Endorsement
As a current Klickitat County Commissioner, I have carefully reviewed the candidates for the open seat on the board. I evaluated them as I would any candidate for a senior leadership position in a professional organization — with a focus on qualifications, experience, results, and temperament.
The candidate who stands out clearly is Andy Kallinen. Andy’s resume is exceptionally strong for this role. His proven leadership, professional accomplishments, and relevant government experience will transfer directly and effectively to the responsibilities of county commissioner. Quite simply, his capabilities and approach will exceed the current standard of performance on the board.
Andy brings the kind of proven management experience that gets things done rather than postponing difficult decisions. He will welcome thoughtful citizen input instead of resenting it. Klickitat County deserves this level of leadership.
So, unless you are happy with the status quo of unregulated, undertaxed and little to no fees on multinational energy companies and data centers, then I would push for a change…I strongly endorse Andy Kallinen for Klickitat County Commissioner and urge my fellow citizens to join me in voting for him.
Todd Andrews
White Salmon,
Klickitat County Commissioner District 1
Get out the vote
As the November elections approach, we are reminded that democracy depends on active participation. Voting is one of the most important ways citizens can make their voices heard and help shape the future of our country. But civic engagement should not stop at the casting of our own ballots. Each of us can play an important role in motivating others to vote as well.
An effective way to do this is by sending postcards out to registered votes who don’t always participate in elections. An easy way to do this is by using Activate America to send postcards to prospective voters.
The Activate America website (activateamerica.vote) provides free-of-charge lists of names and addresses of prospective voters to send postcards to, and a short script to write on the postcards that encourages the receiver of the postcards to vote for candidates that will put the people of our country first, not corporations and the wealthy.
We all benefit when more citizens take part in the democratic process. Higher voter participation strengthens our communities and ensures that a broader range of voices are represented.
This November, let us encourage one another to stay informed, participate respectfully, and make voting a shared civic responsibility. Democracy works best when everyone has a chance to be heard.
Jon Miller
The Dalles
Matulovich for sheriff
I’m writing to express my support for sheriff candidate Dwayne Matulovich. I met with Dwayne in early April as he was just beginning to campaign. I left that meeting feeling tremendous relief and excitement knowing that we had such a great candidate in the running.
His deep roots in the community combined with his extensive experience in law enforcement and professional integrity are the exact qualities we need in Klickitat County. Having been in the evacuation zone of the Burdoin Fire last year, I was particularly pleased to hear that Dwayne started early in his career working with the DNR fighting fires. We need strong leadership and experience in this area, as each year brings worsening fire seasons.
I strongly support Dwayne Matulovich and very much look forward to having him as our sheriff.
Jenn Sharp
White Salmon
Another for Matulovich
Dwayne Matulovich will bring a wealth of valuable experience — and years of public service — to the office of sheriff. I’m very favorably impressed with him based on meeting him and his wife some weeks ago and then studying his qualifications. My wife and I, living just outside White Salmon, are voting for him and we encourage others to do the same.
John Head
White Salmon
On elections
No one in American history has tried harder than Donald Trump to subvert our free and fair elections. His most egregious offense to date was his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election by pressuring election officials to “find votes” for him, and then enabling a MAGA mob to bludgeon police officers and vandalize our nation’s Capitol building as they sought to stop certification of the election. His continuing obsession with fictitious 2020 election fraud probably stems from his brain’s preoccupation with finding dubious means to rig elections in his favor.
Now, as our 2026 midterm election approaches, Trump is using the levers of government to bolster the election prospects of Republican lapdogs who’ll do his bidding. For example, he is attempting to exert presidential control over elections — a power that the U.S. Constitution grants expressly to the states.
Other election-rigging actions Trump has taken include trying to tighten voting restrictions (including banning voting by mail), pushing for mid-decade congressional redistricting in red states, cutting election security measures and personnel, punishing those who have spoken out against his 2020 election lies, and undermining faith in our electoral system by questioning previous results. Indeed, on July 16, Trump gave a long, televised speech in which undermining faith in our electoral system was his central theme.
Two further steps by Trump seem likely. First, he will take increasingly severe actions to bias the 2026 midterm election in his favor — don’t be surprised if he deploys military personnel (or perhaps masked ICE thugs) in key states to try to intimidate voters or to confiscate voting machines and ballot boxes. Second, if the election doesn’t go Trump’s way, he will declare the election “fraudulent” and will do everything he can (both legal and illegal) to overturn the results.
By a wide margin, Trump is the most corrupt and self-serving president our country has ever had.
Richard Iverson
Hood River
Vote Moser
As a voter, I take local elections seriously. Before deciding who to support for Skamania County Assessor, I spent time reading about the candidates, listened to what they had to say, and paid attention to how they responded to questions from the public.
I’ve decided to vote for Cora Moser.
What stood out to me was her communication style; she is approachable, transparent, and a great listener. I like her goal of “fair and accurate property assessments while supporting our community’s growth and stability.” This is what matters to me.
I also believe that fresh leadership can be a positive thing. New ideas and having a focus to serve the public are qualities I want to see in our county government. Whether you support the same candidate or not, I encourage everyone to learn about them before casting a ballot. After doing my homework, I believe Cora Moser is the right choice for Skamania County Assessor. Her website is votemoser.com.
Dena Thorp
Washougal
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