To the Editor:
The reason I am running goes back much further than this campaign. For as long as I can
remember, I have felt a call to serve. Winding my way through college, I served children in need at the Summer Sack Lunch program and the Boys & Girls Club, then became a teacher. When we moved to Shaw Island in 2003, a long-time resident asked me, “Now that you live on Shaw, how will you contribute?” I started by volunteering at our library. When our daughters were born, service became about their future and the community we leave the next generation.
That led me to 11 years on the School Board, several as chair, then seven as School District
Superintendent, managing budgets, curriculum and state regulations. I helped raise more
than a million dollars for Shaw’s teacher housing project, now finishing its first home, and
co-founded Shaw’s first Community Land Trust, which gave me a firsthand understanding
of the challenges facing people who want to live and work here.
Eight years on the Ferry Advisory Committee, now as chair, have taught me the value of
relationships, practical solutions, and perseverance. I know hard choices lie ahead.
I won’t promise what the county cannot afford. I will listen, do my homework, roll up my
sleeves and decide honestly.
I am running because I believe in this community and in leaving a strong county for our
children and grandchildren. I would be honored to have your vote to represent District 3.
—By Jennifer Swanson, San Juan County candidate; Oct. 22, 2026