![\"\"](\"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/executive\/files\/2020\/11\/Four-more-years.jpg.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Running for elective office is never easy.\u00a0 Running for elective office while in the throes of a once-in-a-century pandemic is something else altogether.<\/p>\n
My hat is off to everyone who put themselves out there and campaigned for office.\u00a0 Win or lose, the experience is amazing and humbling.\u00a0 Election campaigns by their nature can also be divisive \u2013 the incumbent has to run on their record, and the challenger needs to make the case for change.\u00a0 The voters need to know what the differences are between the two candidates are so they can ultimately make their choice.<\/p>\n
Thanks to our residents – and I hope that includes some of you \u2013 I had the honor to be \u201cre-hired\u201d as County Executive.\u00a0 Now that I\u2019ve had a few days to reflect on it, I want to share\u00a0some reactions with you.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m grateful Larry Seaquist stepped up to challenge me. I\u2019ve known Larry for many years.\u00a0 We are both Navy veterans and represented Pierce County in the Legislature together.\u00a0 I respect Larry and am appreciative for his service to our Country, County, and community. There\u2019s nothing like having to defend your record to bring clarity and conviction as to why you feel you deserve another term.<\/p>\n
While I\u2019m definitely glad to have the campaign behind me, running for office did force me to reflect on our work of the last four years and make a decision<\/u> to want to build on that work.\u00a0 I am very proud of what we have accomplished, and I look forward to moving our initiatives forward in the years ahead.<\/p>\n
On the campaign trail, I talked about many things, including our work on behavioral health, growing family wage jobs, increasing transparency and accountability, and putting Pierce County on a stronger financial footing.\u00a0 Naturally, much of the discussions at forums and endorsement interviews centered on COVID, our CARES Act investments, criminal justice reform, and moving Pierce County forward past the pandemic.<\/p>\n
Of course, much of my decision to run for re-election is related to you – the employees of Pierce County.\u00a0 You are the ones who deliver on our initiatives and programs every day.\u00a0 You are the first contact many of our residents have with the County and your ability to deliver amazing service – despite the challenges of the pandemic – make me proud and grateful.\u00a0 Thank you!\u00a0 I know that working together over the next four years will benefit our residents in many ways. And, I hope you are ready for another 200 blogs!<\/p>\n
The voters also gave us four new members of the County Council.\u00a0 I have previously worked with some of them and some are new to me.\u00a0 Welcome to the County Council: Hans Zeiger, Amy Cruver, Ryan Mello and Jani Hitchen.\u00a0 There will be a new Sheriff in town, too \u2013 congratulations to Ed Troyer.\u00a0 And Mike Lonergan will continue to lead our Assessor-Treasurer\u2019s team.<\/p>\n
I also want to give a special shout out to our Auditor, Julie Anderson.\u00a0 She and her team had a huge set of challenges to deal with this year and they did a great job!\u00a0 They had a smart plan with many contingencies for running an election with historic turnout during a pandemic.\u00a0 They were prepared and they delivered.<\/p>\n
Sadly, I can\u2019t close this week\u2019s blog without expressing my deepest sympathy at the loss of Deputy Daryl Shuey last Tuesday.\u00a0 Please continue to keep his family and our entire Pierce County Sheriff\u2019s team in your thoughts and prayers.<\/p>\n
![\"Bruce\"](\"https:\/\/blog.piercecountywa.gov\/executive\/files\/2017\/01\/Bruce-blue-signature.png\")
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Bruce<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Running for elective office is never easy.\u00a0 Running for elective office while in the throes of a once-in-a-century pandemic is something else altogether. My hat is off to everyone who put themselves out there and campaigned for office.\u00a0 Win or lose, the experience is amazing and humbling.\u00a0 Election campaigns by their nature can also be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":2682,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38509],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\n