Here’s what I’ve observed in the race for county prosecutor:
Experience: an oft-touted word by politicians, and for good reasons really. In Randy Gaylord, we have an elected prosecutor with 30-plus years of distinguished experience as a Washington attorney, 24 as prosecutor. His many accomplishments have helped shape our islands as a friendly, environmentally conscious community. He’s served our county’s and citizens’ interests, from giving a voice and strong representation to victims’ rights, to giving us quiet summers void of jet skis and everywhere in between. Victories in court, too many to list, run the spectrum and provide us the lifestyle and community we have today.
Gaylord’s experience, maturity, understanding and appropriate application of the laws are well documented. Like him or not, bias aside, he’s delivered, and consistently.
In contrast, his opponent: five years experience as a Washington attorney, remarkably having not tried a single felony case, not even a misdemeanor case … draw your own conclusions there. Arguably, the meat of Nick Power’s experience has been in suing the very county he wishes to represent. The Public Records Act wasn’t enacted as a cash machine for the unscrupulous, and yet he’s time and time again used it to line his pockets at the cost of every taxpayer in the county. Further, Gaylord’s opponent has pursued rash court actions to silence officials like our auditor, to unseat school board members and county council members. In his brief legal career in Washington, a Skagit judge assessed him sanctions of $10,000 which remains unpaid. Yep, unpaid. How does he propose to uphold the rule of law when it apparently doesn’t apply to him?
Clearly, there is a lot of angst and disillusionment with regard to politics, we’ve seen what can happen when change is advocated at any cost. Our current world-level crisis in politics should give pause, an unqualified loose cannon was voted into power. We got some real change all right.
Make the prudent choice. Join me in voting Gaylord for prosecutor.
Nate Rogers
San Juan Island
