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Ray Chapman-Wilson (Centralia City Council District 2, Washington, candidate 2025)
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Ray Chapman-Wilson is running for election to the Centralia City Council District 2 in Washington. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source] He was on the ballot in the primary on August 5, 2025.[source]
Chapman-Wilson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Ray Chapman-Wilson provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on July 7, 2025:
- Birth date: May 2, 1962
- Birth place: Stockton, California
- High school: A. A. Stagg, Stockton, CA
- Military service: United States Navy
- Religion: Unitarian Universalist
- Profession: Construction
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign slogan: Safety, Comunity, Prosperity
- Campaign website
Elections
General election
General election for Centralia City Council District 2
Ray Chapman-Wilson and Leah Sisemore are running in the general election for Centralia City Council District 2 on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
 | Ray Chapman-Wilson (Nonpartisan)  | |
| Leah Sisemore (Nonpartisan) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for Centralia City Council District 2
Ray Chapman-Wilson, Chuck Kifer, and Leah Sisemore ran in the primary for Centralia City Council District 2 on August 5, 2025.
Candidate | ||
| Ray Chapman-Wilson (Nonpartisan) | |
| Chuck Kifer (Nonpartisan) | ||
| Leah Sisemore (Nonpartisan) | ||
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Election results
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Ray Chapman-Wilson completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Chapman-Wilson's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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I grew up dirt poor in a loving family in Stockton, California, spent 30 years in Portland Oregon and moved to Centralia, Washington in 2021. I cherish spending time with family and also value spending time with neighbors. Two community things that really ground me are a weekly Saturday peace vigil here in town at the public library. 20 years running, it's hosted by Veterans For Peace and the two primary goals are to promote peace and end War. The second community thing that grounds me is to bring dog food and cat food for the pets of people experiencing homelessness every Sunday.
- The primary and thing of highest import that a city councilor does is manage the tax dollars of thier constituency. I am 100% fiscally conservative. This means I make sure that every dollar spent is for the highest and best purpose and is what is needed and wanted by my constituency. No special interests or pet projects allowed.
- It is the responsibility of the city government to keep constituents informed of how their tax dollars are being spent. And when large sums of discretionary funds come available as they did in 2023, it is the city councilors responsibility to spend it to the highest and best use. That did not happen here in Centralia last time around. The city council voted to spend 1 and 1/2 million dollars to put artificial turf on a softball field. This money was American Resue Plan Act funds and was intended to help constituents as we emerged from pandemic. I've already asked constituents, and they would love to have seen that money go towards Healthcare, Senior Services, after school and children's services, and home and rental assistance.
- I will include constituents in large discretionary spending scenarios. and I will have regular town halls. Likely one town hall every 3 months or so at least.
Climate pollution and extraction-caused climate disruption must be addressed. I'm very interested in supportive Housing for those neighbors experiencing homelessness. I also know that we would benefit from a parks and Recreation department or at least a few community centers located in different neighborhoods. And then also families need help with daycare and Housing and rental assistance. I would try to find creative ways to create or increase resources for that; maybe public/private partnerships.
This office is hyper local, as it funds budgets for law enforcement, Public Services and recreational areas. The city council can hear what is happening from constituents and work to treat any issues, just as a neighbor might help out another neighbor with a difficult or heavy task.
Between my mother and father there is a wonderful balance of work ethic, empathy, and love for others. This sustains me. And I see all of these things mirrored back to me from people that I meet everyday. Things are wonderful this way.
To understand my political philosophy, please observe Bernice A King, Dr Jane Goodall, Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Kamala Harris, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson. That's my philosophy right there.
Empathy and the ability to always try and understand what constituents need and want. And then the ability to make it happen or help the constituent attain that goal or need.
I am a good listener, and I have lots of patience and like to talk with neighbors. I also feel very responsible when it comes to understanding that I'd be making decisions that affect others.
To administer the business of the City. Forecast and operate within budgeted parameters to keep the City government functioning.
An improved environment. I would do my work with the thought in mind that hopefully, constituents could say to themselves at the end of my term that things have improved for them.
1971. This is when busing was upheld as a tool for desegregation in schools to promote racial balance. I loved it because I got to go with to school with kids I never otherwise would have met.
My first job was dishwashing at Smorga Bob's in Stockton, CA. It was a buffet style restaurant. I loved it. I was there probably 4 and 1/2 months.
It's a tossup between Hannah Arendt "The Origins of Totalitarianism" and Antoine de Saint-Exupery The Little Prince. Hannah Arendt, because her book is a road map on how to maintain a free and fair society. The Little Prince, because it is an analogy and a road map for living life.
Ma Joad from Grapes of Wrath.
Come and Get Your Love by Redbone !
Over working. Working so much that i've paid less attention to family and others than I otherwise would have wanted to. But it's only in hindsight that I know this Recently, I've began to make more efforts to spend time with others. I'm making more friends and spending more time talking with neighbors as well.
Yes it should be broadcast more widely that the city council actually sets the budget for the city. And that the city council can react to changing needs over time by reallocating budget items, or trying to find money in other ways. Other sources of money could be public-private partnerships or perhaps help with grant writing, so that constituents can help develop services in the community as well.
Yes I do think it would be beneficial, but certainly not required.
An understanding of fiduciary responsibility would be number one, since most of the work of the city council is actually spending taxpayer dollars. Experience in return on investment (ROI) studies would be really helpful. And I think project estimating and project management would be really helpful as well. I am proficient in all these skills.
I like that the city council interacts with law enforcement. I have a keen interest in trying to figure out how to improve community service opportunities separate from 911 and emergency response issues. I think the city would benefit greatly from some sort of community service and social response team for folk experience seeing mental health crises and crisis that stem from experiencing homelessness and disconnection from neighbors.
What's brown and sticky? A stick.
Everything that I ever do as a public servant should be wide open for scrutiny, judgment, and full disclosure. Always and forever.
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Other survey responses
Ballotpedia identified the following surveys, interviews, and questionnaires Chapman-Wilson completed for other organizations. If you are aware of a link that should be added, email us.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
