GOP state senator Benton interested in lobbying job

According to The Columbian, state senator Don Benton, R-Vancouver, has applied to become the chief lobbyist for Clark County. Other notables applying for the job include former state senator Don Carlson, who represented the 49th District for many years as a Republican.

State Sen. Don Benton is one of the five finalists who will be interviewed during the next two weeks to become Clark County's primary lobbyist.

Benton, a Republican legislator for the past 12 years, presumably would resign his 17th Legislative District seat if selected to represent the county.

Benton could not be reached for comment Friday.

Other finalists for the county job include a newly formed partnership between Don Carlson, a former state legislator, and Randy Mueller, who was campaign manager for this year's library bond measure and co-director of 2005 C-Tran sales tax campaign.

The article touches on rumblings that Benton is interested in running for the county commission seat currently held by alleged Democrat Betty Sue Morris. I've heard those rumors too, but this is the first time I recall seeing them in print.

I won't even try to handicap the odds of Benton getting the Clark County lobbyist position. It's hard to see how that would be a smart move by Clark County, given Benton's acerbic history and the large Democratic majority in the state senate.