Ken Dahlstedt has been on the right side of many issues during his eight years as a Skagit County commissioner. What the Democrat hasn’t been is a leader. His passive style has often left us wondering what he is willing to risk politically in pursuit of issues he cares about.

We think it is time to give someone new a chance to work on the many challenges facing the county, and we find that Republican Don Gordon has made a case for his election to the District 2 seat.

Gordon may be able to help the county repair its still-testy relations with the cities. As the economy sours, cooperation among all local governments is urgently needed to tackle an agenda that includes flood protection, solid waste, overcrowding in the jail, and long-overdue repairs to bridges and roads.

Our endorsement comes with some reservations, given Gordon’s endorsement of Burlington’s proposal for a ring dike around the entire city. It’s an idea that the Federal Emergency Management Agency is unlikely to accept as adequate protection to qualify for its flood-insurance program.

Gordon is among those who believe that data currently being developed by consultants for Mount Vernon and Burlington will substantially lower the flood elevations predicted for a 100-year flood, one that has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any one year.

We don’t agree with Gordon that this community can take on flood-control projects costing in the hundreds of millions without federal help, as he has suggested. We also believe that we need a comprehensive flood-protection plan that serves the interests of all communities.

To that end, cooperation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is unavoidable.

That said, we also see Gordon as the kind of leader who can reconsider his position on an issue if confronted with a reality that differs from his previous perceptions.

As one who seems to have no fear of political retribution, Gordon could be a more aggressive advocate for solutions to the many challenges the county is facing.

Gordon recognizes that the county’s present overcrowded jail must be replaced. He says he is willing to go to the public and make the case for a new jail, its costs and the consequences of not acting.

He is also a strong advocate of confining urban growth within existing boundaries until there is a compelling case to be made for adjustments. He disagreed with Mount Vernon Mayor Bud Norris on the wisdom of moving Riverbend inside the urban growth area, a proposal rejected by the City Council.

The county commission is a partisan body, but it traditionally has not let party orthodoxy dictate its approach to problems. We think Gordon would continue in that tradition.

• Editorials reflect the consensus opinion of the editorial board and are written by its members: Publisher L. Stedem Wood, Editor Don Nelson and City Editor Dick Clever.