● Meet Kim Harless

Hi, I’m Kim Harless

As a current Vancouver City Councilmember and now candidate for State Representative, I have stayed true to how I started in service: I’m here to listen, learn, and roll up my sleeves alongside you. Let’s keep building a state where every voice is heard and every corner thrives.

My work is guided by three core beliefs:

Equity
Everyone gets a fair shot, no one is left behind, and we should remove barriers that keep people from thriving.

Community
Leadership through listening, showing up, and making decisions with the people most impacted.

Future
Protect our air, water, and climate while building systems that work for the next generation.

My background

Rooted in Community, Leading for Change

I’m multi-racial, Indigenous, and Latina, raised here in Vancouver from a young age and I still call every corner of this city my home. At 21, I became a mom juggling food stamps, Pell Grants, and work-study to earn my environmental science degree. Those challenges taught me what it means to fight for your family and your dreams. Through those hard times, I kept my compass and took note of the barriers that kept me from thriving. This lived experience taught me not only about adversity but how public policy meant to help can also hinder or miss the root causes of poverty.

After graduation, I put my degree to work as a Sustainability Intern for Clark County Environmental Services and was later promoted to Operations Specialist doing system planning and contract management for our recycling and waste systems. From there, I served on the Clark County Charter Review Commission—where I helped change our county to nonpartisan elections—and then ran for City Council to bring that same spirit of equity and collaboration to Vancouver. I now work for the Native American Youth and Family Center, helping urban Native families reconnect with the land and heal from the legacies of colonization in southwest Washington.

When we work together we win together. Here’s what we’ve been able to accomplish: 

  • Climate Action: Leading efforts to prioritize environmental justice, increase community resiliency during climate disasters, and stop new bulk fossil fuel storage.

  • Housing Stability: Championing historic investments in affordable housing, expanding shelter capacity, and advocating for smart, equitable growth.

  • Equity and Justice: Spearheading Vancouver’s first equity statement and framing all policy through an intersectional lens, ensuring marginalized voices are heard and compensated.

  • Public Safety: Earning endorsements from Vancouver Police and Fire Fighters Unions while supporting co-response models, trauma-informed care, and greater accountability.

  • Progressive Revenue: Passing Vancouver’s first B&O tax to raise vital revenue without unduly burdening small businesses, and serving on the board of Fourth Plain Forward to uplift BIPOC entrepreneurs.

  • Democracy Reform: Leading the charge for nonpartisan elections and putting Ranked Choice Voting on the ballot.