our twenty-three years together — and it was elections that made that possible.
That isn’t an abstract concept for me; it’s my lived experience. It’s a big part of why I care so deeply about protecting the integrity of elections and ensuring every eligible voter has the chance to participate. The Auditor’s Office oversees that process in Clark County, and I take that responsibility very seriously.
Lamar is a private person — he’s not one to knock on doors or give speeches — but he’s always there for the moments that matter most. His steady support is something I depend on, even if I don’t always say it out loud.
More than anything, my personal life has given me a real understanding of what it means to need your government to truly see you — and how powerful it is when that finally happens. That perspective guides my public service every day.
FG: What message would you like to share with voters about why this election matters and what you hope to achieve as Auditor?
TS: The Auditor’s Office handles work that most people never think about — and that’s exactly how it should be. When elections run smoothly, county employees are paid accurately and on time, public records are preserved, licenses are issued, and funds are tracked and reconciled; these systems become almost invisible. But when something goes wrong, people notice immediately.
I’m running because I believe this office deserves a leader with a track record of building and managing the kinds of systems, teams, and financial operations that keep everything running seamlessly behind the scenes. I also believe that representation matters — in every office, at every level, including those that don’t often make the headlines.
For LGBTQ+ voters especially, representation in government is significant. We have fought hard for the right to be counted, and I want to be the person who ensures that counting is done right.
Ty Stober’s campaign is more than just a run for office — it’s a reflection of his deep belief in the impact that effective, ethical governance can have on people’s lives. As election day approaches, voters have a chance to explore Ty’s vision for Clark County and the core values that guide his leadership. With a strong combination of professional experience, community involvement, and a genuine commitment to public service, Ty Stober is prepared to lead Clark County toward a future defined by transparency, accountability, and trust.
To learn more about Ty and his campaign, visit https://votety.com/
