Dear Orcas neighbors,

Thank you to those of you who supported me in the primary. I am truly grateful. And, to those who did not vote for me or did not vote at all, I hope to earn your confidence over the next two months. I also hope to see you at some of the get-togethers or one of the weekly meet-ups at Lady Bug Pizza in Eastsound on Mondays from 4 to 5 p.m.

Right now, at this moment in time, we need experience and leadership in the council. There were a lot of people who asked me to run again because they thought my experience was necessary to help solve the complex problems the county is currently facing. The fact is, we need support in Olympia and off-island more than ever. The ferry challenges and affordable housing are just two examples of that. When you’re a new council member, it can take years to build a relationship and then build trust with legislators. We don’t have the luxury of time with our current crises. It’s a big part of the reason why I earned the endorsements of Congressman Rick Larsen, Reps Alex Ramel and Debra Lekanoff, Senator Liz Lovelett, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz and many others.

I am running again because I miss helping my fellow islanders, and I truly believe I am the person who can best help us for the next four years.

Rick Hughes

Candidate for San Juan County Council, District # 2