Carmela Conroy gives eastern Washington voters the unusual, important opportunity to elect a foreign policy expert as their US Representative. As Foreign Service Officer for 24 years, she served in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Norway, New Zealand, and Tom Foley’s Japan office.

US voters must weigh foreign policy experience much more heavily than usual in their 2024 voting decisions. Electing wannabe dictator Donald Trump would be a huge catastrophe for our national security by his policies towards Ukraine and Russia, with most congressional Republicans his weak lackeys. Foreign policy expertise is also prerequisite for ending the tragic Israeli-Palestinian conflict that Trump has accepted uncaringly.

Trump makes clear he admires Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. His 2018 Helsinki, Finland remarks showed him trusting Putin’s word over US intelligence. Putin continually manipulates Trump. Trump told Putin-friendly Viktor Orban, Hungarian autocrat, he would “not give a penny” to Ukraine if elected.

Like retiring Cathy McMorris Rodgers, no Republican candidate has foreign policy experience. They praise McMorris Rodgers, calling her their mentor — raising the danger that any would just repeat her role among dysfunctional House Republicans and support incompetent Speaker Mike Johnson, whom she nominated. Like her, would they lack courage to ever confront Johnson — or Trump — though voicing support for Ukraine? Johnson, at Trump’s behest, twice withheld full House votes on urgent funding for Ukraine despite sufficient bipartisan votes for passage.

Alarmingly, would they copy her recent vote to shut down the government?

Democratic candidates can do better! Foreign policy matters, especially now! Elect Carmela Conroy!