||| FROM AFSCME LOCAL 1849 |||
Members of AFSCME Local 1849, the union representing San Juan County employees, have endorsed Katherine Bryant Ingman for County Council and Heather Lee for County Auditor. The endorsements follow the candidates’ clear commitments to transparent leadership and to the workforce that keep county services running.
AFSCME Local 1849 represents approximately 55% of San Juan County’s workers. Our members provide a vast array of critical services across the islands—ranging from infrastructure and administrative support to public health, emergency management, and environmental science. We collaborate daily with community partners to implement vital programs, secure grants, and maintain the local environment. As dedicated public servants, we take pride in working alongside local educators and first responders to keep our communities strong.
To inform our endorsement process, we hosted a candidate forum in early October for the County Council District 3 and Auditor races. We appreciate all the candidates taking the time to engage with our membership and address critical leadership questions. Participating union members showed overwhelming support for the final endorsed candidates, with two members abstaining from the discussion and voting due to personal connections.
Our membership chose to endorse Katherine Bryant Ingman because of her deep experience within San Juan County and across the state, her strong communication skills, and her readiness to lead from day one. We value her proven ability to build partnerships and advocate for public services during today’s challenging fiscal climate. For the Auditor’s office, our endorsement of Heather Lee reflects her dedication to the transparent stewardship of public funds, protection of the democratic election process, and her clear commitment to supporting staff and fostering collaboration.
We look forward to cooperative engagement with the new Council starting in 2027, as we continue working to provide essential services and implement projects and programs for the benefit of our County’s communities.
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I was really surprised by this endorsement as candidate Katherine Bryant Ingman’s husband is presumably a member of the union making the endorsement. While labor unions legally have the right to endorse political candidates, this specific endorsement creates an undeniable conflict of interest that voters should consider.
My understanding is that the County Council directly negotiates and votes on county employee labor contracts, wages, and benefits. Having a council member whose spouse is part of the bargaining union, and whose campaign received that union’s endorsement, presents an oversight challenge.
Even if recusal is required during collective bargaining votes down the road under state municipal ethics rules, the appearance of a conflict remains. How does the candidate plan to maintain an independent, objective perspective on county budget and labor decisions when her household benefits directly?
Well said, Leslie Richter. It’s about time the issue of potential conflict of interest was raised. It’s been the elephant in the room.
This type of conflict of interest is nothing new in a county this size. When I was Auditor, I used to monitor potential conflicts of interest that arose from Council members’ partners having contracts with the County. Now as then, the County will manage any conflicts by following the law and the advice of the Prosecuting Attorney.