Prior to the election, John Callahan announced he was withdrawing from the race for commissioner of the Port of Coupeville Board and endorsed his opponent, Angela Ewert. But now, he has changed his mind.

Callahan, who’s currently an appointed member of the board, said the election results convinced him he has a duty to continue in the role.

In October, Callahan decided to give up on the race to focus on his health, asking voters to cast their vote for Ewert as it was too late for him to withdraw his name from the ballot. In a recent interview, Callahan said it was a very hard decision to make, but a necessary one.

Still, 1,932 voters — or 56% — chose for Callahan to remain on the board, and Callahan announced during a Nov. 21 board meeting that he would no longer resign.

“I fully expected to lose the election, but that’s not how it worked out,” he said during the interview. “I am willing to serve, so I will serve.”

In the interview, he explained that he has recently received encouraging news about his health and also felt responsible for staying after the majority of voters still voted for him. He has reduced his involvement with other organizations in order to devote more time to his renewed position.

“I figured people liked what I had to say and what my goals and objectives were,” he said. “So I need to deliver on my promises.”

Callahan moved to Whidbey eight years ago and joined the board on Oct. 28, 2022, replacing Patrick Kennedy who resigned in September. His resume boasts business, legal management and engineering experience.

He served in the Commissioned Officer Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for 27 years, and taught acquisition law to government and civilian organizations for 18 years.

During his first year on the board, Callahan contributed to the creation of the board’s ethics policy and promoted the reinstatement of advisory committees to increase community involvement. He was the most fervent supporter of a plan for the port to purchase the A.J. Eisenberg Airport, now known as the DeLaurentis Airport. Recently, he said, the board authorized two advisory committees and has updated the website to allow for more transparency with the public.

Currently, Callahan said, the board wants to make some of the properties owned and managed by the port self-sufficient and work on maintenance projects.