Dear fellow San Juan Islanders,

I’ll be voting for Rick Hughes, District 2. For me, this is a no-brainer. I have known Rick since the first mass extinction, and I certify that his heart and his mind are in alignment on the most pressing issues facing our community. I have compared notes with Rick through the years, and I can tell you that one of his best superpowers is the power to listen. Sound decision-making involves ascertaining facts, and being able to process them in conjunction with varying viewpoints as well as with the law. As a former “Ferry guy,”(don’t hold it against me!) I can tell you that Rick is fully informed about the ongoing problems that have plagued Washington State Ferries.

A long time islander, he understands the evolutionary dynamics of the San Juan Islands, and will be a facilitator of its competent stewardship. No grandstanding, no conspiracy theories and no drama. And, the utmost compliment you could get back in my old neighborhood was: “he’s a regular guy.” That axiom absolutely applies here.

Michael Herko

San Juan Island