For the first time in my 35-year career in journalism, I don’t think it would be fair, as a representative for The Marysville Globe-The Arlington Times, to endorse a political race.

Fact is, I feel uncomfortable for the newspaper to endorse two races.

For quite some time I have been sharing some publisher duties with Jody Knoblich, our advertising manager, and Josh O’Connor, publisher for Sound Publishing.

As a result, I have become very involved with the Marysville Kiwanis Club and the Marysville-Tulalip Chamber of Commerce. Of the latter, I am on the events committee and more recently was named to the Board of Directors.

In those positions, I have worked closely with Tom King, Kiwanis president, and Jessica Stickles, chamber director. Because of those relationships, I don’t think I can represent the Globe-Times appropriately with endorsements in those races. Even if I think I could, I wouldn’t blame the public for thinking I was biased because I’m involved in those organizations.

Previously, as strictly a newsman, I stayed away from being involved in such groups and was able to easily separate myself from getting close to politicians. But now that fine line is even more gray as I take on some publisher duties. But while the newspaper can’t officially endorse the races, I can say in my workings with both King and Stickles that they are highly capable leaders in our communities.

A key for both is they are hard workers, and they listen to others. They are both organized and work to get things done. So my personal choice would be to vote for them. But the newspaper won’t be able to help you decide this time.

As for their opponents, Jeff Seibert certainly knows his stuff after being on the council for 16 years. But King is so involved in town, volunteering with the food bank, as president of Kiwanis, with the Marysville Strawberry Festival and so much more. He knows the town at the gut level. That inner-working knowledge would be huge for the council.

Craig Christianson is running against Stickles. He also has a long history with the town and is active volunteering with the Downtown Arlington Business Association. But he just has not kept up with some key issues. For example, at our editorial board meeting, he admitted not knowing much about the Manufacturing Industrial Center.

Steve Powell is managing editgor of The Marysville Globe-The Arlington Times.