To the Editor:
District 3 deserves a council member who District 3 voters chose. That’s Katherine Bryant Ingman. Between Katherine and Jennifer Swanson, primary voters of District 3 voted 61% to 39% for Katherine. There are differences between the two candidates.
A graduate of Leadership San Juans, Katherine is a leader that gets things done. Issues that affect us all are bigger on the more populated islands. She knows what islands comprise her district. Her opponent repeated emphatically the wrong mix of islands, including Blakely, at the League of Women Voters primary forum on Lopez in July. Katherine understands the county budget dilemma and the union contract. This contrasts with statements Jennifer made at the forums about the budget and union contract, which I found were misleading and mostly wrong.
Katherine understands what it takes for average workers and families to make it in the county. When she moved to Lopez, she struggled to find a rental and afford it. She took this experience and later helped get the first six affordable rentals for workers to Lopez Island for Housing Lopez. Her opponent got donations to provide one house on Shaw for a teacher and said at the Oct. 12 forum that people seeking affordable rentals should get their credit score up.
Advocacy is another area where they differ. Although the county has no direct role in our educational system, Katherine believes that the council should be a part of a coalition to advocate for children and families in Olympia, especially on education funding. Her opponent does not.
It is important that we have working family members at the table discussing and voting on the policies that define our county. Please mark your ballot for Katherine Bryant Ingman for San Juan County Council.
—Jamie Stephens, Lopez Island; Oct. 14, 2026