This election year is one of the most consequential in our lifetime. For years, I always voted for the best person for the job, regardless of party affiliation. This year, I am again voting for the best person to represent Southwest Washington District 3: Democrat Brent Hennrich.
Brent is an honest, hardworking, and trustworthy candidate who believes in democracy and our Constitution. The 14th and 15th amendment states that anyone who is eligible to vote gets to exercise their right to do so. We must protect our voting rights to keep our democracy. Threatening election workers has no place in our district anywhere in the United States.
Brent believes health care is a basic right for everyone. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that when people are healthy, our workforce is healthy — and that strengthens our economy.
Education is a basic right. Brent believes our public schools should educate our children on all of our national and world history, including the chapters some might rather forget. While parents certainly have the right to oversee their child’s education, it should be done civilly, not with threats to our educators. That’s playground politics, and not how adults operate in a democracy.
Brent has promised to bring good paying jobs to our district. He will fight for worker’s rights and he’ll work hard to support unions. The backbone of America is skilled labor, and we will need more people to help create clean and renewable energy. Wind turbines and solar projects are coming to Southwest Washington, which in turn will help strengthen our struggling farmers.
Brent will fight for a woman’s right to have complete autonomy over her body. He firmly believes the responsibility for a woman’s health care lies with her and her doctor. Brent was faced with a brutally difficult decision 10 years ago when his wife was 20 weeks pregnant and lay bleeding in a hospital bed from a placental abruption. He chose to save his wife’s life and together they were able to hold their precious daughter before she passed away. These are very personal decisions, not political ones. There is no place for government in these moments.
In today’s political climate, Congress is no longer working for the people. There is no more bipartisanship. Legislators would rather vote against a bill rather than support it if it’s not their party’s bill. But they have no issue with bragging about it once it gets passed. We have too many career politicians running for office with no backbone and no loyalty to the truth. Too many who are spreading disinformation and backing the “big lie” about how the election was “stolen,” despite extensive verified evidence to the contrary. We don’t need more lies. We need more leadership. That’s why I am voting for Brent Hennrich for the House of Representatives.
Heidi O’Connor,
Vancouver
