Female Leaders New to Politics Eager for First Year in Office
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Key takeaways
- Three women are new to local politics in Whatcom County: Elizabeth Boyle, Carly James, and Jessica Rienstra, joining the county council and port commission.
- Top priorities span housing solutions, stewardship of port assets, and affordability/safety in the community.
- Onboarding and learning curves are prominent themes, with emphasis on shared learning and clear communication.
- Expanded gender representation is seen as a meaningful shift for governance dynamics.
Table of contents
What are your priorities for the new year?
Elizabeth Boyle, Whatcom County Council District 2: “I would say housing is my number one issue. So many issues are connected to housing.” She wants to expand sheltering options, tiny home villages, and cast a vision focused on youth and families for prevention and intervention.
Carly James, Port of Bellingham District 2: “I’m in this moment of thinking about stewardship. I get to take care of the port for the next four years and what I want to do in the spirit of stewardship is leave it better than I got it.” Her emphasis is internal resources, organizational culture, and a culture shift spanning port operations.
Jessica Rienstra, Whatcom County Council District 3: “I think on the personal side, it’s going to be learning as much as possible. The campaign was really about safe, affordable and healthy communities.” She highlights housing affordability, stability, and flood-readiness as ongoing work and safety concerns for the community.
All note challenges aligning expectations with ground realities—Boyle exploring funding mixes and possible state/federal support, James building institutional memory and onboarding processes, and Rienstra stressing clear communication about what can be accomplished within jurisdictional limits.
Learning curve and onboarding
Elizabeth Boyle: “People have been really reaching out with lots of learning opportunities… Jessica and I are doing a lot of shared learning opportunities and it’s a tremendous honor to get to serve our community.”
Carly James: “I’m basically trying to get back to a place of feeling a little more confident… onboarding and learning are ongoing as I begin this work.” Staff responsiveness and an onboarding process are noted as essential pieces.
Jessica Rienstra: “From my point of view, you can never know enough… I’m compiling resources—materials, people and experts.” She also highlights generous time from current officials as invaluable during the transition.
Across their reflections, the trio emphasizes a rapid shift from campaign mode to governance, with an ongoing emphasis on learning, onboarding, and practical knowledge sharing.
Representation and gender makeup
Elizabeth Boyle: “It’s huge to have more gender equity on the council; diverse experiences enrich governance.”
Carly James: “My presence signals that women belong in leadership spaces, and I want to ensure voices feel welcome and heard.”
Jessica Rienstra: “Representation matters; we’ll add balance and bring a different pitch of voice to meetings.”
Sworn in dates and transition
Carly James will be sworn in on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Elizabeth Boyle and Jessica Rienstra will be sworn in on Monday, Jan. 12.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
Source: https://www.cascadiadaily.com/2026/jan/03/female-leaders-new-to-politics-eager-for-first-year-in-office/
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