You can’t miss Shanda Harry, she’s everywhere – doing the work, gaining our confidence, earning our votes.

When Shanda Harry stepped into the race for Lake County Superior Court judge last winter, she was a newcomer on the election scene.

Unlike her opponents, familiar names on the election ballot, Shanda had never run for elected office. I knew from personal experience that reaching voters on a countywide scale would take an enormous amount of work. At the time I wondered if she was up for the challenge.

Clearly she was. In a field of three, Shanda was the top vote getter in the primary election and is now in a run-off for Superior Court judge against a well-known candidate.

Fast forward to one week before the Nov. 6 general election and she’s still working as hard as ever – putting herself out there to give voters an opportunity to get to know her and what she will bring to the job. She’s at events big and small, knocking on doors, attending every candidate forum and responding to every call or request for information.

Shanda’s hard work has paid off – she’s captured the endorsements of local, state and federal leaders. More importantly she’s landed scores of supporters from all corners of the county, walks of life and political persuasion who believe she is the best candidate.

A quick look at her credentials and there’s no doubt Shanda’s got the experience and education needed for the job. She’s worked in the legal profession – in and outside of Lake County - for 17 years. She’s worked in private and public settings, handling the full range of cases a judge might encounter - and she graduated from a top-notch school.

“Google” Shanda Harry and you’ll find she gets high marks for character – one of the most important attributes of a good judge. Free of negative baggage or conflicts of interest, she’ll hit the ground running, an important consideration in our crowded courtrooms.

Shanda took on a big challenge when she decided to run for elected office, doing what mailers and signs alone could not accomplish. She gave voters direct access to her – and that took a lot of time, energy and hard work.

Hard work is the cornerstone of success. I am convinced Shanda will work hard every day on the bench to make sure justice is fairly served. She has my vote.

Olga Martin Steele lives in Clearlake Oaks, Calif.