Open Letter to all City of Issaquah Government Candidates

Fellow candidates,

Election Day is finally here, and I want to take a moment to wish you all the very best. I know today carries both excitement and anxiety—the culmination of months of hard work and deep commitment to our community.

At this most local level of government, I still choose to believe that we are first and foremost neighbors, equally and deeply invested in the wellbeing of our community, not our ambitions. Regardless of who wins, I hope their success becomes our shared success.

It heartened me to see that throughout our campaigns; all candidates aligned on the issues that matter most to Issaquah: sustainable and equitable growth, more affordable housing, better and more inclusive transit options, and environmental stewardship. While our approaches and trade-offs may differ, we share a vision of a community that works for everyone. Win or lose—or rather, win and lose—I hope we will hold each other and ourselves accountable to those promises.

With the continued government shutdown, the callous delays and cruel halving of SNAP benefits, many members of our community are struggling and will need our support more than ever. Our only true ambition should be to serve our community, especially those most in need. While Washington DC might seem far away from Issaquah, federal policies are being felt sharply and devastatingly by our neighbors directly— by families facing food insecurity, and by those targeted by ICE while simply trying to drop their children off at school. Too many American families are one crisis away from losing their next meal, their home, their foothold. Please do what you can to foster empathy and compassion, and to address these challenges facing our community.

Finally, I want to thank you for a campaign that has been largely positive, and constructive, although I wish it could have been more collegial at times. As I said at the town hall, I truly think Issaquah is lucky to have such passionate, invested, talented candidates who care so profoundly about our community.

Wishing you all grace, and the strength to meet this moment.