Sean Swope’s tenure on the Lewis County Board of Commissioners has been defined more by advancing a right-leaning agenda — through social media, his official role and The Chronicle opinion pieces — than by local governance.
Recently, last March, Commissioner Swope reposted a bulleted “summary” of House Bill 1296, complete with extreme claims about 9-year-olds excusing themselves from campus, boys in girls’ bathrooms and hidden staff-student assaults, attributing it to the “Washington state Democratic Party.”
The post garnered wide attention (200-plus comments) before he took it down, and then Swope belatedly apologized for failing to vet the content, admitting he “fell short” in his due diligence. Beyond the HB 1296 post, Swope’s personal Facebook page has repeatedly targeted local institutions, calling out Centralia College’s policies, criticizing Gather Church and even a post labeling Timberland Library staff and advocates of LGBTQ+ themed materials as “groomers,” which sparked some 142 resident emails expressing alarm over potential censorship. All of this under the banner of his official title.
In his official capacity, Swope challenged the YMCA camp rezone in 2022, questioning the YMCA’s stance on critical race theory, gender reassignment and defunding police. All outside the scope of the land use discussion pertinent to the rezone. In 2023, he authored a formal letter signed by the commission urging Timberland Regional Library to institute a rating system on what youth should read.
Beyond Facebook and his public role, Swope has penned multiple op-eds in The Chronicle on subjects like parental rights in education (“When the state pushes parents aside, we all lose”), a transgender speech at college (“Rejecting a misguided celebration of International Women's Day at college”) and public health issues (“Upholding our freedom — support mask mandate ban resolution”). While advocacy and commentary are valid forms of civic engagement, they lie outside the routine scope of county ordinance-making, budget oversight and departmental supervision.
The Chronicle’s decision to position these columns under the clear label “Commentary by Sean Swope, Lewis County commissioner” effectively amplifies his partisan platform as if it were constituent-focused reporting.
By hosting his agenda, the paper lends it legitimacy, even when the topics have no direct bearing on Lewis County’s core services.
Some will defend Swope’s right to personal expression, but this argument ignores how he consistently invokes his elected office to frame his opinions. When a public official uses government letterhead, job titles and media access to push ideological positions, it ceases to be mere personal commentary. It becomes a use of office to influence public discourse.
No statute outright forbids spreading misinformation or voicing partisan views, but if Commissioner Swope wishes to demonstrate true leadership, he must stop using his office to push his partisan opinion in the public space. He should refocus on the county’s core responsibilities — roads, budgets and public safety — and honor his oath to all residents. Until he does, he’ll remain an ineffective leader more invested in advancing a political agenda than in meeting the practical needs of Lewis County.
Matt Evans
Centralia
