Fact check Friday
Published 1:30 am Friday, July 18, 2025
Fake News Friday is a series from the Journal’s social media accounts where we fact-check island rumors submitted by readers.
The Rumor: “My vote in the mayoral election doesn’t really matter.”
This fact is: FALSE.
Primary Source: The San Juan County Elections Archive.
The last Friday Harbor mayoral election was in 2021.
The Primary (in August) was between three candidates: Farhad Ghatan (incumbent), Ray Jackson and Philip Carvalho. The difference in votes between making it through the primary (Ghatan) and being eliminated from the race (Carvalho) was only 161 votes.
In the General election (November), the difference between the winning and losing candidates was only 394 votes.
Are you surprised by those numbers?
Follow the Journal’s coverage of the election to stay informed, and don’t underestimate the power of your vote.
The Journal combats rumors and fake news around the island by fact-checking and seeking direct answers from the source. What rumors have you heard lately that you’d like us to check in on?
