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WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The 2026 Primary is here for Whatcom County. Ballots were mailed out Wednesday, July 15 and numerous races will be culled down for the region ahead of this November. Below are responses to questions sent to each candidate in the race for Port of Bellingham Commissioner Seat 4. They have not been edited with the exception for typos and formatting reasons.
Tor Benson
I spent 15 years commercial fishing in Alaska, currently coordinate the cargo vessels that call Puget Sound and have my Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) which taken together have prepared me well for serving on the Port Commision.
What do you see yourself bringing to the office as an advantage over your opponents?
I have a unique blend of skills that will be useful in the varied job as a port commissioner. I have the operational knowledge about our working waterfront from commercial fishing and coordinating the 800 foot cargo vessel while also have a strong financial background and have been a lifelong business owner. The role of the port is to promote an environment for businesses to operate in Whatcom County and have a business background gives me the perspective of where the Port can add value.
What approach will you have as a leader?
I lead by example and will bring professionalism to the organization. I think the beauty in having 5 commissions is the varied perspective we will all bring to the table. From my perspective the moral and energy at the Port is currently positive and with a new executive director, Tiffany DeSimone, I am excited for the trajectory of the port and would like to add my abilities to the process.
What policies from prior leadership do you agree with? Which ones would you like to see changed?
ABC recycling was not a good long term partner at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal and caused a lot of unneeded strife and heart ache for the Port and Community. The Port has learned from this and the Executive Director plans to hire a communications director to improve the communication between the port of community which I applaud. The Airport is also budget to run at a loss for the 3rd year in a row. It currently does not have a market budget to keep our airport top of mind and I would be in a 5% budget to reverse this negative trend of less passengers and flights.
What public needs do you think need more attention that are currently underserved?
With five commissions I believe we will be able to do a better job at not only bringing ideas forward but doing our due diligence on potential projects. The Port was create to provide infrastructure and jobs for the Entire County and I like forward to making good on that directive.
What do you feel is your largest challenge in winning this election?
I have the qualifications, willingness to put in the time required to make informed decision as a port commission but getting the word out is what wins elections. I plan to spend the next 6 weeks chatting with as many people as I can in District 4 and appreciate the opportunity to respond to these questions to do exactly that. I look forward to representing the Port Commission come November.
Dean Berkeley
Did not respond to repeated requests.
Paul Burrill
I’m a lifelong commercial fisherman, seafood business partner, and trucking company owner with more than 30 years of experience in transportation, trade, and the maritime industry. I currently serve as Chairman of the Port of Bellingham Marina Advisory Committee and have a long history of working on fisheries management, agriculture, and economic development to support family-wage jobs in Whatcom County.
What do you see yourself bringing to the office as an advantage over your opponents?
I bring a level of real world experience and practical understanding that my opponents simply do not have. Unlike those who have never worked in any maritime industry or do not depend on ports for their livelihood, I have spent my entire adult life building a career in the fishing industry between Alaska and Washington and working directly in the economy that ports support. I have been self-employed since I was 18, starting in fishing and growing into ownership of seafood companies and an interstate trucking company. That experience has taught me how to create jobs, manage risk, solve problems, and make decisions that affect working families and small businesses. I understand firsthand how important ports are to our economy because I have lived it, depended on it, and built businesses around it.
What approach will you have as a leader?
My approach to leadership is to listen first, bring people together, and make practical, informed decisions. The best leaders don’t have all the answers, they seek input, understand different perspectives, and focus on solutions.
For more than a decade, I’ve served in advisory roles for Whatcom County and the Port of Bellingham, including the Whatcom County Business and Commerce Committee, as Chairman of the Port of Bellingham Marina Advisory Committee since 2018, and on fisheries policy committees representing commercial fishing fleets. Those experiences have taught me to build consensus, balance competing interests, and make decisions that serve the long-term interests of our community.
What policies from prior leadership do you agree with? Which ones would you like to see changed?
I support the long-term vision established by previous Port Commissioners to redevelop the waterfront, strengthen our marine and aviation industries, and create family-wage jobs. The foundation has been laid, and my priority is to keep that momentum going so we can deliver results sooner rather than later. We need to continue moving projects forward that generate jobs, expand economic opportunity, and increase revenue for the Port and our community.
One area where I would like to see a change is in how major construction projects are awarded. Whenever qualified local contractors have the expertise and capacity to perform the work, they should be given every opportunity to compete and succeed. Whatcom County has highly skilled contractors capable of delivering projects at every scale, and I believe investing in local businesses keeps more jobs, wages, and economic benefits here at home.
Our community has many important needs, but affordable housing and access to quality childcare deserve greater attention. While the Port doesn’t directly control those issues, it can play an important role in creating the conditions that make them more attainable.
We can’t simply turn back inflation, but we can create more family-wage jobs that allow people to afford to live, work, and raise a family in Whatcom County. By continuing to develop our waterfront, support marine and aviation industries, and attract businesses that provide long-term careers, we can give the next generation a reason to build their future here instead of looking elsewhere.
The biggest challenge is encouraging voters to evaluate candidates based on their experience, qualifications, and vision rather than political labels. A Port Commissioner is a nonpartisan position, and the decisions made should focus on economic opportunity, responsible stewardship, and serving the entire community.
