As a PCO, Carollyn Zimmers was involved in the selection process for sheriff nominees. The following comments are her own personal opinions.

Commissioners Garrido and Gelder are registered Democrats. They ignored the collective wisdom of the Kitsap County Democratic precinct committee officers when they chose John Gese over Brandon Myers for interim sheriff.

To have our Democratic commissioners totally ignore the preferred candidate selected by the county Democratic PCOs is not only an embarrassment, it is a clear indication of the value they place on our contribution to the Democratic Party.

The county PCOs researched the candidates’ backgrounds and qualifications. The county PCOs contacted members of the community for input into interview questions. The county PCOs crafted the interview questions after many hours of meetings, interviewed the candidates in a public venue and then collectively voted to put forth Brandon Myers as the preferred candidate for sheriff.

PCOs are the “boots on the ground” grassroots-elected officials of the Democratic Party in Washington. We are the people who knock on doors and phone bank to get fellow Democrats elected. Garrido and Gelder just sent a clear and disheartening message to all of us that says “You don’t matter.”

Carollyn Zimmers

Poulsbo