With Sept. 11 on our minds this week, one of the best ways to retaliate against our enemies is to make sure you vote in the Sept. 17 primary election. There is nothing a tyrant fears more than a free election, for if one is allowed they will inevitably lose power. Just ask Saddam Hussein, whose name will be the only one on the ballot this fall in Iraq.

American is fortunate to have free elections, and good candidates running for office. This is particularly true in Washington’s Second Congressional District where two Republicans, Herb Meyer and Norma Smith, are seeking their party’s nomination. Whoever wins the primary will face Democrat incumbent Rick Larsen Nov. 19.

Of the two Republican candidates, Norma Smith offers the most to voters in this district. As an aide to former Congressman Jack Metcalf, she spent six years responding to the needs of his constituents. She knows the district, from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station to the tiniest communities. She has experience working with all levels of government and has been deeply involved with education and other community affairs in her home on South Whidbey. She will be a staunch ally of President Bush in the war on terror. In addition, she brings a positive outlook and high energy to a variety of problems that others might shrug off as unsolvable.

Herb Meyer deserves our admiration for deciding to run for Congress after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. It was a very patriotic thing to do for a busy and successful businessman with no need for the headaches that public service entails. As a former official in President Reagan’s CIA he has impressive experience in world affairs and the intelligence community. But Smith will also be tough on terror, and Meyer can’t match her in-depth familiarity with the entire district. Thanks for running, Mr. Meyer, but Norma Smith will be the best candidate for the Republicans to put up against Rick Larsen in November.