I support Judge Wes Williams’ reelection bid. I have known Wes for more than 35 years, going back to the time when we were both teaching at Sandy High School. Wes was an extremely accomplished U.S. history teacher. He was also the mock trial and tennis coach.

On many occasions when I had a free period, I would drop in on Wes’ classes to observe and, in doing so, learn from a great teacher. He was Oregon’s mentor teacher of the year two years running. Wes was a master teacher in all respects, but most impressive to me was the respect he showed his students and how that respect was returned.

Wes left teaching in the early 1990s to become an attorney. He practiced law in La Grande for 22 years before becoming our local trial judge in 2019. The same traits that made Wes a great teacher made him an outstanding attorney and now judge. His hard work and preparation, his respectful treatment of all people, his fairness and thoughtfulness — these qualities make up the bedrock of Wes’ character and make him an outstanding judge for the people.

Please join me in reelecting Judge Williams.

Tim Troutman

Retired Elgin social studies teacher

La Grande

The Observer will run endorsement letters of no more than 350 words. We institute a deadline for letters to the editor so we can be fair with all the letters we receive and allow for responses before Election Day, if necessary. We run local letters of endorsement on a first-come, first-served basis. Please submit your endorsement letters to the editor by 5 p.m. Friday, April 26. You can email them to news@lagrandeobserver.com or mail them to The Observer, Attn.: Andrew Cutler, 911 Jefferson Ave., La Grande, OR 97850. We will publish our last endorsement letters on Saturday, May. 18. Any letters received after the April 26 deadline will not be published in print or online.