I met Ryan Covert at a Republican function early in the year. A week later by chance, I happened to see him while getting and order of my favorite wings on the first day a candidate was able to get petitions.

I struck up a conversation with him and was immediately impressed for a few reasons. He said that he got 150 signatures that day and that nobody was going to outwork him. But he said it in such a humble fashion that I was now glued to the rest of the conversation.

I asked him about himself and why he was running and he told me in so many words that a good part of his agenda was to help troubled kids by giving them options they have never had.

He told me that he donates some of his time at the Cub’s Hall helping those types of kids. I immediately thought of something Rick Warren, author of “The Purpose Driven Life” once said that time is the most valuable entity you can give because you cannot get it back.

Ryan is very hard working, humble and is determined to help others.

Although he did not explicitly state this, I am quite certain he is not doing this for the money or the prestige. He owns three businesses and is doing just fine. A person running for office for reasons beyond the stature that comes with it is rare indeed.

I also want to comment briefly about the “endorsement” meeting by the Butler County Republican Committee. I was there. This was the first time this ever occurred. I believe it was not well coordinated and had fewer than 50 people in attendance. Further, sitting politicians had name tags of candidates, thereby giving an implicit endorsement. The candidates spoke for only three minutes, but even before they spoke, you could tell that the endorsement, for all intents and purposes, had already been decided. Inertia wins out in these cases.

I hope each voter will try to get to know the candidates to a least a small extent, and then make up his/her own mind. I would not rely on any endorsement of a small group of committee people that consists of the challenger. If you have not already done so, I would kindly encourage you to do that.

I cannot think of a better candidate than Ryan Covert in the race for state representative in the 11th district.