A coalition of local Republican elected officials has called for leadership turnover within the Clark County Republican Party. The demand comes after a man previously convicted in connection with incidents involving a teenage girl was elected as a committee chair.

In an open letter sent Tuesday to precinct committee officers, 13 signatories — including city, county and state officials — said they “cannot be associated with” the local party under its current leadership. The letter called for the resignations of Clark County Republican Chair Earl Bowerman and several other party leaders.

“To put an individual with this past behavior into a leadership position is dangerous and reckless,” the letter reads. “As party chairman, Dr. Bowerman bears ultimate responsibility for it and his declination to take action to set it aside has done severe damage to the Republican brand in Clark County.”

“If they do not resign, we ask the PCOs to undertake the process to remove them from CCRP office.”

State Sens. Ann Rivers, R-La Center, and Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, co-signed the letter, joined by the following Republican state representatives: Paul Harris, Brandon Vick and Larry Hoff, all of Vancouver, and Chris Corry of Yakima. Clark County Sheriff Chuck Atkins, as well as county Councilors John Blom and Julie Olson and Clark County Assessor Peter Van Nortwick also signed it.