In local and legislative races, Whidbey Island voters should trust they’ve already made the right choices and reelect the incumbents.

These elected officials have already put in the time to understand their jobs and, more importantly, they’ve proven to be successful, thoughtful and dedicated to the communities they serve. Those seeking reelection include two Island County commissioners, three District 10 state representatives and a state senator. Regardless of their party affiliations, they have all taken moderate and common sense approaches to governance.

Commissioner Jill Johnson, a Republican, has represented District 2 for three terms and has grown as an elected official. As she explained, she has learned that governance has little to do with partisan politics. Her worldview has broadened as she has delved into local governance.

Johnson is hardworking and knowledgeable, becoming a regional and state leader on issues of mental health. Even though she is the only Republican on the board of commissioners, she often leads discussions and decisions-making, though she admits managing her tone is an ongoing effort.

Her challenger, Democrat Christina Elliott, is intelligent, thoughtful and well-spoken. She is an attorney and entrepreneur who created and sold a thriving internet business. Yet she lacks experience in government. She moved to Whidbey Island with her husband, a member of the military, two years ago. She didn’t serve on any boards or commissions before deciding she can help run the county.

Her inexperience shows. During her campaign, she has sometimes focused on issues outside of county government, from an aging state highway to teacher layoffs.

Nevertheless, if she doesn’t win, we hope that Elliott continues her interest in local government by volunteering for boards — both the city and county have openings — and running for office again in the future. She will likely make a good commissioner or mayor someday.

Commissioner Melanie Bacon, a Democrat representing District 1, deserves another term. She is the former Human Resources director of Island County, a Vietnam veteran, a novelist who’s a big deal in Australia and a former small business owner. She is a thoughtful, practical voice on the board. More than any other local government entity, the board has made strides to improve the affordable housing crisis, which has included adopting a small sales tax and using the money to buy land and work with nonprofits to build actual housing projects.

Bacon has two challengers. Fellow Democrat Marie Shimada and write-in candidate Damian Greene, who jumped into the race late after neither Republican candidates made it through the primary election. The contest between the two Democrats has been contentious, which is odd since they are in the same party and largely agree on issues.

Shimada is bright and well-spoken but has been a divisive figure. When she was the manager of Ebey’s Landing Trust Board, part of her job was to build positive relationships in the community. Instead, in-fighting proliferated. She quit with a speech in which she blamed an unnamed farm family for the trouble and has since repeated this. The board, which includes a superior court judge, looked into her myriad allegations and found they were all unfounded.

Greene is well-intentioned in his long-shot write-in campaign but, unfortunately, late to the game. He hasn’t added a lot to the discussion besides ideas from his unsuccessful prior run for commissioner.

The race between state Republican Sen. Ron Muzzall and Janet St. Clair, a Democratic county commissioner, is seen as a bellwether contest in the state and has spawned huge investments in advertising, sometimes quite negative. The district spans all of Island County and parts of Skagit and Snohomish counties.

Muzzall, a folksy third generation Whidbey farmer, should get another term. During his first full term, he sponsored successful bills regarding agriculture, natural resources and health care. He is credited with securing $27.5 million in state funds to rebuild two schools in Oak Harbor after a bond measure failed.

Muzzall has straddled the line when it comes to abortion. He has been criticized for voting against abortion rights bills, including a measure to make it a constitutional right. He called the bill “performative politics” that does nothing to support women on a long-settled issue in the state. Yet he said he’s not going to demonize abortion or vote to reduce access.

St. Clair, a Camano Island resident, has championed abortion rights and health care access in her campaign. As a commissioner, she claims credit for making sure the hospital didn’t shut down a women’s clinic. She said her focus in Olympia would be on child and family issues, which cover a broad range of topics — including affordable housing, living-wage jobs, environment protection and education.

As a county commissioner, St. Clair would be valuable among state lawmakers. Too often local officials complain about the state Legislature passing laws and state agencies adopting rules that affect local government without having a full picture of the impact.

Yet while both Muzzall and St. Clair are thoughtful and knowledgeable candidates, Muzzall’s legislative successes and work for the community justifies another term.

Rep. Dave Paul, a Democrat from Oak Harbor, is a popular lawmaker seeking his fourth term in office. As the vice chair of the House Transportation committee, he is a key ally for Whidbey Island residents who rely on the ferry service. He fought for historic investments in the troubled ferry system — including $1.3 billion to build four hybrid electric vessels and to electrify two existing ones — but additional investments are needed.

As the director of community relations for Skagit Valley College, Paul understands the importance of affordable educational opportunities and has worked to make both college and vocational training programs more accessible. He sponsored, for example, a successful bill to create a summer Running Start program in which students can get a start on college and save money in tuition.

Gary Wray, a Republican and Coupeville resident, has run a successful contracting business for 35 years. He has represented building associations on local, state and national levels. He previously ran for county commissioner and hopes to bring a small business perspective to Olympia.

Finally, Rep. Clyde Shavers, a Democrat living in Clinton, has had a successful first term. He sponsored bills on a range of issues, from education to apprenticeship programs to artificial intelligence. As a Navy veteran, he has also been a strong ally for both active duty military and veterans in Olympia and serves on the veterans committee.

His challenger, Republican Carrie Kennedy of Coupeville, also has strong family ties to the Navy. She identifies herself as an “American Patriot” and a Constitutionalist. She supports parents’ rights and bemoans the overreach of government.

Yet she, like the others challenging the local incumbents, hasn’t made a convincing argument for change.

The endorsement represents the opinion of the Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record editorial board.