To the editor:

At the close of this election season, the 10th Legislative District lost a longtime, stalwart leader when Mary Margaret Haugen was defeated. State Sen. Haugen earned the bipartisan respect of the lawmakers she worked with over the years and the admiration of those who had the privilege of knowing her. It is sad that her service to the citizens ended without a well-deserved public acknowledgement of her unmatched dedication. It is especially disheartening that she was the target of an unwarranted and unprofessional smear campaign. It is not uncommon for challengers to deny culpability when a negative campaign is waged on their behalf. If a candidate has so little control over their own campaign tactics, how can we expect them to be effective in office?

Thank you, Mary Margaret, for your years of unselfish service.

Maggie Lyen

Sharon Franzen