My hope is that voters will look beyond party affiliation and choose the candidate they believe is best prepared to create family-wage jobs, strengthen our waterfront and airport, and deliver results for Whatcom County.
Tim Chartier
Did not respond to repeated requests.
Samantha Cruz-Mendoza
Born and raised in Whatcom County, graduate of Meridian Senior High School, and Washington State University Alum. I’ve worked for the past four years as staff at the Washington State Legislature, and prior to this, clerked at Whatcom County Superior Court. I’m finishing up my second year at Seattle University School of Law, and had the wonderful opportunity last summer to extern for Kids in Need of Defense (KIND).
What do you see yourself bringing to the office as an advantage over your opponents?
First-hand experience in state government; an effective Port Commissioner needs to advocate to the state and federal government for grants, to avoid levying property taxes. My work for the state legislature is often explaining why policy decisions were made and providing resources for those seeking support from the state. My career has been spent bringing people together, providing answers to folks frustrated with policy decisions, and presenting solutions when available.
To be a powerful advocate for Whatcom County, it’s also necessary to understand the community you’re representing. I’ve lived my whole life in district 4; I grew up in rural Lynden, and understand the importance of things like our agricultural industry, not solely for the revenue it produces in exports. This industry is vital to the identity of north Whatcom, for small cities tourism and providing employment for many local farming families and farmworkers.
I bring a fresh perspective with policy and government experience, but also a genuine commitment to serving the community I call home.
What approach will you have as a leader?
A collaborative one; I want folks to feel comfortable voicing their concerns, but also their requests of a leader representing this part of the county. I will explain my decisions on Commission, so folks also have the understanding of who I spoke to, what issues were flagged by constituents, and the implications of a different decision. My experience at the state has also taught me that folks may be unaware of the programs or services available to them; as a Port Commissioner, I will be sure to seek out and provide information to those in my community.
What policies from prior leadership do you agree with? Which ones would you like to see changed?
There’s a few recent decisions to advance the Climate Action Strategy that are good examples of investing in our community and preserving our natural resources. Electrifying the Bellingham Shipping Terminal. The solar power installations at the BLI and the Bellingham Cruise Terminal. Last fall’s lease approval with Puget Sound Energy to install solar panels on Fisherman’s Pavilion. This was for a waterfront addition to the Community Solar program, which has a nice public benefit, in addition to creating good-paying job opportunities locally.
I support the general policy change of not selling Port property to special interests groups, and not entering agreements with a sole proprietor. Port property belongs to the people. It should be used to support maritime businesses and industrial development that create local family-wage jobs, or it should be accessible for public recreation. We can learn from past missteps, like the agreement for Harcourt’s ownership of much of Bellingham’s waterfront district, that led to years of inaction, then a settlement. Or how the private ownership of a fuel dock led to restricted fuel options for harbor tenants north of Bellingham. Our waterfront is too valuable to our economy and community to be monopolized.
What public needs do you think need more attention that are currently underserved?
Speaking specifically – Blaine Harbor! The Port Commission has made great investments in the Bellingham waterfront development, but Blaine hasn’t received a comparable level. Ensuring the cleanup process at Blaine Harbor is finished will allow for infrastructure projects to be completed. Once those “first steps” are done, there will be opportunity to expand public access to Jorgensen Pier, expand moorage for visitors and residents, and begin other requested projects to benefit the fishing industry.
Speaking generally – the job market in Whatcom County. It is incredibly difficult to afford to live here, even up north in the rural areas. Our county population has increased tremendously, but we lack a viable job market for new folks and lifelong residents. The Port has the unique role in local government as the county’s economic engine, to create jobs and business opportunities along the waterfront and through operations at the BLI. Employing local folks with good-paying jobs will also increase foot traffic at local stores and restaurants, as folks will have extra cash in their pockets. Right now, everyone is tightening household budgets, which has had a direct impact on the small businesses in Whatcom, many of them generations-old, now having to close their doors. Our county had been very reliant on Canadian visitors, and while we have no control over federal action, we have the opportunity to invest our dollars into the workforce and businesses in Whatcom County.
What do you feel is your largest challenge in winning this election?
The perception that I don’t have the experience to manage port operations. Thankfully, the Port already employs experts to run daily operations. A commissioner’s job is to listen and ask good questions, understand public budgets, and make decisions to benefit the communities they represent.
I grew up in Lynden – the part right off Loomis Trail that’s basically Custer – to a working family that got a solid start from tough, but good-paying jobs in the county. This isn’t a reality for my generation. We’re inheriting an expensive housing market with no viable job options to afford living without roommates. This isn’t a Bellingham-specific situation either. The county’s population growth and limited jobs has led to mortgage-comparable rent prices up in north county too. I believe the Port, as the county’s economic engine, has the immediate capability to fix local unaffordability issues by getting folks to work.
I won’t pretend to have all the answers. But I do know how to pinpoint the possible and unintended effects of policy, and to seek input when it’s unclear to me. I’m committed to listening, leading with integrity, and supporting economic opportunity.
Jaden McConnell
Did not respond to repeated requests.
My Bellingham Now is committed to providing equal opportunities to candidates in the Whatcom County region. This is part of a series of emailed questionnaires our team sent to candidates in elections likely to see eliminations in the 2026 Primary. Read responses from candidates in the following races:
40th District Rep. Position 2
Port of Bellingham Commissioner Seat 5