Editorial: The Herald Editorial Board will no longer endorse candidates

Published 1:30 am Saturday, July 25, 2026

The primary function of a local newspaper is to gather and report facts that allow members of the community to make informed decisions. That responsibility is most apparent in the weeks leading up to an election when registered voters are presented with choices that will shape their community’s future.

At The Daily Herald, we spend a considerable amount of time thinking about how to best fulfill that responsibility. As we experience change and adapt to it, we often take time to step back, look at how we operate and question it. In that spirit, and after thoughtful discussion, we have decided that our editorial board will no longer endorse candidates for elected office.

This marks a change from a long-standing tradition at The Herald. We have great respect for the editors and publishers who came before us and for the role endorsements played over many decades. But traditions are worth continuing only if they continue to serve readers well, and we believe this is the right time to take a different approach.

For more than a century, The Daily Herald has been part of civic life in Snohomish County. It is not our responsibility to simply tell our neighbors what to think. Instead, we have a responsibility to objectively report what is happening in their communities, ask tough questions of those seeking public office, and hold elected officials accountable after the election.

Each week, our newsroom covers the communities across the county. Our reporters attend city council meetings, cover county government, interview candidates for local office, report on school boards, explain the issues before the Legislature, and examine how decisions made in Olympia and Washington, D.C., affect people here in Snohomish County.

That reporting is the most valuable service we can provide our readers.

When the editorial board met with candidates in the past, we often found ourselves reviewing many of the same facts our newsroom had already reported before ultimately recommending one candidate over another. We believe our readers are better served by journalism that presents those facts thoroughly and fairly, allowing each voter to reach his or her own conclusions.

Our readers represent an array of viewpoints and experiences. They are Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, independents and people who don’t identify with any political party. They live in growing cities, rural communities, waterfront neighborhoods and farming communities. While our editorial board remains committed to thoughtful discussion, we no longer believe it is our role to tell our community which candidates deserve their votes.

This change does not mean The Daily Herald is stepping away from its editorial voice.

We will continue to write editorials about issues that matter to Snohomish County. We will continue to advocate for good government, transparency, accountability and policies we believe strengthen our communities. And we will continue to take positions on ballot measures and initiatives.

Readers can continue to expect comprehensive election coverage from The Daily Herald. We will ask difficult questions. We will explain where candidates stand on the issues. We will examine their records and provide the context voters need to evaluate those seeking public office. That work is fundamental to our mission, and it will remain one of our highest priorities.

Our responsibility is not to tell readers how to vote. It is to present facts without omission — facts they need to cast informed ballots of their own.

We believe that is the most valuable role a local newspaper can play, and we are proud to continue serving Snohomish County in that way.