I am writing to endorse the election of Kathleen Cathey as a Union County commissioner. Although I am not a Union County resident, I had occasion to receive assistance from Kathleen in August of 2022 in Wallowa, when the community suffered the devastating effects of a hailstorm.

As Eastern Oregon representative for one of Oregon’s U.S. senators, Kathleen was the first to notify her senator of the damage done to an Oregon community. She was in Wallowa within 48 hours to assess the situation and inform her senator of what assistance would be required of his office. She did not stop at this. She visited our community often in the coming months and monitored the relief efforts as they unfolded in the months to come.

I believe this tenacity would serve the people of Union County well if Kathleen Cathey were to be elected as a county commissioner. As the mayor of Wallowa, I personally benefited from Kathleen’s advice and suggestions for dealing with a crisis of this magnitude.

Kathleen is knowledgeable on local and state statutes and ordinances and would transition into county government with a knowledge of governing small communities. I urge you to support her candidacy for Union County commissioner.

Gary Hulse

Wallowa mayor