Rising to Learn Endorsed Candidates

Rising to Learn would like to thank all of the candidates who took the time to respond to our questionnaire. We appreciate their willingness to share their thoughts and positions with the community.

You can read all of the completed questionnaires here.

Candidate questionnaires are an important part of the election process. Different community organizations ask different questions, giving candidates an opportunity to address a wide range of issues that matter to the people they hope to represent. Along with candidate forums and other public conversations, questionnaires give voters another opportunity to learn where candidates stand on important topics and to hear directly from the candidates themselves.

Rising to Learn formed an endorsement committee that met several times and followed an established process to review the questionnaires, discuss the candidates and issues at length, and determine our endorsements. Throughout that process, we placed particular importance on our organizational values of service to the entire community, transparency, accountability, and public trust.

We understand that no elected board will ever be perfect. There will be disagreements, difficult decisions, and competing priorities. But we also believe that transparency and accountability are essential to maintaining the public’s confidence in the institutions that serve Washington County. Accountability, transparency, and trust aren’t simply words that should be heard during an election season. They are foundational principles of good local government.

When someone takes a seat in local government, they assume a responsibility to serve the entire community, not just the people who voted for them, the people who agree with them, or the people whose lives, beliefs, families, or experiences are familiar to them. Everyone deserves to know that their local government represents them.

There will always be people in a community who see the world differently. There will be disagreements about policies, priorities, and values. Those disagreements are part of representative government. Personal discomfort with an individual or group, however, should not determine how members of the public are treated, represented or made to feel.

Accountability means being willing to explain decisions and accept responsibility for them. Transparency means giving the public the opportunity to understand how and why those decisions are being made. Trust develops when citizens consistently see those principles reflected in the actions of their government, and that trust can be difficult to rebuild once it is lost.

Our communities are made up of people from different backgrounds, political parties, religions, cultures, neighborhoods, family structures, income levels, and life experiences. Good government does not require everyone to agree. It requires those entrusted with leadership to recognize that every person in the community matters.There is strength in the diversity of a community, in the different people, experiences, and perspectives that shape it. Equity helps ensure that everyone has a fair opportunity to be heard, supported, and succeed, while inclusion creates a sense of belonging that brings people together. When we diminish any of these values, we risk leaving people behind. A healthy community doesn't fear its differences; it recognizes them as part of what makes the community stronger.

Listen even when the conversation is uncomfortable. Be transparent even when the questions are difficult. Be accountable when mistakes are made. Treat people with dignity even when there is disagreement. Choose civility even when it is not being extended to you.

That responsibility also includes following the policies and rules established by the governing body itself. Public officials who expect citizens, employees, and others to follow established rules should hold themselves to those same standards. When policies are ignored, bent, or selectively applied, it can undermine public confidence and create the perception that there is one set of expectations for those in positions of authority and another for everyone else. Accountability begins with being willing to meet the same standards we expect of others.

Ultimately, we believe public service carries a responsibility to the whole community, including those with whom an elected official may disagree. The measure of local government should not be how it treats only those who agree with its leaders.

It should be how it serves everyone.

Rising to Learn is proud to endorse candidates who are showing up. For months they have been out in our communities, attending events, knocking on doors, and talking with residents regardless of which side of the political fence they may fall on. They are investing their time in listening to you, the citizens of Washington County.

While others are supporting events and actions focused on tearing down opponents, these candidates have chosen to spend their time in our neighborhoods, having meaningful conversations with parents, business owners, seniors, families, and community members from all walks of life. They are listening, learning, and hearing firsthand what matters to the people they hope to serve.

There is an important difference between tearing someone down and holding a public official or candidate accountable for their own record. Personal attacks serve little purpose, but sharing accurate, verifiable information about decisions someone has made, votes they have taken, or actions they have chosen, even when that information reflects negatively on them, is not the same thing. Facts do not become attacks simply because they are uncomfortable or unflattering. Honest public discussion requires us to know the difference.

Change begins when people believe something better is possible, and then come together to make it happen. We have an opportunity to move forward with greater trust, stronger relationships, and a renewed commitment to listening to and serving one another. Whatever challenges we have faced, our community’s future is still ours to shape, together.

Therefore, Rising to Learn endorses the following candidates: