I attended the Thursday Judge’s Breakfast on Oct. 10, which featured the final forum between District 1 supervisorial candidates John Hess and Helen Owen.

As a Clearlake resident and voter in District 1, I was eager to observe each candidate in action and evaluate their responses to questions from the group, including my own about broadband access.

The differences between Mr. Hess and Ms. Owen quickly emerged. John Hess was extremely well-prepared, and the quality of his responses to every question was impressive. While Helen Owen was pleasant and emphasized her deep roots in the community, she sometimes struggled to provide in-depth answers or, at times, couldn’t respond at all.

I admire both candidates for their commitment to District 1 and for putting themselves out there, and for me, the choice is clear. John Hess is smart, experienced, and articulates a strong and optimistic vision for District 1 and Lake County as a whole.

I will be voting for John Hess on Nov. 5, and I will work hard to encourage all District 1 voters to do the same.

Lisa Wilson lives in Clearlake, California.