Dear Editor:

The election is over and we lost. I want to tell everyone who helped and supported me how important I know your contributions to have been. That includes the 143 people who had signs in their yards and the talented souls who made and/or assembled them all. It also includes all the volunteers who walked neighborhoods handing out flyers and talking to their neighbors about the issues and my candidacy and, to those who donated their hard-earned money. I know that, for all of us, every dollar counts.

I also want to recognize the fine work done by the Seniors Group and the staff from the Terrace High Hawkeye who put together and filmed the voter forum at the Baptist Church. Of course that recognition includes MLTnews.com, who spent a great deal of effort throughout our race, highlighted by the video interviews they conducted in August. Great work.

Finally, to all those people who encouraged me to run and the many who, during the campaign, thanked me for running, I can’t tell you how important that was. No, losing isn’t fun, but trying was. I know some of you who thanked me for stepping up and many who took the time to talk with me had no intention of voting for me. However, I also know you were sincere in your appreciation of the effort. Our system works best with competition and a variety of thought.

Having more resources to match the competition might have helped, but we lost straight up and that’s that. Going forward, I wish the winner well. At the same time, I know Mr. Wahl is smart enough to know that a good many citizens are not happy with everything council is doing. My sincerest hope is that more citizens will stay engaged with what the city is doing throughout the year, not just during an election. Despite how little impact such involvement has had over these last many years, I remain optimistic that every voter’s opinion matters.

Leonard French