Benson Wong has been a strong advocate for Mercer Islanders on the City Council and should be re-elected. In his first term, he has spent untold hours as a council member to improve our community.

I’ve known Benson since the early 1980s when we helped run the King County Bar’s free neighborhood legal clinic program. Through the years, I’ve had the pleasure of serving with Benson on the boards of the King County Bar Association, its Young Lawyers Division and the King County Bar Foundation, which raises money to support legal aid programs and provide law school scholarships for minority students.

Benson’s character and attributes has served us well on the City Council. He’s smart, he’s tireless and he listens very well. He commands respect for his thoughtful approach to tough and sometimes controversial policy issues and always does what he thinks is best for the community.

I urge you to re-elect Benson Wong to the City Council.

Scott A. Smith

Mercer Island