One of the great aspects of running for office is the people you meet. Benita Pierce is one of my favorite people I have met this year. Benita's family has lived in West Yarmouth for generations, and she has been an active volunteer for my campaign. Thank you for submitting this letter to the editor.

My family has lived in West Yarmouth for generations — and I’m so proud to be a daughter of Yarmouth and the Cape. But we have challenges — protecting our environment and our drinking water and protecting our people from drug abuse and rising costs (of everything!).

I know the leader to help us navigate these challenges: Julian Cyr, who is running for the state Senate. Julian is intelligent, compassionate and full of ideas for the Cape’s future. Like me, he’s a Cape native who knows what it means to be a year-rounder. And he has the most experience of any candidate running. Julian has worked on six state budgets and has six years of experience at the Massachusetts State House. His opponents will need a map to find their way around if they’re elected, Julian won’t. We can’t afford time for them to get up to speed, Julian will be ready on day one.

I say, vote for the candidate who is grounded in Cape values and knows how to get things done on Beacon Hill. What an unbeatable combination! I encourage readers to join me in voting for Julian Cyr for Senate in the Democratic primary Sept. 8. More information is available at www.juliancyr.com.

Benita Pierce

West Yarmouth