Editor,

The race for our 10th district Senate seat boils down simply to this: The Republicans have the seat, and the Democrats want it. The actual qualifications of the candidates seem almost irrelevant to some in this political game of “capture the seat”. Despite the fact that Ms. Homola was a one-term county commissioner who was clearly rejected by the voters for a second term, some of those same voters now inexplicably feel she is the ideal person to represent us in the much more demanding position of Washington State Senator. I think the only logic that applies is that she is The Democrat, who must be elected regardless of her qualifications for the job.

Further, if the Democrats are successful in securing the seat currently held by Senator Barbara Bailey, and if the balance of power in the Senate then shifts, there will be no stopping the imposition of a state income tax and capital gains tax, which is a key plank in the Democratic platform, and which Ms. Homola will no doubt support.

And some in the challenging party are apparently willing to do or say most anything to oust the incumbent. In their attempt to accomplish this transfer of power, there has been in recent weeks a concerted campaign to abuse, discredit and dishonor Senator Bailey, with much of this rhetoric having been published in the pages of the newspapers serving our district.

In fact, the Barbara Bailey I know bears no resemblance to the person characterized by some as dishonest and self-serving, as one who operates on the “dark side”, who does not have the interests of her constituents at heart, and who is beholden to “big money”. These jabs at her character, integrity and motivation simply could not be further from the truth, and are in my opinion disgraceful.

But there is an outstanding choice available to us in this election. We are most fortunate to have at our service an incumbent senator who is abundantly qualified, one whose record of accomplishment over her 10 years as our state representative and the past four years as our senator stands as clear testimony to her commitment to us, her constituents. Anyone who knows Barbara Bailey, who has taken the time to actually speak with her, and work with her on the issues, knows that she is a person of the highest moral character, whose word is her bond, and who is tireless in her passion for public service. Her list of accomplishments, her positions on key committees and her outstanding reputation among her colleagues attest to her leadership, intelligence and dedication to quality public service.

And, of great importance, she will stand firm in opposition to the state income tax and capital gains tax which the Democrats stand ready to inflict on the citizens of our state.

By any measurable standard, Barbara Bailey is the clear choice in this election. She has been our faithful servant in Olympia for the past 14 years, and she has truly earned our vote. Re-elect Barbara Bailey!

David Williams

Oak Harbor