Though it is too late to officially withdraw from the race, a current Port of Coupeville commissioner has announced that he does not intend to continue in the position and endorsed his opponent in the upcoming general election.

Commissioner John Callahan, who was appointed to the board seat vacated by Patrick Kennedy last October, said in an interview that he has decided to cede the race to his opponent, Angela Ewert, to focus on his health. Though his name will still appear on the ballot this November, he asked voters to cast their ballots for Ewert.

“I wish it were different,” Callahan said. “I would have loved to have continued.”

Ewert, 29, moved to Whidbey Island last year. The candidate currently serves as the legislative aide to Snohomish County Councilmember Jared Mead and decided to run for office because she believes more young people should be involved in politics.

As a former government and regulatory affairs lead at a Seattle startup and in her current position, she has small government experience that she said will transfer to responsible management of taxpayer funds and proactive interactions with constituents.

Ewert said her top priorities with the port will be to plan for the longevity of the Coupeville Wharf and the Greenbank Farm, including shoring up the historic buildings against the anticipated deleterious impact of climate change and improving the port’s public outreach.

“I want to be here to elevate the voice of the community,” she said. “I want to be as accessible as possible.”

The candidate said she would like to see the port increase its advertising for open public meetings and post meeting recordings online so that more people can access them. She also wants to bring more community events to the wharf and farm “for more touch points with those really special places.”

The port is currently in the process of revamping its website, and Callahan said that posting meeting videos online is part of that. Some open public meeting recordings have been shared online on the port’s YouTube page.

Though Callahan will not be continuing in his role with the port, he said he is proud of what he accomplished in his year on the board. Callahan was instrumental in the creation of a board ethics policy, which was adopted at a recent meeting. He also launched the process to reinstate advisory committees to increase public participation in the operation of port assets.

Callahan said he hopes the next board will draft an ethics policy for port staff, as well. He also agreed with Ewert that the port can do more to engage the public.

The outgoing commissioner said he enjoyed working with people who showed such dedication to the port district.

“I always very much respected the amount of work and effort that they put into their positions,” he said. “It’s really nice to see people that are that dedicated.”

John Callahan