Dear John:

Voting sure looks different today than it did the first time I ran for office.

That was in the fourth grade when I ran for office in Mrs. Bergren's class. We made posters and talked to our friends. On "Election Day" we stood up in front of class and gave speeches. I was terrified. Fortunately, that part of campaigning has kind of settled down for me.

Then Mrs. Bergren had us put our heads down on the desk while she asked for a show of hands for the various candidates. Chapter Two in being terrified. "Linette . . . Mark . . . Gloria . . . " I kept my eyes buried deep in the crook of my elbow. And then "Denny."

I couldn't do it. I couldn't vote for myself. What if someone peeked and saw me? Oh the shame!

So, like I said, voting sure looks different today. I don't have a problem filling in the bubble next to my name. Nowadays, I reason that if I don't have confidence in my work, how can I ask anyone else to?

(Here I am with Mrs. Bergren many decades later. Running for office in her class was part of my civic education. This amazing woman also taught us the importance of being civil with one another.)

Washingtonians deserve servant-leaders who are committed to their work and who will tackle the challenges facing us — like climate change and building the homes our families need — all while doing what we can to nurture civil society so that our children and grandchildren inherit a healthy democracy.

The only way to have servant-leaders is to vote for them.

If you have already mailed in your ballot, thank you! If you haven't, please do so.

Time's a-wasting. What are you waiting for? If you need any help or more information on voting, please use the link below.

Voting Information

Gratefully,

Denny

P.S. In case you're wondering how that first election for me turned out, well, let's just say that sometimes we learn more from our setbacks than from our successes.